Derby Updates

By: John Asher

EAST/ ACHILLES OF TROY BIDS FOR WHIRLAWAY TRIUMPH - Paraneck Stables' Achilles of Troy will look to firmly establish himself as the top Kentucky Derby contender currently based in New York as he takes on six rivals in Saturday's $65,000 Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct. The Jennifer Pedersen trainee turned in one of the most impressive prep performances to date with a 14-length score in Aqueduct's Count Fleet on Jan. 7. The son of Notebook earned a 105 Beyer Speed figure for that victory.

Achilles of Troy will have a new jockey aboard on Saturday as Ramon Dominguez replaces Alan Garcia, who had ridden the colt five prior lifetime starts.

Other top contenders include West Point Stable's multiple allowance winner Psychotic Reaction, a son of the Storm Cat stallion Freud trained by Richard Violette, Jr., and Team Stallion Stable's maiden winner Rob'em Blind, who hails from the hot barn of leading Aqueduct trainer Gary Contessa.

Sorcerer's Stone Follows Stevie Wonderboy to the Sidelines - On the heels of champion Stevie Wonderboy's departure from the Kentucky Derby Trail because of injury, trainer Patrick Byrne announced Tuesday that Robert Shepard and Carrol Castille's Sorcerer's Stone has been knocked out of Derby consideration because of injury.

The winner of Arlington-Washington Futurity (GIII) has suffered a small bone chip that is believed to have occurred during a workout last Friday at Gulfstream Park.

Sorcerer's Stone, a son of Gulch, named for one of the popular books in the "Harry Potter" series won his first three starts. The most impressive of those was his 8 ½-length romp in the Arlington-Washington Futurity. He closed out the year with a sixth-place finish in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) at Belmont Park.

No decision has been made on whether surgery to remove the chip will necessary, but Byrne said that Sorcerer's Stone could be ready to return to racing as early as the summer.

Season's Debut For Half Ours Delayed - Thursday's fourth race at Gulfstream Park was scheduled to feature the return to racing of the unbeaten Half Ours, last seen winning the Three Chimneys Juvenile at Churchill Downs on last year's Kentucky Derby undercard. But trainer Todd Pletcher scratched the son of Unbridled's Song before the race. The two-time Eclipse Award winning trainer still managed to win the race as he reached into his deep bench and saddled Tompest for the victory.

Even money favorite Beacon Shine actually crossed the finish line first - but without his rider. The Bill Mott-trained colt unseated jockey Javier Castellano at the start.

Flashy Bull points to Fountain of Youth - The top three finishers from Saturday's Holy Bull Stakes (GIII) at Gulfstream Park - unbeaten Barbaro, Great Point and My Golden Song - are all considered possible for the $300,000 Fountain of Youth (GII) on March 4.

But the fourth-place finisher, West Point Stable's Flashy Bull, is definitely bound for that race. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin confirmed Thursday that the colt, a son of Holy Bull, would compete in that 1 1/16-mile race.

Trainer Mike Matz said on Friday that Barbaro could run either in the Fountain of Youth, wait for the $1 million Florida Derby (GI) on April 1, or run in both races.

"We're just playing it by ear right now whether we run in both races or just one of them," Matz said on Friday. " I probably won't be making that decision for a couple of more weeks."

Plans for second and third place finishers, Robert LaPenta's Great Point and Centaur Farms' My Golden Song have not been finalized. WEST/BAFFERT'S BLING BIDS FOR SAN VICENTE - The brightest stars among the ranks of California-based Kentucky Derby contenders from the field of eight 3-year-olds entered in Sunday's $150,000-added San Vicente (GII) at Santa Anita.

The Bob Baffert-trained Too Much Bling looms as the favorite off a victory in the six- furlong San Miguel last time out. The Ohio-bred son of Rubiano, who will be ridden by Garrett Gomez, also finished a respectable third to First Samurai in last year's Hopeful (GI) at Saratoga.

Another contender is Stonestreet Stable's Peace Chant, fourth in the San Miguel for trainer Richard Mandella following a win in his only other career start. Edgar Prado will ride Peace Chant, a son of War Chant out of the brilliant sprinter Safely Kept. Other contenders include Bound To Be M V P, third in the San Miguel for trainer Paddy Gallagher, and Totally Gone, a gelded son of Gone West who was an easy winner in his only career start fore trainer Doug O'Neill.

Impressive Maiden Winner Sky Diving Favored in Turf Paradise Derby - B. Wayne Hughes' Sky Diving, a romping 14-length maiden winner on Jan. 25, has been installed as the 2-1 morning favorite as he makes his stakes debut on Saturday in the $75,000 Turf Paradise Derby.

Sky Diving won at a mile at Northern California's Bay Meadows in his fourth career start. The son of Aptitude was transferred to trainer Bob Baffert's California-base from the Kentucky barn of trainer Paul McGee after he failed to win in his first two races. Hughes bought the colt during the Ocala, Fla. 2-year-old-in-training sale for $310,000 last March.

Baffert scratched Sky Diving from last week's $100,000 Sham Stakes (GIII) at Santa Anita. His Baffert-trained stablemate Bob and John rolled to an easy win in that race.

The only other Kentucky Derby nominee in Saturday's race is British import Prime Meridian (GB). Owned and trained by Bob Hess Jr., Prime Meridian will make his U.S. compiling a record of 1-0-1 in three races in the U.K. Prime Meridian (GB) is the co-third choice at 5-1.

Lost in the Fog Connections Have New "'Star" - Owner Harry Aleo and trainer Greg Gilchrest may have had their "horse of a lifetime" last year in once-beaten sprint champion Lost in the Fog, but there is a new star on the duo's horizon in the unbeaten Frisco Star.

Frisco Star earned a 102 Beyer speed figure in an 8 ½-length maiden romp at Santa Rosa in August. The son of More than Ready returned to competition with narrow victory in a six-furlong allowance race on Jan. 26 at Golden Gate Fields.

The colt turned in a sharp work at the Northern California track on Thursday. He covered five furlongs in :58, the fastest move of the day.

El Camino Real Derby (GIII) winner Cause to Believe worked four furlongs "handily" in :49.60 on Wednesday at Golden Gate Fields. The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained colt is not among the early nominees to the Triple Crown, but is expected to be made eligible for the three-race series before the late nomination deadline of March 25. The late nomination fee for the Derby and Triple Crown races is $6,000.

DUBAI/UNBEATEN GOLD FOR SALE WINS UAE 2000 GUINEAS - Unbeaten Gold for Sale, bred in Argentina and now based in Saudi Arabia, rallied from last in the stretch to score a narrow victory in the $250,000 UAE 2000 Guineas (Grade III) on Friday at Nad al Sheba. The one-mile race is the major prep for the UAE Derby, Dubai's $2 million prep for the Kentucky Derby.

Gold for Sale is owned by Sultan Mohd Saud al Kabeer and is trained by Ian Jory, who participated in a pair of Kentucky Derbys while training in the United States. Jory saddled Best Pal for a runner-up finish to Strike the Gold in the 1991 "Run for the Roses." Where's That Tiger finished second, a half-length behind the winner. The highly regarded Well Armed finished ninth for trainer Clive Brittain.

The winner accomplished his last-to-first heroics in the field of 15 horses under jockey Mick Kinane.

"We did not jump as well as I would have liked, so I was forced to settle in the rear," he said. "Just as I was going to move out to close up, I was pushed very wide and the horse has done remarkably well to get up from where we were. He is a really nice horse and I can see why he is unbeaten."

"I was surprised he was so far back," said Jory. "I was a bit worried. He was coming wide around the turn but he showed an impressive turn of foot. I don't think he will have a problem with the step up to the Derby distance."

The winner covered the mile in 1:37.56. He earned $162,500 for the win. Gold for Sale has now won Guineas in two hemispheres. He won the Argentinean Guineas in his most recent start. The UAE Derby will be run at Nad al Sheba on Dubai World Cup Day, March 25.

MIDWEST/LAWYER RON WORKS TOWARD SOUTHWEST - James Hines Jr.'s Lawyer Ron, undefeated in four starts on the dirt, worked impressively on Tuesday at Oaklawn Park in preparation for the $250,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 20.

The son of Langfuhr breezed six furlongs in 1:12 under regular jockey John McKee. The move was a "bullet" - the fastest work of the day at the distance - and also ranks as the fastest posted at the Hot Springs, Ark. track at that distance this winter.

"This is one of the best horses I've ever had," said McKee. "I would think that any Derby poll would have to have him near the top." "It had been a while since Lawyer Ron's last race, so he needed a good work," Holthus said. "He'll have one more breeze before the Southwest. Otherwise, we'll gallop him up to the race. With this work in him, I don't have to do much more with him."

Lawyer Ron ran seven times without success on the grass - including one race in $50,000 claiming company. He is coming off an 8 ½-length romp in the Risen Star (GIII) at the Fair Grounds at Louisiana Downs last time out.

Holthus also plans to run Thomas Franks' Red Raymond, winner of the Ellis Park Juvenile, in the Southwest. The son of Deputy Minister breezed six furlongs in 1:13 on Tuesday at Oaklawn Park.

Holthus won last year's Southwest with Greater Good, who would go on to also capture Oaklawn's Rebel Stakes and finish 13th in Derby 131.

J. Mack Robinson's Hyte Regency, third to Lawyer Ron in the Risen Star and considered possible for the Southwest, breezed a bullet :58.80 for five furlongs on Wednesday at Louisiana Downs. Others possible starters in the Southwest include Steppenwolfer, Fidyrich, Mark of Success and Celluloid Hero.

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