Derby News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 17, 2006) - A distant fifth-place finish behind Sinister Minister in Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass (Grade I) has taken Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon Robbins III's First Samurai out of consideration for the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands on May 6 at Churchill Downs.

The son of Giant's Causeway, winner of the Hopeful (GI) and Champagne (GI) at two and winner via disqualification of this year's Fountain of Youth (GII), finished more than 30 lengths behind Sinister Minister is his first attempt at 1 1/8-miles. Trainer Frank Brothers said there would be no attempt at the Derby's 1 1/4-miles.

"He seems to have come out of his race in good order," said Brothers. "The race Saturday just didn't work out for him. He's not going to run in the Kentucky Derby and there are no immediate plans for him right now. We'll figure out something for him."

The colt's poor effort in the Toyota Blue Grass left First Samurai with a career record of 5-1-1 in eight races. His $22,500 paycheck for his fifth-place finish in Saturday's race boosted his career earnings to $915,075.

LAWYER RON, OTHER ARKANSAS HOPES ARRIVE AT CHURCHILL DOWNS - Arkansas Derby (GII) winner Lawyer Ron, who will vie with California-based Brother Derek for the favorite's role in Kentucky Derby 132, returned to Churchill Downs on Monday following a flight from Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

The son of Langfuhr, who is trained by Robert Holthus for the Estate of James T. Hines, Jr., stepped off a van around 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) as he returned to Churchill Downs for the first time since last fall. When he left the Louisville track in late November, he had a single win in eight races - with that victory being his lone start on the dirt over a "sloppy" track at Keeneland. He returned to Churchill Downs with six consecutive wins, all on the dirt, and recognition as one of the top two favorites for the "Run for the Roses."

Also arriving at Churchill Downs following the flight from Arkansas were Robert and Lawana Low's Steppenwolfer and Mike McCarty's Private Vow, the respective 2-3 finishers behind Lawyer Ron in the Arkansas Derby.

Others on the flight included a pair of candidates for the Kentucky Oaks: James Scatourchio's Ready to Please, winner of Friday's Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park for trainer Todd Pletcher, and Circle C Group Stable's Ex Caelis, fourth in the Fantasy for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

ASMUSSEN HOPES TO RUN TWO IN DERBY 132 - Trainer Steve Asmussen didn't win either of last weekend's big Kentucky Derby prep races, but his top two Derby hopes -Mike McCarty's Private Vow, third in the Arkansas Derby (GII), and Storm Treasure, runner-up in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) - showed him enough to earn a spot in the starting gate for the May 6 "Run for the Roses."

Private Vow, who established himself as one of last year's top 2-year-olds with a win in Belmont Futurity (GI) and Churchill Downs' Kentucky Jockey Club (GII), displayed significant improvement in the Arkansas Derby following a seventh-place finish in his 2006 debut in the Rebel (GIII) at Oaklawn Park. And Storm Treasure validated his trainer's faith with a late-running second place finish behind runaway Toyota Blue Grass winner Sinister Minister. The son of Storm Boot earned $150,000 for his runner-up finish at the Blue Grass and Asmussen hopes that his graded stakes earning total is now large enough to get Storm Treasure into the Derby if more than the maximum of 20 horses are entered.

"Both of them ran promising races and both of them seem to be improving horses," said Asmussen. "They're both moving forward at the right time. It looks like they both have enough earnings to get in, so we haven't eliminated ourselves that way."

The run by Private Vow in the Arkansas Derby was especially encouraging.

"He was way better," said Asmussen. "He didn't win, but I had a much better feeling about him. He got tired - but knowing how tired he got in the Rebel and that he didn't get that much done and got tired - it was definitely a huge move forward."

Asmussen will be watching his horses closely as they train at Churchill Downs over the next three weeks, but both Private Vow and Storm Treasure have run strong races over the track. Along with his win in the Kentucky Jockey Club, Private Vow ran a strong second to eventual graded stakes winner Sorceror's Stone in his racing debut in July. Storm Treasure scored a 7 ½-length victory in a November maiden race at Churchill Downs in his only start under the historic Twin Spires.

MUSIC SCHOOL RECOVERING FROM SURGERY - Trainer Neil Howard reported that William S. Farish, James Elkins, Jr. and Temple Webber, Jr.'s Music School is doing well after surgery to repair a leg fracture and the prognosis for the colt's return to racing is good.

The son of A.P. Indy, a three-quarter brother to 2003 "Horse of the Year" Mineshaft, suffered a condylar fracture of his right front cannon bone during a workout last week at Churchill Downs. Equine surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage performed the surgery to repair the fracture at Lexington's Rood & Riddle equine hospital and Howard said the early reports from Bramlage have been positive.

"He feels good about it," said Howard. "Horses do relatively well now with those kind of things, so we're hoping he comes back as an older horse."

Howard said there is no timetable for Music School's return to training.

"It'll be a few months before he goes back in training, so I don't know if he'll get back late fall or next winter," he said. "We just want to give him his first 30 days, see how the first set of X-rays look and go from there."

Music School went to the sidelines with a record of 2-0-0 in four races and earnings of $61,775.

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