Derby News

NEW YORK (April 5, 2006) - In the years trainer Tom Albertrani worked for Sheik Mohammed, Godolphin Racing Inc., sent out five starters in the Kentucky Derby. The trainer of record was always Saeed bin Suroor.

Now that he's on his own, Albertrani is finding out first-hand what it's like to have his own Derby contender.

The horse is Deputy Glitters, a homebred bay son of Deputy Commander coming off an upset over top Derby prospect Bluegrass Cat in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 18. Saturday, Deputy Glitters returns to Aqueduct to face a strong field of 3-year-olds in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G1), a race which has produced three of the last six Derby winners.

While the Todd Pletcher-trained Bluegrass Cat is aiming for the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on April 15, another horse trained by Pletcher - Gotham Stakes (G3) runner-up Keyed Entry -- tops a field of nine expected to be entered Thursday in the nine-furlong Wood.

Also pointing toward the race is the horse that beat Keyed Entry in the Gotham, Like Now, as well the Bob Baffert-trained Bob and John, Barclay Tagg's Showing Up, Greeley's Legacy, Niagra Causeway, Platinum Couple, and Scanlon's Song, stablemate to defeated Gotham favorite Achilles of Troy.

Deputy Glitters, owned by Joseph LaCombe Stable Inc., broke his maiden in his first start in a 13 3/4-length romp at Saratoga, and went right into the Champagne Stakes (G1), finishing sixth behind First Samurai, Henny Hughes and Superfly over a sloppy track at Belmont. Two losses later, Albertrani decided to send him from Gulfstream Park to Tampa, where he would run second in the Sam F. Davis Stakes to Bluegrass Cat at odds of 63-1.

A few weeks later, he turned the tables on Bluegrass Cat, powering to a two-length victory in the Tampa Bay Derby at 8-1 odds. Now, he has to take on Keyed Entry to prove he deserves a shot at the May 6 Derby at Churchill Downs.

"I think Keyed Entry is the one we have to beat," said Albertrani. "I liked his race in the Gotham. I think we'll probably be stalking the pace, probably in a similar fashion as we did in the Tampa Bay Derby. I think that's the way the race will unfold and we'll have to see what else shows up."

Despite his victory over Bluegrass Cat, a son of Storm Cat who had won four straight going into the Tampa Bay Derby, Deputy Glitters hasn't received the kind of attention given other Derby hopefuls. And that's just fine with Albertrani.

"Bluegrass Cat came in with a big reputation and ours really hadn't shown much," said Albertrani. "And I think that's the reason people haven't given him any recognition."

A strong performance in the Wood - a race which produced Derby winners in Fusaichi Pegasus (2000), Monarchos (2001), and Funny Cide (2003) -- would change all that.

"The Wood is going to be a key race for our horse and we're going in there feeling pretty confident knowing that we were able to beat a top Derby contender in the Tampa Bay Derby," said Albertrani.

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