Derby Updates

MIDWEST/LAWYER RON TOPS WEATHER-DELAYED SOUTHWEST STAKES -A winter storm that roared through Arkansas delayed Monday's scheduled running of the $250,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, but the delayed version of the race scheduled for Saturday has turned out to be stronger than the original.

Risen Star (GIII) winner Lawyer Ron continues to be the morning line favorite for the race, but there were some chances from the original field of nine when the race was re-drawn on Thursday. There was one defection from the original group in Mack Robinson's Hyte Regency, but his loss more than balanced by the addition of William S. Farish, James Elkins, Jr. and Temple Webber, Jr.'s highly regarded Music School and James Jackson's Agrapha to the field for the one-mile event.

The Southwest, which carries a record purse of $250,000, is one of three major Kentucky Derby preps on the Oaklawn Park schedule. The $300,000 Rebel (Grade III) is set for March 18 and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (GII) will be run on April 15.

Lawyer Ron, who run for the estate of James T. Hines, Jr. following the death of his owner earlier this week in his Owensboro, Ky. home, is listed as the 8-5 morning line choice. The son of Langfuhr is unbeaten in four races on dirt for trainer Robert Holthus, with the Risen Star being his most notable victory. Holthus will also saddle Thomas Franks' Red Raymond, winner of last summer's Ellis Park Juvenile.

Unbeaten Music School is coming off a win in a one-mile allowance race on Feb. 5 at Oaklawn, his second career outing and his first race in nearly eight months. He won by only three-quarters of a length that day, but turned in the fastest mile time of the Oaklawn meet. Trained by Neil Howard, the son of A.P. Indy - a three-quarter brother to 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft - won his only other start in June at Churchill Downs.

Robby Albarado, Howard's first call jockey, will ride Music School. Albarado had originally been scheduled to ride Robert and Lawana Low's Steppenwolfer for trainer Daniel Peitz. He had ridden the son of Aptitude to a comfortable 4 ½-length allowance win on Feb. 3, but Corey Lanerie has been named to ride the 9-2 third choice in the Southwest.

Others set for the race Mark of Success, second behind Lawyer Ron in the Risen Star, Travelin' LeRoy, Celluloid Hero, Kingsfield and Sharp Attack.

Ritchey's Urban Guy Heads Mountain Valley - Trainer Tim Ritchey used the $50,000 Mountain Valley at Oaklawn as an unlikely launching pad for the 2005 campaign of Afleet Alex, who would go on to win the Arkansas Derby, the Preakness (GI) and Belmont Stakes (GI) and earn an Eclipse Award as America's champion 3-year-old.

Ritchey is back for another try at the six-furlong Mountain Valley with Urban Guy, the 3-1 morning line favorite in a field of 11 entered in Saturday's six-furlong race. The colt, who is not nominated to the Kentucky Derby, is a stakes veteran with runner-up finishes in the Dixieland at Oaklawn Park and the Huntington at Aqueduct.

Urban Guy's opponents include WinStar Farm's Fidyrich, a son of Grand Slam trained by John Servis, who guided Someday Farm's Smarty Jones along the Arkansas route to victory in the 2004 Kentucky Derby. Fidryich, who is named for Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, the 1776 American League "Rookie of the Year" for the Detroit Tigers, had also been considered for a run in the Southwest. Other notables include unbeaten Corredor de Plata and five-time stakes winner Premier Dance.

EAST/STRONG CONTENDER LIVES UP TO NAME IN ALLOWANCE WIN - John C. Oxley's unbeaten Strong Contender placed himself solidly among the ranks of major Kentucky Derby contenders when the son of Maria's Mon more than lived up to his name in a commanding allowance win at Gulfstream Park on Wednesday.

Strong Contender, who was making his first start since an August maiden win at Arlington Park for trainer John Ward, led from the start and drew away to an easy 4 ¾-length victory under jockey Edgar Prado. He covered the one-mile distance in a sharp1:34.67 as Mike McCarty's Storm Treasure finished a non-threatening second.

The major disappointment in Wednesday's race was Peachtree Stable's High Cotton, runner-up in both the Iroquois (Grade III) and Ky. Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt was the favorite in the race, but stumbled badly from the gate and was eventually eased on his way to a last-place finish.

Pletcher told the Daily Racing Form that High Cotton had "bled a little" during the race, and that he would attempt to regroup the son of Dixie Union for a bid for the classics.

Ward, meanwhile, hopes to find another allowance race for Strong Contender, but acknowledged that his lightly raced colt would likely be forced to face stakes competition next time out. That race could come in either of two Grade III races set for March 18: the $300,000 Rebel at Oaklawn Park or the $150,000 Gotham at Aqueduct.

Oxley and Ward teamed to win the 2001 Kentucky Derby with Monarchos, another son of Maria's Mon.

Scanlon's Song Preps for Possible Run in Lane's End - Paraneck Stable's Scanlon's Song, an impressive winner in his only career start for Paraneck Stable, will face winners for the first time in a Saturday allowance race at Aqueduct.

Another strong performance from the Jennifer Pedersen trainee could send the colt to Northern Kentucky's Turfway Park for the $500,000 Lane's End (GII) Stakes on March 25. Team Stallion Stable's Rob 'Em Blind, third behind Paraneck's Achilles of Troy in the Whirlaway on Feb. 1, looms as a major challenger to Scanlon's Song.

WEST/DECHERD HEADS WEST FOR BORDERLAND DERBY - Mike McCarty's Doctor Decherd, winner of the Aventura Stakes at Gulfstream Park, will travel to the Southwest on Sunday to run in the $100,000 Borderland Derby at Sunland Park.

The Steve Asmussen-trained son of Louis Quatorze, a distant sixth in the Holy Bull (GIII) at the Florida track last time out, breezed six furlongs in 1:15 over the New Mexico track on Monday.

Another prominent shipper for the mile and a sixteenth event is David Lanzman Racing Stable's Plagiarist. The Doug O'Neill trainee will stretch out to two turns for the first time following a disappointing eighth-place effort in the Sunshine Millions Dash at Santa Anita on Jan. 28. He had scored an impressive 8 ¾-length victory in his racing debut at six furlongs at Hollywood Park.

The Borderland Derby is a prep for Sunland Park's $600,000 WinStar Derby on April 1.

Brother Derek Works Toward Santa Catalina - Cecil Peacock's Brother Derek, winner of the Hollywood Futurity (GI) and San Rafael (GIII) in his last two starts, tuned up for a run in the March 4 Santa Catalina (GII) with sharp six-furlong workout for trainer Dan Hendricks on Wednesday at Santa Anita.

The California-bred son of Benchmark, regarded as the top Kentucky Derby contender on the West Coast following the defection of 2005 juvenile champion Stevie Wonderboy, worked six furlongs handily for trainer Dan Hendricks in 1:12.20. The move under jockey Alex Solis, a three-time Kentucky Derby runner-up, was the fastest of 23 at the distance on the day.

"He was just breezing, not as aggressive as last time," Hendricks said Wednesday. "We took a little edge of him and everything looks good. I don't need to work him every five or six days and really pound him. He stays fit on his own."

Hendricks said Brother Derek should get an additional work on Wednesday or Thursday before the Santa Catalina.

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