Derby Updates

WEST/SACRED LIGHT BRINGS GIACOMO TO MIND - While most of the attention in the days leading up to next week's Santa Anita Derby (GI) at Santa Anita is focused on top West Coast Kentucky Derby contender Brother Derek, Amerman Racing LLC's Sacred Light is starting to grab at least a piece of the spotlight.

The colt is coming off a late running runner-up finish to Brother Derek in the Santa Catalina (GIII), and his profile is similar to that of Giacomo, last year's 50-1 upset winner of the "Run for the Roses." Both are gray/roan homebred sons of Holy Bull campaigned in California. And, barring a win in the Santa Anita Derby, Sacred Light would likely enter the Kentucky Derby with only a maiden win to his credit - just like Giacomo. Both colts scored their lone victory win in their second attempt as a 2-year-old, and both possess an off-the-pace running style. And, like Giacomo, Sacred Light has become battle-toughened while competing against some of the top members of his 3-year-old crop.

Jockey Aaron Gryder, who was aboard Sacred Light in the Santa Catalina, will retain the mount for the Anita Derby.

"I really like him, and he's improved, not so much physically, but mentally," Gryder said. "He seems like he's maturing mentally now. I only rode him in a race that one time but I worked him a couple times and he really hasn't figured the game out 100 percent, but he's getting there."

Should Sacred Light enter the gate on the first Saturday in May, it would be the fourth career Derby mount for Gryder. He finished well back in his three prior starts: 14th aboard Mi Cielo in 1993, 18th with Honour and Glory in 1996 and 13th on Songandaprayer in 2001.

"I've been on some nice horses but I've never gone in there with a horse that looked like he could get a mile and a quarter," said Gryder. "I was always on a nice horse hoping he could get a mile and a quarter. This is the first time I think my horse is stepping in the right direction, looking like he's going to get the distance, and you just want to make these next few weeks count."

In other Santa Anita Derby news, trainer Bob Baffert has decided to ship Sham Stakes (GIII) winner Bob and John to New York for the $750,000 Wood Memorial (GI) on April 8. That leaves Point Determined as Baffert's main hope for the Santa Anita Derby. The son of Point Given finished second behind Santa Anita Derby contender A.P. Warrior last out in the San Felipe (GII).

Others considered likely for the 69th Santa Anita Derby are Fast Parade and Indy Wildcat.

Baffert Sends Two in WinStar Derby - Trainer Bob Baffert has never won the $600,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland Park, but he'll try again on Saturday.

The three-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer will send a pair of prospects into New Mexico's top Kentucky Derby prep, a mile and an eighth race that attracted a field of nine 3-year-olds. Baffert will saddle B. Wayne Hughes Sky Diving and Mike Pegram's Wanna Runner in Saturday's race and will make equipment changes on both.

Sky Diving, who raced without blinkers in the San Felipe at Santa Anita and responded with a last place finish, will wear blinkers again in the Sunland Park race. Wanna Runner, who finished third in the San Rafael (GII) but disappointed with a fifth-place finish in the El Camino Real Derby (GIII) at Bay Meadows, will be outfitted with blinkers for the first time.

The lack of any major Kentucky Derby prospects in a race with such a large purse can be attributed to the WinStar Derby's lack of a graded status. Money earned in the race would likely not count toward a spot in the starting gate on Kentucky Derby Day, since preference is given to horses with the highest total of graded earnings if more than 20 horses are entered.

But the big money is enough to prompt several promising young horses to challenge Baffert's duo. Joey K. Davis' coupled entry of Wait in Line and Belligerence hold a home course advantage. The former lost Sunland Park's $100,000 Borderland Derby by a head to Indy Wildcat, while Belligerence finished a late-running fourth that day. Neither horse is nominated to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown.

Other horses that merit consideration include G Olson, G Stevenson, R Bafus, and Or J Er's Keagan, winner of the $75,000 Turf Paradise Derby, and Mike McCarty's Doctor Decherd, who captured the $125,000 Aventura in his seasonal bow for trainer Steve Asmussen. Welfare Cadillac, Blaze It, and Might Be Hooked round out the field.

MIDWEST/SEASIDE RETREAT TO TRY BLUE GRASS, THEN DERBY - A runner-up finish in last week's $500,000 Lane's End (GII) at Turfway Park boosted the Kentucky Derby hopes of Bill Farish's Seaside Retreat, but the King Cugat colt will get another chance to prove his Derby mettle before the first Saturday in May.

Seaside Retreat, who is based in Canada for trainer Mark Casse, traveled down Interstate 71 to Churchill Downs rather than return home following his second place finish to longshot Lane's End winner With A City. Casse said that Seaside Retreat is being pointed toward the Derby, but would run first in Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass (GI) on April 15.

"He's still really learning," said Casse. "He didn't have the best of trips in the Lane's End. Patrick (jockey Patrick Husbands) said he really didn't handle the polytrack very well and he didn't like it being thrown back at him. He was kind of all over the place and struggled with it."

Casse will saddle Seaside Retreat in the Toyota Blue Grass with a goal of giving his colt added experience before his expected run at Churchill Downs.

"I want to get another race in him in the Blue Grass so he can sit back and get the experience of getting some dirt in his face, and hopefully he'll come running," he said. "He doesn't have to win to run in the Derby. I'm looking more for him to sit back and maybe be running on in."

The Woodbine-based Husbands will ride Seaside Retreat in the Toyota Blue Grass. He has a record of 3-1-1 in six races.

Casse said that Seaside Retreat would breeze at Churchill Downs next Thursday or Friday.

Another Kentucky Derby contender on the grounds at Churchill Downs is schedule to breeze on Monday. Trainer Frank Brothers said that Fountain of Youth (GII) winner First Samurai would likely work seven-furlongs in that prep for an expected start in the Toyota Blue Grass.

It was announced on Thursday that First Samurai would join the illustrious roster of sires at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky. when his racing days come to an end. The colt, who is owned by Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon Robbins III, won the prestigious Hopeful (GI) and Belmont Futurity (GI) at two and Claiborne President Seth Hancock is looking forward to welcoming the son of Giant's Causeway to the farm.

"First Samurai will be the first Storm Cat-line stallion to stand at the farm," Hancock said. "He was a brilliant two-year-old and is an outstanding individual. He will be a good fit for a lot of the mares at Claiborne."

Claiborne purchased an undisclosed financial interest in First Samurai.

EAST/UNBEATEN BARBARO HEADS FLORIDA DERBY - As the month of April approaches, the contenders for the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) are entering the final furlong in their preparations along the road to Louisville. This weekend launches a string of four consecutive weekends that feature major prep races for the "Run for the Roses," including Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, the first Grade I race of the year for 3-year-olds.

A field of 11 has been entered in the 1 1/8-mile test at the Hallandale Beach, Fla. track, headed by Lael Stable's unbeaten homebred Barbaro. The son of Dynaformer trained by Michael Matz has won all four of his starts, with the last two coming in Grade III races: the Tropical Park Derby on turf at Calder Race Course and the Holy Bull in his debut on the dirt over the "sloppy" surface at Gulfstream.

Matz, a former Olympic equestrian medalist, has given Barbaro two months off since his win in the Holy Bull, but said his star colt has trained forwardly and will be fit on Saturday. A Kentucky Derby bid by Barbaro would the first for the 55-year-old Matz.

"It's a very exciting time right now," said Matz. "I've never done this before, but I'm not nervous. Barbaro kind of gives you that sense of confidence that he can do it."

Barbaro was installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite for the Florida Derby although he drew a somewhat unfavorable post 10 - a gate that could be a disadvantage with Gulfstream's short run into the first turn at the nine-furlong distance. Prior to his Grade III scores, Barbaro broke his maiden convincingly in a mile turf event at Delaware Park and followed that performance with a similarly impressive eight-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Laurel Futurity on Nov. 19. His four victories in as many starts have netted $249,000 in career earnings.

Edgar Prado will ride the favorite.

Other major contenders that hope to knock off the favorite include West Point Thoroughbred's Flashy Bull, who was placed second Fountain of Youth (GII) on March 4 following the disqualification of Corinthian. The Holy Bull colt is the only 3-year-old to contest Gulfstream's three major two-turn Kentucky Derby preps: the Holy Bull, Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who campaigned 2005 Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument, has retained the riding services of jockey Rafael Bejarano for Flashy Bull, who is the 4-1 second choice in the Florida Derby.

Two horses that will be watched closely are Purdedel Stable's Sharp Humor and Aaron and Marie Jones' Sunriver.

Sharp Humor, winner of the Swale Stakes (GII) on the Fountain of Youth undercard for Churchill Downs-based trainer Dale Romans, is a New York-bred son of Distorted Humor stretches out to two turns for the first time. He's the 5-1 third choice.

Sunriver, a full brother to 2004 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner and two-time champion Ashado, finished seventh behind Barbaro in the Holy Bull, but exits a sharp 1 1/8-mile allowance win in which he defeated Florida Derby rival High Blues by a half-length. The Todd Pletcher trainee is the fourth choice at 6-1, while High Blues listed as 10-1 morning line risk.

Pletcher will also saddle Dogwood Stable's Saint Augustus (12-1), who reemerged as a Derby hopeful with a strong 1 1/8 mile allowance win at Gulfstream. The son of Saint Ballado defeated his Nick Zito-trained Florida Derby rival Doc Cheney (12-1) in that one. Zito will also saddle Live Oak Plantation's Hesanoldsalt (20-1) in Saturday's race.

Completing the field are J. Robert Harris Jr.'s Rehoboth (20-1), fifth in the Fountain of Youth for trainer Frank Gomez, and a pair of former claiming horses: Marc Wexler's Charming Image (20-1) and Paul Reddam and Aron Wellman's Sam's Ace (20-1).

Exclusive Quality Heads Spectacular Bid - Aaron and Marie Jones' Exclusive Quality, another member of the long list of quality 3-year-olds in the care of trainer Todd Pletcher, tops a field of six in the 6 ½-furlong Spectacular Bid on the Florida Derby undercard.

The son of Elusive Quality is coming off a victory over Darley Stable's well-regarded Songster in a seven-furlong allowance race on the Fountain of Youth undercard. He completed the distance that day in 1:21 - a full second faster than Sharp Humor's winning time at the same distance in the Swale later that afternoon.

Exclusive Quality has been installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite.

Other Triple Crown nominees in the race include A Kales Company's R Loyal Man and Puglisi Stables and Steve Klesaris' Diabolical. R Loyal Man owns two stakes victories at Tampa Bay Downs and finished third in Tampa's Sam F. Davis Stakes last out. Diabolical exits two grass stakes, finishing second behind Barbaro in the Laurel Futurity and fourth in Palm Beach at Gulfstream on March 12.

Rounding out the field are four-time stakes winner In Summation, Flash (GIII) winner Beacon Shine, and allowance winner Carvajal.

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