He's Back: Lukas, Proud Citizen In Derby
April 22, 2002
By John Asher

Kentucky Derby Headlines:

• He's Back: Lukas, Proud Citizen In Derby
• Strong Field Shaping Up For Derby Trial
• Smoked Em Upsets Magic Weisner

MIDWEST (Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Arkansas) -- For the longest time it appeared that trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who failed to participate in the Kentucky Derby (GI) last year for the first time since his debut in the "Run for the Roses" in 1981, would be absent again when the tulips bloomed and the mint juleps were mixed at Churchill Downs. But Lukas, a four-time winner of America's greatest race, quietly told those who inquired about the possibility that it could be a mistake to count him out before all the Derby preps had been run.

On Saturday (Apr. 20) at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky., Lukas lived up to his words as he saddled Bill Mack, David Cornstein and Bob Baker's Proud Citizen to an upset victory in the $364,650 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (GII). The son of Gone West, who was ridden by Mike Smith and was racing for just the second time since September, romped to a front-running 3 3/4-length victory over Crimson Hero and the unlucky Easyfromthegitgo, who endured traffic problems during the race. Proud Citizen completed the 1 1/16-mile course in 1:44.58 on a track that was rated "fast" after being rated as "muddy" for most of the day.

On the day after the race, Proud Citizen was back at Lukas' barn at Churchill Downs and his trainer was making plans for the afternoon of Saturday, May 4. That's Kentucky Derby Day and, with Proud Citizen's victory, will end of his streak of missed Kentucky Derbys at one.

"All we were concerned about is that everything would be fine the next couple of days," Lukas said, "and it looks like it's more than fine."

Lukas enters the Derby fray with an interesting, if unseasoned, longshot in a year in which no strong favorite has emerged for the mile and a quarter Derby. His victory in the Coolmore Lexington was just his second in six races and the win boosted his earnings to $262,117.

Proud Citizen displayed great promise at two in a 9 1/4-length maiden win at Belmont Park, but then failed to distinguish himself in a pair of stakes outings at Saratoga. He went on the shelf in September after undergoing surgery to repair a bone spur on his left front knee. Lukas said he began to think about Proud Citizen as a possible Kentucky Derby hope in mid-December, but the timing of his comeback from surgery left little margin for error. His return to racing came in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 6, a race that Lukas now describes as an unusual prep for the Coolmore Lexington.

"You know me, I've been planning this for three months," said Lukas. "I'm probably the only guy that would use the Santa Anita Derby for a prep. We expected it from him. I know that when we ran him in the Santa Anita Derby, I told Bill and Bob and Dave that we were making a quantum leap, but we'd protect him and point him here. We needed this one under our belts and he responded. It is easy to be optimistic after a win like this."

Lukas last won the Lexington in 1999 with Charismatic and that former claiming horse went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and earned year-end honors as "Horse of the Year."

Trainer Patrick Byrne said a distaste for the drying Keeneland track was apparently to blame for the poor effort by Coolmore Lexington favorite Ethan Man, who finished a disappointing fifth under jockey Pat Day. West Point Thoroughbreds' son of Glitterman put forth so little effort that Byrne said he would consider running the colt back in this Saturday's Derby Trial (GIII) at Churchill Downs -- but the six-furlong, $100,000-added Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 11 was more likely.

Churchill Downs Racing Secretary Doug Bredar said a field of "six or eight" horses was shaping up for the one-mile Derby Trial. The group includes Gotham (GIII) winner Mayakovsky, Lafayette (GIII) winner Cashel Castle and recent Keeneland allowance winner Clergy.

EAST (New York, Maryland) -- The gritty gelding Magic Weisner fell short in his bid to win a sixth consecutive race, but owner/trainer Nancy Alberts said the setback would not change her plans to run the star of her small stable in the Preakness (GI) on May 18.

Magic Weisner rallied strongly in the stretch but could not catch front-running New York invader Smoked Em in Saturday's $125,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico. Jockey Richard Migliore guided the Todd Pletcher-trained Smoked Em to the front on a track that appeared to favor speed horses on the rail, slowed the pace and won by two lengths. Magic Weisner edged Heir D'Twine by a half-length for second. Smoked Em covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.20.

"You just can't catch speed at Pimlico," said Alberts, who also bred Magic Weisner. "But we tried. We ran our race. He ran wonderful."

Magic Weisner's career record dropped to 6-2-0 in 10 races. Smoked Em improved to 3-1-1 in six races.

SOUTHEAST (Florida) -- A late-developing star of this year's 3-year-old crop may have emerged at Florida's Gulfstream Park as odds-on favorite Gygistar rallied from just off the pace to score a 10 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $75,000 Hallandale Beach Handicap.

Eibar Coa rode the Mark Hennig-trained colt, who is unbeaten in two races since his return to racing after undergoing surgery last summer to remove a chip in his knee. He covered seven furlongs in 1:22.28.

"I was surprised that he won so easy," said assistant trainer Rob Rader. "I really don't think this horse has any limitations as to how far he will go."

The win aboard Gygistar was Coa's seventh stakes victory of the meet and allowed him to climb into a tie with Pat Day for meet honors.

WEST (California) -- Northern California-based trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is still hoping to ship Sham Stakes winner U S S Tinosa to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby -- if the Ohio-bred colt can get into the field.

The Derby field is limited to 20 horses and, should more than 20 be entered, preference is given to the horses with the largest amount of earnings in graded stakes. U S S Tinosa is "on the bubble" on that earnings list, but Hollendorfer remains optimistic.

"That fact that (jockey Kent) Desormeaux wants to stay with him makes me think we're going to run," Hollendorfer told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Other people see U S S Tinosa the same way I do because I've gotten offers from five other riders to ride him in the Derby."

U S S Tinosa finished a non-threatening fifth in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) in his most recent start, but may have been compromised by some early bumping in that race. Hollendorfer said another of his top 3-year-olds, California Derby runner-up Cappuchino, could run in the Preakness.

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