Patrick Biancone
Patrick Biancone is a third generation French trainer and was the champion amateur rider in France in 1973. Served as an assistant to his father Pierre Biancone, then to LeRoy Jolley in the United States. His first major stakes winner was Bikala, winner of the 1981 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) and later named "Horse of the Year" in France. He was hired in 1981 as head trainer for Daniel Wildenstein and has trained for Allen Paulson, Frank Stronach and Michael Tabor. The best horses he has conditioned include All Along, Strawberry Road, Palace Music, Sagace and Triptych. He teamed with Michael Tabor to run Brancusi in the 2003 Derby.
Joe Bravo
Bravo, 33, will be riding in his first Kentucky Derby when climbs aboard Spanish Chestnut on May 7th. A New Jersey native, Bravo is a third-generation jockey, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He started riding at the young age of 13, where he developed his skills aboard quarter horses in Texas. In 1988, Bravo began his career riding Thoroughbreds at Calder Race Course. His first Grade I win came aboard Formal Gold in the 1997 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Bravo won the Grade I Haskell Invitational last year aboard Kentucky Derby runner-up Lion Heart for the same connections as Spanish Chestnut.
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor
Michael Tabor was the principal shareholder in the Arthur Prince chain of betting shops in the United Kingdom until selling the business in 1996 for $50 million. In 1972, he purchased his first Thoroughbred and 23 years later his Thunder Gulch won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He has campaigned many runners, such as Galileo and Giant's Causeway, in partnership with Susan Magnier, wife of Coolmore Stud owner John Magnier and daughter of renowned Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien.
Disappointed as the 3-5 favorite on the Breeders' Cup undercard
10.13.04
Maiden allowance @ Keeneland
1st
Nice score in his debut
Recent Workouts
Date
Track
Distance
Time
Rank
5.01
Churchill Downs (fast)
5 furlongs
1:00.40 B
4/58
4.11
Keeneland (fast)
5 furlongs
1:02.40 B
10/20
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Spanish Chestnut is a son of South African racing star Horse Chestnut and burst onto the Derby scene with a front-running win in the San Rafael (GII) at Santa Anita in January. He has failed to win in three subsequent starts for trainer Patrick Biancone, who finished second in last year's Derby with Smith and Tabor's Lion Heart. Tabor won the 1995 Derby with Thunder Gulch. Spanish Chestnut is expected to contribute to a lively pace in the Kentucky Derby under the guidance of jockey Joe Bravo, who will compete in his first "Run for the Roses."
Spanish Chestnut has a somewhat obscure pedigree and one that is heavy in European and South African bloodlines on the paternal side. He is by the young Claiborne Farms stallion Horse Chestnut, who was a Triple Crown winning Champion and Horse of the Year at three in his native South Africa. Horse Chestnut derives from the prominent Northern Dancer sire line, as he is by Fort Wood (Sadler's Wells) out of an over the seas laden female family that includes the influential Nasrullah four generations back.
Horse Chestnut won a stellar nine races from only 10 career starts. A multiple Group I winner in South Africa, he excelled at Classic distances, winning from 1 ¼ miles - 1 ½ miles. He raced in the United States in his final start, impressively capturing the Grade III Broward at Gulfstream Park before being retired due to injury training up to the Grade I Donn.
Unlike the stamina influence that Spanish Chestnut's paternal family possesses, Baby Rabbit (No Sale George), his dam, was a true sprinter who never raced beyond seven furlongs. Although there is a lot of black type in her direct family, Baby Rabbit lacks relation to any top-class racehorses. However, the cross that produced Spanish Chestnut is one that inbreeds 5x5 to Nasrullah.
Spanish Chestnut's front-running style going a route of ground may be evident of the router-to-sprinter breeding cross, and he looks to be a horse whose optimal distance will be shorter than the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Kentucky Derby.
Dosage Index: 2.60
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