Derby News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 20, 2006) - Purdedel Stable's Sharp Humor, winner of the Swale (Grade II) and runner-up to unbeaten Barbaro in the Florida Derby (GI) breezed one mile at Churchill Downs on Thursday in preparation for the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI) on Saturday, May 6.

The New York-bred son of Distorted Humor received an official clocking of 1:38 as he covered the distance over a "fast" track under jockey Mark Guidry, who will ride the colt in the Derby. Trainer Dale Romans recorded a slower time of 1:40.20 on his watch, but was happy with the training move by the colt that will be the Louisville native's first Kentucky Derby starter.

"I think he's going to run well," said Romans, who has won seven training titles at Churchill Downs. "The way he worked today couldn't have been any better."

"We were just basically getting some air in him," said Guidry. "It was a while since his last race, so 'Big Dale' wanted to work him a mile and get some air underneath him, and then come back with a little five-eighths next week and sharpen him up a little bit."

"I saw what I wanted to see: a nice even work, picking it up on the end finishing," said Romans. "We wanted to go in about 1:40 and he went in 1:40-and-one, so it couldn't have been any better."

Romans believes that Sharp Humor will improve significantly from the Florida Derby, which was his first race at a two-turn distance. And, although his colt is a speed horse in a field that appears to be loaded with frontrunners, he believes Sharp Humor has a legitimate chance to win the big race.

"He's so smart and he's so laid-back," said Romans. "He has tactical speed, he'll put himself in the race. And I think that he'll prove he has the stamina, the way that he ran the other day [in the Florida Derby] for the first time around two turns. If he's good enough, then I think he could win it."

The trainer's biggest career win to this point was the victory by Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Roses in May in last year's $6 million Dubai World Cup (GI), but Romans - the son of the late Churchill Downs trainer Jerry Romans - believes that a Kentucky Derby win would be much more special.

"It was a big deal to win the Dubai World Cup, but I think this would be much bigger for us," he said. "The money's not quite the same, but to win the Kentucky Derby is everybody's goal in horse racing - especially if you're from here in Louisville."

On hand to watch the work on Thursday was co-owner Chris Purdy, an Ithaca, N.Y. dentist who, with his wife Patricia, is the "Purd" in Purdedel Stable. Edwin and Mara Edelberg of Chicago are the other part of the stable. Edwin Edelberg is real estate developer. Sharp Humor is the first Kentucky Derby horse for both couples.

Purdy said the stable name is pronounced "pur-DED-el."

Sharp Humor has a record of 4-1-1 in seven races with earnings of $456,410.

SUNRIVER TO SKIP COOLMORE LEXINGTON - Trainer Todd Pletcher has decided take a chance with Kentucky Derby contender Sunriver, so the colt will not run in Saturday's $325,000-added Coolmore Lexington (GII) at Keeneland.

Pletcher remains concerned that Aaron and Marie Jones' son of Saint Ballado, a brother to his 2004 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Ashado, might be excluded from the "Run for the Roses" because of insufficient earnings in graded stakes races.

"We'll roll the dice and hope to get in here," said Pletcher. "He's doing well and he probably does better with five weeks between races, and if we run in the Lexington we'd probably be compromising our chances in the Derby even if we did get in."

The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters. If more than 20 horses are entered, preference is given to horses based on their earnings in graded stakes races. Sunriver, who finished third in the Florida Derby (GI) in his stakes debut, has collected $100,000 in graded earnings and currently stands 22nd on the list of horses considered as likely entrants in Derby 132.

Pletcher said the decision to pass on the Coolmore Lexington was made before Tuesday's announcement by Godolphin that UAE Derby (GII) winner Discreet Cat - the top horse on the Derby's graded earnings list - would not run in the Derby.

"Actually we made the decision the day before," said Pletcher, "but that didn't hurt our feelings any."

Sunriver is one of Pletcher's three Derby contenders, a group that also includes Hutcheson (GIII) winner Keyed Entry and Remsen (GII) winner Bluegrass Cat.

He said that Sunriver and Keyed Entry are scheduled to work at Churchill Downs on Sunday and that both would likely breeze after the break for track maintenance.

Pletcher labeled the Kentucky Derby status of Keyed Entry, who arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday, as "probable."

He said Bluegrass Cat, the fourth-place finisher in last week's Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland, would have just one work before the Derby. Pletcher said that work would probably come on the Sunday before the Derby.

Arindel Farm's Wait A While remains Pletcher's main hope for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI) for 3-year-old fillies on May 5. The Davona Dale (GI) winner and runner-up to Bushfire in the Ashland (GI) is scheduled to work on Saturday.

Pletcher said that James Scartourchio's Ready to Please, winner of last week's Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn remained only a "remote possibility" for the 1 1/8-mile Oaks.

HOLTHUS RETURNS, WATCHES LAWYER RON GALLOP - Trainer Bob Holthus is back in Louisville following another successful meet at his winter base at Oaklawn Park, but there's a difference this year for the 53-year training veteran.

Holthus may just have this year's Kentucky Derby favorite in his barn in Arkansas Derby (GI) winner Lawyer Ron, who arrived back in Louisville two days before his trainer's Wednesday arrival.

Holthus was back in his regular seat on a viewing stand near his Churchill Downs barn for the first time this year on Thursday and watched the son of Langfuhr gallop once around Churchill Downs' one-mile oval just before the break for track maintenance.

"Everything went fine," Holthus said. "We just wanted to get a little light exercise in him. He's done well since he's been here and he feels good. Of course, he was here in the fall, so he knows a little bit about it."

Lawyer Ron will give Holthus his third Derby starter in as many years and his fifth overall. He finished fourth in the 1988 Kentucky Derby with Proper Reality, his other Arkansas Derby winner.

"Up until now Proper Reality was probably the best horse I've ever trained, but this is just a much better horse," said Holthus. "He's got an excellent stride. Some people have compared his stride to Secretariat. He does things effortlessly that takes more out of other horses. That's what makes him such a good horse."

Holthus said he plans for "one pretty good work" for Lawyer Ron under the Twin Spires on Saturday, April 29.

"Fortunately, he's been a sound horse," he said. "I'd rather run him than work him. He's going to have more starts than any of the Derby horses, so he's fit. Plus, the bottom line's better when you run them."

Lawyer Ron, owned by the Estate of James T. Hines Jr., boasts a career record of 7-1-3 from 14 starts and career earnings of $1,220,008.

Holthus still has an outside chance for another entrant in this year's "Run for the Roses" in Thomas Franks' Red Raymond. The Rebel (GIII) runner-up finished a disappointing tenth in the Arkansas Derby, but he has collected $93,120 in graded stakes earnings, which would rank him 24th among horses with hopes of making the Derby's maximum field of 20 horses.

"We jogged him today, too and he went well," said Holthus. "We'll just have to see how everything comes along, whether he can get in or not."

Holthus is looking at other options for the son of Deputy Commander.

"We'll just look around the country," he said. "There'll be some place to run him. But he won't run Derby Week if he doesn't get in."

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