Derby News

Photo By: Bill Denver/Equi-Photo

Barbaro, making his first start on the dirt, found the sloppy going much to his liking Saturday at Gulfstream Park

Two promising sophomores kept their perfect records intact in graded stakes action at Gulfstream Park, taking important and noteworthy steps forward toward Louisville, Kentucky and the first Saturday in May, and some of the also-rans took steps in that direction as well.

Lael Stable's Barbaro became one of the most accomplished sophomores in training with a three-quarter length triumph in the grade III Holy Bull. Under jockey Edgar Prado, the son of Dynaformer was making his main track debut following three previous wins on the turf including the Laurel Futurity and the Tropical Park Derby. The Kentucky-bred sat in second through fractions of 23.18, 46.28 and 1:10.33 before challenging Doctor early leader Doctor Decherd on the turn. Barbaro drew clear in mid-stretch and held safe to return to his backers $1.60 on the dollar, completing the mile and an eighth in 1:49.30. Longshot Great Point under Jeremy Rose finished second, two and a half lengths in front of My Golden Song.

Trained by former Olympic equestrian Michael Matz, Barbaro is now four for four lifetime, two for two this year and has earned just under $250,000 with the $90,000 winner's share of the Holy Bull purse.

Keyed Entry ran his record to three for three while defeating the highly regarded First Samurai in the grade II Hutcheson Stakes, and Barbaro, three for three on the turf prior to this afternoon, proved his talent on dirt as well with a victory in the grade III Holy Bull.

Keyed Entry, owned by Starlight Stable and Paul Saylor, had to settle for second in the wagering behind First Samurai, but was able to reverse the order at the finish line of the seven and a half furlong event. Quick from the start, the son of Honor and Glory rushed away to take the lead under jockey John Velazquez--who had earlier captured the Davona Dale with the Todd Pletcher-trained Wait a While.

Always at least a length in front of the field, the Kentucky-bred raced through fractions of 22.19 for the first quarter mile and 44.10 for the half, with the favored First Samurai lurking in second under Edgar Prado practically from the start. At three-quarters of a mile in a brisk 1:07.61, it appeared briefly that the favorite might have a chance to catch Keyed Entry, but that moment passed as the second-choice held on to win by a length and a quarter in a time of 1:27.12 for the seven and a half furlongs over the sloppy going. For Frank Brothers, the trainer of First Samurai, there was honor in defeat.

"I thought he ran well," Brothers said after the race. "That was a top class horse that he was running with, and you can't take anything away from him but I thought my horse ran well for his first start off the bench in three months."

"The track condition didn't hurt the top two," he continued. "He was sharp; he just couldn't get to that other horse. We're going to stretch him out now. I'd like to get a mile and a sixteenth race, but you don't always get what you want in this game."

Winning trainer Todd Pletcher, however, got exactly what he wanted. "I was very pleased," Pletcher said. "This horse has been training exceptionally well since he got down here. Obviously, it's a big step up to go from an 'a other than allowance' to run against a grade I winner."

Pletcher added that future plans call to stretch out the winner, possibly in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream on March 4. "Or somewhere else. I'll have to get him back and decide that later."

A winner in his only start at two and now two for two at Gulfstream, Keyed Entry was purchased for $145,000 as a yearling and returned $7.40, $2.60 and $2.10. First Samurai, who finished sixteen lengths ahead of third place finisher Express News, returned $2.10 for place and show, as did Express News to show.

« Back To Derby News

Derby Info