Derby Updates

EAST/FIRST SAMURAI PLACED FIRST, CORINTHIAN DQ’ED TO THIRD IN WILD FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH - Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon Robbins III’s First Samurai answered the question of whether he could win at a two-turn distance as he took Saturday’s $300,000 Fountain of Youth (Grade II) at Gulfstream Park.

But he had to have some help to get into the winner’s circle. The Frank Brothers-trained son of Giant’s Causeway led the field through comfortable fractions in the 1 1/8-mile race until Centennial Farm’s Corinthian confronted and passed the leader at the head of the stretch. But then it got interesting. As the Jimmy Jerkens-trained Corinthian swept past First Samurai to the outside, he ducked toward the rail and pinned his rival on his hip. Jockey Edgar Prado angled First Samurai to the outside and launched a rally, but Corinthian then drifted out and forced First Samurai into West Point Stable’s ever-present Flashy Bull. The wild stretch run came to an end with Corinthian and jockey Javier Castellano crossing the wire a length in front of First Samurai, with Flashy Bull another neck farther back.

The winning time over a "fast" track was 1:49 - but Gulfstream’s stewards took considerably less time than that to flash the "inquiry" sign, and Prado followed with a claim of foul against the unofficial winner.

A lengthy stewards’s review ended with a decision to disqualify Corinthian and place him third. First Samurai was awarded the victory and Flashy Bull took the runner-up spot.

"It was a very good race and we got him to relax," said Brothers. "It’s not a lot of fun (winning by DQ), but they (the stewards) probably made the right call. I’ve been on both sides of the call. I think they made a good call."

First Samurai has now won five times from seven career attempts and has earned $892,575. The winner of the Hopeful (GI) and Champagne (GI) snapped a two-race losing streak that started with a third-place finish to champion Stevie Wonderboy in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Belmont Park and continued with a runner-up finish to Keyed Entry in his 2006 debut in Gulfstream’s Hutcheson (GII).

Brothers said there were two possibilities for the next race for First Samurai: the $1 million Florida Derby (GI) on April 1 or the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland on April 15. A strong effort in either could earn the colt a start in the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby (GI) presented by Yum! Brands on Saturday, May 6.

"This (race) doesn’t get him to the first Saturday in May," said Brothers "but it gets him along."

Corinthian’s adventurous run through the stretch in the Fountain of Youth was the latest example of unpredictable behavior from the high-strung son of Pulpit. His antics at the starting gate in Gulfstream’s Jan. 7 Aventura Stakes prompted a late scratch from that one-mile race. Corinthian rebounded to win an allowance at the Florida track on Feb. 2.

"I don’t know why he did what he did," Jerkens said. "It was clear that he was the better horse. We can work on it. He’s a lot better today than in his last race."

Jerkens said he will point Corinthian to the New York’s premier Kentucky Derby prep, the Wood Memorial (GI) on April 8.

Sharp Humor Surprises In Swale - Purdedel Stable’s Sharp Humor edged George Bolton, Joan Corrigan and Antony Beck’s favored Noonmark to score an upset victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Swale Stakes (GII) at Gulfstream.

The New York-bred son of Distorted Humor covered the seven furlongs in 1:22.14 as he won his 2006 debut for trainer Dale Romans. The 13-1 outsider came into the Swale off of consecutive wins in stakes races restricted to New York-breds, but Romans does not expect to take him out of open company anytime soon.

"I don’t think we’ll be heading back to New York just yet," Romans said. "We’re going to look at some bigger races down the road, and see if this horse can go around two turns. It seems like we have to have a little bigger plan now."

Robert Manfuso’s Court Folly rallied late for third.

The race was marred by a fatal injury to Thomas McCann’s Catcominatcha. The winner of the Iroquois (GIII) last fall at Churchill Downs was eased on the backstretch and vanned off. The Eddie Kenneally-trained colt fractured his right front cannon bone and was later euthanized.

Pletcher Strong On Fountain Undercard - Trainer Todd Pletcher added two more names to his armada of top 3-year-olds when he saddled a pair of impressive allowance winners owned by Aaron and Marie Jones on Saturday’s Fountain of Youth undercard.

Exclusive Quality and jockey John Velazquez wore down Darley Stable’s well-regarded Songster to score a half-length victory in a seven-furlong race. The son of Elusive Quality traveled the distance in a track record 1:21.11 - more than a second faster than Sharp Humor’s winning time at the same distance in the Swale.

Sunriver, a full brother to 2004 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Ashado, rallied from just off the pace under Velazquez to edge Dixiana Stables’ High Blues in a 1 1/8-mile contest. Traveling the 1 1/8-miles in 1:48.30. Superfly, fifth in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Belmont Park for trainer Nick Zito, held a brief lead at the top of the stretch before he tired to finish third.

The winner covered the nine furlongs in 1:48.30, which was faster than Corinthian’s clocking of 1:49 in the Fountain of Youth.

Pletcher said he would point Sunriver to the Florida Derby (GI), but Exclusive Quality would concentrate on one-turn races. He listed the seven-furlong Bay Shore (GIII) on April 8 at Aqueduct as the likely next start for Exclusive Quality.

"The distance will be perfect for him," he said. "I’m pretty sure he’s probably not a mile-and-a-quarter horse."

WEST/BROTHER DEREK COMFORTABLE IN SANTA CATALINA - Cecil Peacock’s Brother Derek left no doubt that he is the top Kentucky Derby contender in California after a comfortable win in Saturday’s $200,000 Santa Catalina Stakes (GII) at Santa Anita.

The winner of the Hollywood Futurity (GI) and the San Rafael (GIII) sat just off the pace as Juddmonte Farm’s Latent Heat and B. Wayne Hughes’ Mister Triester dueled through sharp early fractions. The California-bred son of Benchmark then swept past that tiring rival under jockey Alex Solis and drew off to an easy 1 ¾-length victory.

Brother Derek, trained by Dan Hendricks, covered the 1 1/16-mile distance over a "fast" track in a sharp 1:41.96.

Amerman Racing Stables’ late-running Sacred Light rallied for second while Latent Heat faded to third, another 2 ¾-lengths back. Mister Triester finished fourth.

"He really won it very easy," said Solis, a three-time runner-up in the Kentucky Derby. "I wasn’t using him that much. We wanted to make sure we didn’t do him in before the Kentucky Derby, if we get to that point."

Hendricks had hoped to keep something in reserve for Brother Derek for future battles in the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 8 and, if all goes well, the Kentucky Derby.

"We had him a little fresh by not doing as much work," Hendricks said. "I’d say I had him cranked about 90 percent and that’s why he was a little fresh, but that’s what we wanted to do and it worked out perfect."

Brother Derek improved his record to 5-0-1 from seven career starts. His only off-the-board performance came in a fourth-place finish to eventual 2-year-old champion Stevie Wonderboy in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The $120,000 winner’s share of the Santa Catalina purse raised Brother Derek’s career earnings to $712,080.

Brother Derek emerged from the race with a small cut just above his left front foot, but Hendricks said Sunday that the injury should not impede the colt’s training schedule.

"Technically, the state veterinarian made a note of it and put him on the injured list, but it’s anything but," he said. "It was just a mild little thing and not a problem at all. It won’t cost him any time."

After finishing third in the Sham (GIII) in his previous start for trainer David Hofmans, Sacred Light is also on target for the Santa Anita Derby. Hofmans said his son of Holy Bull should appreciate the added distance in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby.

"It was very encouraging," said Hofmans. "He’s learning and the further we go, the better we’re going to get."

Da Stoops Upset By Fast Parade In Baldwin - James McIngvale’s Fast Parade ($15.40) won a pace duel with odds-on favorite Da Stoops and then survived a stretch battle with runner-up The Pharoah to score a 2 ¼-length victory in the $100,000-added Baldwin on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Garrett Gomez rode the victorious Washington-bred son of Delineator, who had not run since an October outing at Washington’s Emerald Downs. Da Stoops finished third.

"He acted like he was getting a little tired at the top of the lane, but he switched leads and found another gear," said Gomez. "He ran a really good race."

The winner completed the 6 ½-furlong distance in 1:15.11. Peter Miller trains Fast Parade and the Baldwin victory marked his first stakes win at Santa Anita.

MIDWEST/NEW GELDING LAITY TAKES BATTAGLIA IN 2006 DEBUT - Moments after enduring the eventually favorable stewards’ review of the finish of the Fountain of Youth, trainer Frank Brothers endured more anxious moments as he watched on television as Claiborne Farm’s Laity turned back bids by longhsots Pair of Kings and New Awakening to post a half-length victory in the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park.

Making the first start of his 3-year-old campaign, the son of Pulpit vied for the lead along the inside throughout and held strongly along the rail to get the hard-fought victory. The top three finishers and fourth-placed Malameeze all finished within a length of the winner.

Winning jockey Corey Lanerie said his horse took well to the polytrack surface in his first effort over the Florence, Ky. track. Brothers shipped Laity in from Florida for the race.

"He might have been wondering what he was running on, but he liked it," said Lanerie. "Frankie did a great job getting him ready. The track can be tiring but he was fit today and ready for it."

The victory in the Battaglia was the first for Laity since an 11-length romp in the $200,000 Cradle in September at River Downs and it came in his first race since Claiborne made a decision to geld him last fall.

Laity became a gelding after he turned in dull performances as the favorite in the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland and the Iroquois (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

Brothers said Monday that Laity could run next in either the $500,000-added Lane’s End Stakes (GII) or the $100,000 Rushaway Stakes, both of which will be run on March 25 at Turfway.

Laity is not nominated to the Kentucky Derby.

DUBAI/DISCREET CAT RETURNS - Discreet Cat, an impressive winner at Saratoga in his only career start, returns to action Thursday at Nad Al Sheba for new owner Godolphin in a race that could earn him a spot in the starting gate for the $2 million UAE Derby (UAE-Grade II) on March 25.

The son of Forestry is one of 19 horses entered in a one-mile condition race on Thursday’s UAE Oaks racing card. Discreet Cat was trained in the U.S. by Stanley Hough, but is now trained by Saeed bin Suroor. The colt is nominated to the Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown. He scored an easy victory over Superfly in that lone U.S. start.

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