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Derby Entrants
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Trainer |
Jockey |
Owner |
Breeder |
Romans is a native of Louisville and literally grew up at the racetrack; his father Jerry was also a trainer and long-time fixture at Churchill Downs prior to his death in 2000. After working for his father as a teenager, Dale took out his trainer's license in 1987 at age 20. He continued to work as Jerry's assistant, eventually taking over his string. He has won training titles at Churchill Downs (including three ties), Turfway Park and Keeneland. While his father dealt primarily with claiming horses, Dale has steadily improved his stock since he began running the shedrow. He has enjoyed much success in the past few years, with Roses in May taking the Whitney Handicap (GI) and Dubai World Cup (GI) and Kitten's Joy being named 2004 Eclipse Award Turf champion. Sharp Humor would be his first Derby starter. |
: Derby History
Guidry, 46, is a native of Lafayette, La. and now resides in Louisville. A winner of over 4,700 races in his career, he is a perennial figure in the top 40 national jockeys' rankings. He began his riding career at age nine in his home state, competing at bush tracks and then moving on to regulated tracks at 16, winning his first race at Delta Downs. He moved his tack to Illinois in 1986, and became the dominant rider on that circuit, topping the rider's standings at Hawthorne seven times, Sportsman's Park nine times and also twice at Arlington. In recent years, he has ridden in southern California as well as Kentucky. He earned the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Award in March. The award is given annually to the jockey who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack. Guidry has ridden in three Kentucky Derbys, with his best finish being a fifth last year aboard Buzzards Bay.
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Ed Edelberg and Drs. Chris and Patricia Purdy use the Purdedel Stable name for their racing operation. Patricia was selected NYTB 2002 Breeder of the Year and together with husband operates Ivy League Farm in Ithaca, where New York-bred Grade One winner Carson Hollow was foaled. Chicago real estate developer Edwin (Ed) Edelberg acquired majority interest in the Sharp Humor following his debut victory. WinStar Farm is a Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation located in Versailles, Ky that is owned by Bill Casner and Kenny Troutt. WinStar purchased a minority interest in Sharp Humor in late April, with the intent of standing him at stud at the conclusion of his racing career. WinStar is also the owner of Kentucky Derby probable Bluegrass Cat. |
Drs. Chris and Patricia Purdy use the Purdedel Stable name for their racing operation. Patricia was selected NYTB 2002 Breeder of the Year and together with husband operates Ivy League Farm in Ithaca, where New York-bred Grade One winner Carson Hollow was foaled. |
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Distorted Humor - Bellona (Hansel)
Bay colt - Born On: 04.21.2003 |
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:: 04.27.06 - Sharp Humor Gallops Over CD Surface - Video Update 
04.20.06 - Sharp Humor Works Mile For Romans
04.13.06 - Swale Winner Sharp Humor Sizzles In Churchill Work
04.04.06 - Brother Derek, Barbaro Head Final 2006 Derby Futures Pool
04.01.06 - Barbaro Earns Hard Fought Florida Derby Victory
03.04.06 - Sharp Humor By A Nose In The Swale
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DRF Past Performances
Next Race: 05.06 Kentucky Derby (GI)
Future Wager Odds
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Pool # |
Date |
Horse # |
Final Odds |
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3 |
04.06-09 |
18 |
35-1 |
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2 |
03.02-05 |
24* |
3-1 |
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1 |
01.26-29 |
24* |
3-1 |
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Race History :: Graded Earnings: $280,000 (as of 04.02.06) - Race Record: 7-4-1-1
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Date |
Race |
Finish |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Comments |
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04.01.06 |
Florida Derby (GI) |
2nd |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Gave his all in tough loss to Barbaro |
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03.04.06 |
Swale (GII) |
1st |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Hard-fought nose victory over Noonmark |
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10.22.05 |
Sleepy Hollow @ Belmont |
1st |
Chart |
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Dueled the entire way for 1/2 length victory |
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09.25.05 |
BF Bongard @ Belmont |
1st |
Chart |
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Another state-bred stakes win |
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09.05.05 |
NY Breeders Futurity @ Finger Lakes |
3rd |
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Disappointed as the 6-5 favorite |
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08.07.05 |
Allowance @ Saratoga |
4th |
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13 lengths behind winner First Samurai |
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07.01.05 |
Maiden allowance @ Belmont |
1st |
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Handy win against state breds |
Recent Workouts
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Date |
Track |
Distance |
Time |
Rank |
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04.29 |
Churchill Downs |
5 furlongs (fast) |
59.00 B |
2/48 |
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04.20 |
Churchill Downs |
1 mile (fast) |
1:38.00 B |
1/1 |
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04.13 |
Churchill Downs |
5 furlongs (fast) |
59.60 B |
2/19 |
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03.25 |
Palm Meadows |
5 furlongs (fast) |
1:01.40 H |
8/34 |
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Sharp Humor is by 2002’s leading freshman sire Distorted Humor, a son of Forty Niner and a descendant of the Raise A native sire line who solidified his status as a sire when his son Funny Cide won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and was voted champion colt the same year. Distorted Humor won the Grade II Commonwealth Breeders' Cup and is the sire of five crops and 42 black type winners to date, including multiple graded stakes winner Flower Alley (Travers (GI) and Lane's End (GII)); Whitney Handicap (GI) Commentator; Grade I Spinaway winner Awesome Humor; and Grade II Astarita winner Humorous Lady. He also has sired top 3-year-olds in the sprinter Da Stoops and the filly Original Spin. Distorted Humor, like other recent Derby winners' sires, was at his best racing around the one mile distance, but his offspring have proven to be able to go a distance of ground, as witnessed by Flower Alley and Funny Cide.
Sharp Humor is out of the Hansel mare Bellona. Hansel won two-thirds of the 1991 Triple Crown, finishing tenth as the beaten favorite in the Kentucky Derby. Bellona, an unraced mare, has produced three runners, with Sharp Humor by far the most accomplished of the trio. The other two have but one win between them in 18 starts. Through her third dam, Continual, she is related to the Group One winner Shadeed. Shadeed would later finish third in the 1985 Breeders' Cup Mile (GI).
If Sharp Humor is to get the Derby's 10 furlongs, he will likely need to call upon the influence of the bottom half of his dam's pedigree, where the presence of classic stayers such as Damascus and Buckpasser are found. He is also inbred 3x4 to the great Mr. Prospector, a noted speed sire that did however sire 2000 Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus.
Dosage Index: 2.64
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SHARP HUMOR is one of the tougher reads in this field. He is a genuinely talented horse who is improving at exactly the right time, but he wants to be on or near the lead and that is basically suicide in a race where at least eight want to lay in the top three and can go fast enough to get there. Well someone is going to have to come out of their usual game and it won't be this guy by the way he has been training. He basically wants to breeze himself down the lane most mornings and is a real handful for the morning riders. Mark Guidry will know him well in their third pairing and the jock has a good way of settling horses down. Hopefully he can rate this headstrong speedster just enough to save something for down the lane, because if he doesn't, he will be one of many looking for a place to lay down late. Impressed with his Florida Derby and the way he looks going over the track but it just seems like an impossible task to out duel Sinister Minister on the lead, hold off the wave of stalkers and then have something left for the closers. Waiting for better spots on down the line but he's a very nice horse. |
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Derby Info
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