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Derby Entrants
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Trainer |
Jockey |
Owner |
Breeder |
Peitz, 48, was born in Conway, Arkansas and was bitten by the racing bug at an early age while attending the races at nearby Oaklawn Park. He began working on the backside as a hotwalker and groom as a teenager, learning from Paul Adwell and Joe Cantey. His time with Cantey included taking care of horses such as Cox's Ridge and Temperence Hill. Peitz best horse to date has been Capote Belle, a grade one winner also owned by Robert and Lawana Low. Peitz has yet to start a horse in the Kentucky Derby. |
A native of Lafayette, La., Albarado started riding at bush tracks at the age of 12 and scored his first career win at Evangeline Downs in 1990. He has earned riding titles at Fair Grounds, Arlington Park and Oaklawn Park. He fractured his pelvis in a two-horse spill at Keeneland on Oct. 13, 2000 and as a result, he had to sit out most of 2001. His 556 wins at Churchill currently rank him ninth all-time at the historic track. He was the winner of the 2004 George Woolf Memorial Award, given by piers. His best mounts include 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, Joyeux Danseur, Quiet Resolve, Morluc, and Tijiyr (Ire). He and his wife, Kimber, reside in Louisville, Ky. and have two son, Kaden and Kash. Albarado has ridden in seven Derbys, with his best finish coming on Request for Parole, fifth in 2002. |
Robert and Lawana Low own Primatara Farm in Springfield, MO. Robert grew up in Urbana, Missouri and became enthralled with racing when he made childhood trips to Oaklawn Park. He built Prime Inc. from a one-truck operation into a multi-million dollar trucking business. They also own the Palace Resort Casino near Biloxi, Miss. The Lows purchased their first thoroughbreds in 1995 and have employed Peitz as their trainer from that time. Within two years, their filly Capote Belle won the Test Stakes (GI) at Saratoga. Their 300-acre farm is home to 16 broodmares; the Low's annually sell some the offspring and race the remainder. Steppenwolfer would be the first Derby starter for the couple.
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Nursery Place is owned by John Mayer who bred Steppenwolfer in partnership with Happy Broadbent, John Donaldson, Bill Robbins and Steve Pallardy. Located outside of Lexington, Kentucky in Clark County, Nursery Place is a 500 acre commercial breeding operation and has raised or bred several stakes winners including Wiseman's Ferry, Belterra and Pretty Discreet. Happy Broadbent is Vice President of Bloodstock Research Information Services, Inc., and John Donaldson is a bloodstock agent who has been in the Thoroughbred business for more than 25 years. Bill Robbins operates a group insurance agency in Lexington for the KTA/KTOB health plan for the thoroughbred industry. Steve Pallardy is employed by the partnership which boards over 20 broodmares at Nursery Place. |
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04.29.06 - Steppenwolfer Puts In Final Work For Derby - Video Update 
04.22.06 - Steppenwolfer Settles In At Churchill Downs; Grazes - Video Update
04.17.06 - First Samurai Out Of Derby; Lawyer Ron Back At Churchill
04.15.06 - Verdict In: Lawyer Ron Is First-Class
04.13.06 - Lawyer Ron Has Plenty Of Challengers In Arkansas Derby
03.18.06 - Lawyer Ron Changes Tactics; Gets Same Results
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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 |
19 |
47-1 |
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2 |
03.02-05 |
19 |
24-1 |
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1 |
01.26-29 |
24* |
3-1 |
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Race History :: Graded Earnings: $230,000 (as of 04.16.06) - Race Record: 8-3-2-2
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Date |
Race |
Finish |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Comments |
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04.15.06 |
Arkansas Derby (GII) |
2nd |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Weaved through traffic, clearly second best |
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03.18.06 |
Rebel (GIII) |
3rd |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Very wide; caught by Red Raymond for the place |
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02.25.06 |
Southwest |
2nd |
Chart |
Recap |
Video |
Game 2nd to Lawyer Ron |
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02.03.06 |
Allowance @ Oaklawn |
1st |
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Easy 4 1/2 length win |
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01.07.06 |
Allowance @ Louisiana Downs |
1st |
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Got stopped, up in time |
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12.17.05 |
Allowance @ Louisiana Downs |
3rd |
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5-length defeat in first 2-turn effort |
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11.12.05 |
Maiden allowance @ Aqueduct |
1st |
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Hung on by a nose |
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09.28.05 |
Maiden allowance (turf) @ Belmont |
5th |
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Made up some ground in the lane |
Recent Workouts
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Date |
Track |
Distance |
Time |
Rank |
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04.29 |
Churchill Downs |
6 furlongs (fast) |
1:13.00 B |
4/11 |
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04.08 |
Oaklawn Park |
5 furlongs (fast) |
1:00.60 H |
2/24 |
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04.01 |
Oaklawn Park |
5 furlongs (fast) |
1:02.00 B |
5/25 |
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Steppenwolfer is a son of Aptitude, runner-up in both the 2000 Kentucky Derby (GI) and Belmont Stakes (GI) at three and winner of both the Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) and Hollywood Gold Cup (GI) the following year. His first foals are 3-year-olds of 2006, and Steppenwolfer is his only graded stakes winner to date. He is also the sire of the stakes-placed 3-year-old colt Sky Diving. Aptitude is a three-quarter brother to Slew of Gold, the a two-time champion and winner of over $3.5 million that excelled in races at the Derby distance.
Steppenwolfer takes at least part of his name from his dam Wolfer. Wolfer won over $200K in her career, including a second in the 1 1/16 miles Martha Washington (GIII) in her sophomore season. To date, Steppenwolfer is her only foal that has raced. Wolfer is a full sister the grade three winner Wolf Alert, as well as six other winners. Wolfer is a daughter of the South African Wolf Power, a mulitple champion, winner of 18 of 31 starts, and Horse of the Year in his home country.
Steppenwolfer has plenty of stamina influences on both sides of his pedigree that suggest the mile and a quarter is well within his reach. His sire comes from the Seattle Slew line, and the top half of his pedigree also boasts the presence of Secretariat, Northern Dancer and Buckpasser. On the distaff side, the sires Round Table and Hail to Reason add to the formidable list. Also interesting to note is that Steppenwolfer's fourth dam, Gay Tribute, is a daughter of 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation, a horse that you don't often see in the modern pedigree.
Dosage Index: 1.46
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STEPPENWOLFER is the pace play in Kentucky Derby 132 as a true, deep closer in a race loaded with speed. Hard to swallow the fact that he has never been able to get past Lawyer Ron but that Oaklawn racing surface really hates his style and it's obvious that his rival relished that track while he didn't. Switch to a much more fair surface should be just what the doctor ordered and it's easy to think that an escape from Oaklawn will move him up quite a bit. A son of Aptitude figures to handle the extended distance and he should be sitting on a breakthrough speed figure after 'pairing up' in his past two races. Tons to like here and he should go off at the best price since his debut when 22-1. Best confirmed closer in the field is a great value bet and one to include in the exotics. |
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Derby Info
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