Derby Updates

DUBAI/DISCREET CAT ROLLS IN RETURN - Running for the first time in the colors of Dubai-based Godolphin Racing, Discreet Cat scored an impressive victory in a one-mile conditions race on Thursday at Nad Al Sheba and earned a spot in the starting gate for the $2 million UAE Derby (Dubai-GII) on March 25.

A big effort in that 1 1/8-mile race could earn Discreet Cat a trip to Kentucky for the 132nd "Run for the Roses."

Thursday's win under jockey Frankie Dettori marked the first race for the colt in six months. Godolphin purchased the son of Forestry following an easy maiden win for trainer Stanley Hough last year at Saratoga.

Discreet Cat was never threatened in his first start for Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

"We were very hopeful of a big run and he has done it very well," said bin Suroor. "That will have done his confidence the power of good and next step is the UAE Derby. How he gets on there will determine whether he goes to Kentucky or not."

If Discreet Cat makes it to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, he will be Godolphin's first contender since 2002 to make the race. The international racing powerhouse has listed a victory in the Kentucky Derby as its top goal.

Previous Godolphin starters in the Derby include Worldly Manner (7th, 1999), China Visit (6th, 2000), Curule (7th, 2000), Express Tour (8th 2001), and Essence of Dubai (9th, 2002).

WEST/CALIFORNIA DERBY WIN WOULD BOOST OWNERS' 'CAUSE TO BELIEVE' IN DERBY HOPES - While Cecil Peacock's Brother Derek has established himself as the clear Southern California leader among candidates for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), Cause to Believe has more quietly emerged as the top hope stabled in northern California.

But his profile of the colt owned by Peter Redekop and Peter Abruzzo would be on the rise with a win in Saturday's $100,000 California Derby at Golden Gate Fields.

The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee won four minor stakes on the northern California circuit before he scored a sharp three-quarter length win $250,000 El Camino Real Derby (GIII) at Bay Meadows on Jan. 29. The son of Maria's Mon has never finished worse than second in his career with five wins from eight attempts. Prior to his El Camino Real win, Cause to Believe was a runner-up in the $75,000 San Miguel to Too Much Bling, a colt that later won the San Vicente (GII) to establish himself the top 3-year-old sprinter in Southern California.

"Nothing bothers him," said Hollendorfer. "He has an easy temperament. He doesn't let things get him upset."

Northern California riding king Russell Baze will ride Cause to Believe.

Hollendorfer has also entered George Todaro's Passive Income in the 1 1/16-mile event. Passive Income finished second to Kentucky Derby hopeful Point Determined in a Golden Gate allowance last out and will be ridden Saturday by Chad Schvaneveldt.

Neither of Hollendorfer's colts is nominated to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown, but the trainer has said that a strong run by Cause to Believe would earn him a late nomination to the series. That would require a payment of $6,000 by the late nomination deadline of March 25.

Five other 3-year-olds will try to topple Hollendorfer's duo, including two saddled by trainer Bob Baffert. B. Wayne Hughes' Sky Diving finished second as the 3-5 favorite in the Turf Paradise Derby on Feb. 11, while the Lanni Family Trust Mercedes Stable's Sinister Minister was sixth in the San Vicente (GII).

Trainer Bobby Frankel will send Stronach Stable homebred Racketeer in his first attempt around two turns following a credible third-place finish in a Feb. 11 allowance at Santa Anita. Greg Norman's Pop Icon and Michael Miller's The Five J's complete the field of seven.

Your Tent or Mine, Latent Heat Leave Kentucky Derby Trail - Anthony Speelman's Your Tent or Mine, winner of the Hollywood Prevue (GIII) and runner-up to Brother Derek in the Hollywood Futurity (GI), has been taken off the Derby trail due to a foot injury, trainer Neil Drysdale told Thoroughbred Times earlier this week.

An abscess in his right front foot has kept Your Tent or Mine out of action since the Hollywood Futurity. The son of Forest Camp has not worked since that Dec. 17 performance.

Also out of the Kentucky Derby picture is Juddmonte Farm's homebred Latent Heat. Trainer Bobby Frankel said the son of Maria's Mon came out of last week's Santa Catalina (GII) with a shin injury. Latent Heat set the Santa Catalina pace, but tired to finish third behind Brother Derek and runner-up Sacred Light.

EAST/GOTHAM TAKING SHAPE WITH ADDITION OF KEYED ENTRY - The New York route to Kentucky got a little tougher this week when trainer Todd Pletcher said that Starlight, Saylor and Lucarelli's Keyed Entry, winner of the Hutcheson (GII) at Gulfstream Park, would make his next start in $200,000 Gotham (GIII) on March 18.

Pletcher had been leaning toward a run in the Rebel (GIII) at Oaklawn Park on the same day, but a favorable long-range weather forecast prompted him to look to the 1 1/16-mile race over Aqueduct's inner track for the speedy son of Honour and Glory.

Keyed Entry is undefeated in three career starts. The Gotham will be his start at a two-turn distance. Edgar Prado will travel to New York for the mount as regular jockey John Velazquez will stick with the Pletcher-trained stablemate Bluegrass Cat in the Tampa Bay Derby (GIII).

Gotham rivals for Keyed Entry will include Paraneck Stables' Achilles of Troy, the current king of New York-based 3-year-olds and winner of the Count Fleet and Whirlaway over the inner track. Achilles of Troy will have a new trainer for the Gotham as Frank Amonte, Jr. has taken over those duties for Paraneck's Ernie Paragallo. The colt's former trainer, Jennifer Pedersen, plans to open a public stable after she and Paragallo reached what was described as a "mutual" decision to end their business relationship.

Another likely contender is Joseph Balsamo and Ted Theos' Sweetnorthernsaint, a 10-length winner of Laurel Park's Miracle Wood on Feb. 4. The gelded son of Sweetsouthernsaint has been stuck in Maryland due to a ban on the shipping of horses in and of that track because of an outbreak of equine herpes. But the ban was lifted earlier this week and Sweetnorthernsaint should be able to travel to New York for the Gotham.

Others considered possible for the Gotham include Church Service, Greeley's Legacy, Like Now, One Way Flight, Sunshine Alpine and Deputy Glitters.

The Gotham is Aqueduct's major tune-up for the $750,000 Wood Memorial (GI), New York's marquee Kentucky Derby prep scheduled for April 8.

Gulfstream Allowance Could Yield Future Stakes Hopefuls - Saturday's eighth race at Gulfstream Park, a one-mile allowance race, could yield a Kentucky Derby hopeful or two.

Lael Stable's Showing Up is favored in a field of eight in the one-mile race. Trained by Barclay Tagg, who saddled Funny Cide to win the 2003 Kentucky Derby, Showing Up was scratched from last week's Swale Stakes (GII). A four-length maiden winner on Feb. 11 at Gulfstream, Showing Up is the 5-2 morning line favorite and will be ridden by Javier Castellano.

Overbrook Farm's regally bred Flanders Fields will try and knock off the favorite as he makes his first start of 2006 for trainer Dallas Stewart. The son of A.P. Indy out of 1994 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) champion and 2-year-old filly champion Flanders finished fourth in the Iroquois (GIII) at Churchill Downs and fifth in Calder's What A Pleasure following an easy maiden victory at Belmont in September. Edgar Prado will ride Flanders Fields, who is listed as a 5-1 risk in his comeback race.

Other notables in the field include Michael Sherman's Big Lover, third behind the unbeaten and highly regarded Strong Contender last out; Starlight Saylor and Lucarelli's Throng, who turned in a disappointing effort in an allowance race won by Corinthian, who would be disqualified from a win in the Fountain of Youth in his next start; and Lazy F Ranch's maiden winner Chatain, who is the 3-1 second choice in the morning line.

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