Derby Updates

By: John Asher

WEST/ONE LAST HURDLE BEFORE KENTUCKY FOR BROTHER DEREK - Cecil Peacock's Brother Derek has handled every challenge the West has offered and must overcome just one more hurdle - Saturday's $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (Grade I) - to arrive at Churchill Downs as the favorite for the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI).

A win in Saturday's race would be the fifth graded stakes victory at a two-turn distance for Brother Derek. Those wins have come against the West Coast's top sophomores, including a Jan. 14 victory over reigning juvenile champion Stevie Wonderboy in the San Rafael (GII). The California-bred is the 3-5 favorite in the field of six in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race and will be saddled by trainer Dan Hendricks, who is looking to make his first trip to the Kentucky Derby.

"Each race gets more serious and you have to step up a little more," Hendricks said. "The races I want are on April 8 and May 6. I want 'em both. I don't want everything. I just want it all."

Hendricks plucked Brother Derek from auction last spring for $275,000. The colt has compiled a record of 5-0-1 from seven races and has banked $712,080 in earnings.

Although Brother Derek is a heavy favorite, he faces three horses that are considered serious challengers as the entire field tries the nine-furlong distance for the first time. Stan Fulton's A.P. Warrior and the Estate of Robert Lewis and Beverly Lewis' Point Determined finished 1-2 in the San Felipe (GII) on March 18, while Amerman Racing's Sacred Light finished a late-running second to Saturday's favorite in in March 4 Santa Catalina (GII).

Other contenders include Borderland Derby winner Indy Wildcat and outsider Wildfang, a winless outsider that finished second at odds of 70-1 in a maiden-claiming race last time out.

Brother Derek and three-time Kentucky Derby runner-up Alex Solis drew post No. 2, with 7-2 second choice A.P. Warrior and jockey Corey Nakatani to his inside.

The latter colt is won the San Felipe in his first start for trainer John Shirreffs, who won last year's Kentucky Derby with Giacomo.

EAST/WEATHER, DEFECTIONS CHANGE WOOD COMPLEXION - Forecasts of wet weather and the loss of two top contenders have changed the complexion of Saturday's $750,000 Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct, but the likely favorites remain the same. Stonerside Stable's Bob and John, a California invader for trainer Bob Baffert, and trainer Todd Pletcher's Hutcheson (GII) winner and Gotham (GIII) runner-up Keyed Entry loom as the horses to beat in the key New York prep for the Kentcuky Derby.

Sham Stakes winner Bob and John is the morning line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile Wood. Baffert, who won the Wood in 2001 with Congaree, chose to send the son of Seeking the Gold to New York in hopes that he would thrive on a track that was less speed-favoring.

"He's got a big, long, fluid stride, and if it's interrupted it won't be as effective," Baffert told the Daily Racing Form.

Garrett Gomez will ride Bob and John for the first time.

Starlight Stables, Saylor, and Lucarelli's Keyed Entry figured to be on or near the lead in the days leading up to the Wood, but the late defections of Like Now, the front-running winner of the Gotham, and Gulfstream Park allowance winner Showing Up seemed to assure that pace scenario. Edgar Prado will ride Keyed Entry, a son of Honour and Glory who suffered his only loss in four races in the Gotham.

Joseph Lacombe's Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) winner Deputy Glitters is the third choice in the Wood, but could scratch from the race if the track comes up wet. The Tom Albertani-trained son of Deputy Commander finished a distant sixth in the Champagne (GI) as a 2-year-old in his only start over an "off" track.

Donald Flanagan's Greeley's Legacy, a stretch runner who was beaten by only 1 ¼-lengths in the Gotham, is another logical contender and retains the services of jockey Eibar Coa. Others entered in the 1 1/8-mile event include Platinum Couple, Niagara Causeway, Marco's Tale, and Scanlon's Song.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin did not enter John Dillon's Gotham winner Like Now in the Wood after the colt came down with a fever, but McLaughlin said Friday that the son of Jules remains on the Kentucky Derby trail.

"The horse is doing better every day," said who said that Like Now could show up in another Derby prep race over the next two weeks or train up the big race on the first Saturday in May.

The Barclay Tagg-trained Showing Up will miss the Wood because of a bruise on his right front foot. Tagg saddled Funny Cide to win the 2003 Kentucky Derby.

Talented Sprinters Duel in Bay Shore - Baffert and Stonerside Stable will look for a 3-year-old stakes double with Bob and John in the Wood and Too Much Bling in the $150,000 Bay Shore (GIII) on the Wood undercard.

Too Much Bling, a quick son of Rubiano, enters the seven-furlong Bay Shore off a win in the San Vicente (GII) at Santa Anita on Feb. 12. Darley Stable's Songster, an impressive maiden winner last time out, may provide a strong challenge to Baffert's colt. The son of Songandaprayer chased Exclusive Quality two starts back in a Gulfstream Park maiden race in which the winner set a track record. Exclusive Quality stepped out of that race to win the win the Spectacular Bid at Gulfstream on April 1.

Only three horses - One Way Flight, Trailing Twelve and Devil's Concierge - will challenge the top pair in the Bay Shore. Achilles of Troy Out of Derby Consideration - Paraneck Stable's Achilles of Troy, winner of the Whirlaway and Count Fleet at Aqueduct, has been declared out of consideration for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I).

Owner Ernie Paragallo told the Daily Racing Form on Wednesday that the son of Notebook had suffered "heat in his left front suspensory" ligament and soreness in his rear end. Achilles of Troy had been pointed toward the $1 million Arkansas Derby (GII) on April 15, but now is expected to be out of training until summer.

Wagering was suspended on Achilles of Troy in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager before the start of the four-day pool on Thursday.

MIDWEST/INVADERS LOOK TO ILLINOIS FOR DERBY BERTH - Northern California invader Cause to Believe heads a field of 10 contenders from across the country that have traveled to Hawthorne with the goal of earning a bid for the Kentucky Derby with a strong performance in Saturday's $500,000 Illinois Derby (GII).

Owners Peter Abruzzo and Peter Redekop paid $6,000 to make Cause to Believe a late nominee to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown after the son of Maria's Mon scored impressive wins in the El Camino Real Derby (GIII) and the California Derby.

The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee has yet to be defeated at a two-turn distance and regular jockey Russell Baze will ride the 5-2 favorite in the Illinois Derby.

Another horse sure to attract plenty of attention is Joseph Balsamo and Ted Theos' Sweetnorthernsaint. The Florida-bred burst onto the scene with a ten-length score in the Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Park in February and then finished a solid third from an outside post in the Gotham (GIII) at Aqueduct.

Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Kent Desormeaux, who piloted the gelding last time out in the Gotham, will be back aboard Sweetnorthernsaint. But the Maryland-based star remained unlucky at the post draw and Sweetnorthernsaint will break from the outside post in the Illinois Derby.

"This is not an easy race," said trainer Michael Trombetta. "There are three or four legitimate 3-year-olds in there, and a horse or two that look like they can really jump up and run big, but I like my chances."

Centaur Farms' My Golden Song will represent the powerful Todd Pletcher stable. He was last seen finishing a hard-closing fourth in the Fountain of Youth (GII) behind Corinthian and First Samurai. Chris DeCarlo will be in the saddle for the first time, as regular rider John Velazquez is committed to ride Kentucky Oaks hopeful Wait A While in the Grade I Ashland at Keeneland.

Also set to contest in the state's key Kentucky Derby prep race are Malameeze, Creative Force, Itsallboutthechase, Lewis Michael, Devilofarush, Mister Triester, and trainer Bobby Frankel's highly regarded maiden winner Racketeer.

Many of the horses in the Illinois Derby are hoping to gather enough graded stakes earnings to make the field for the Kentucky Derby, which gives preference to entrants based on those earnings. That's one reason Trombetta chose to take the Illinois path rather than a run in the Wood Memorial in New York.

"The long and short of it is I'm down to crunch time in terms of graded money," Trombetta told the Daily Racing Form. "I think there are more legitimate contenders in New York than in the race out there."

Trombetta's colt and the others are hoping to follow the path of War Emblem, who won the Illinois Derby in 2001, collected enough graded earnings to make it into the Kentucky Derby field, and then won the famed "Run for the Roses" a month later.

DISCREET CAT, LAWYER RON FAVORED IN FRIDAY DERBY FUTURE WAGERING - UAE Derby (Grade II) winner Discreet Cat and Rebel (GIII) winner Lawyer Ron were co-favored as wagering continued early Friday evening in Pool 3 of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Derby Future Wager ("KOFW").

Both horses stood at odds of 6-1 at 8 p.m. (all times Eastern) as wagering on the four-day pool climbed above $94,000. Unbeaten Florida Derby (GI) winner was a close 9-1 third choice among the 23 wagering interests that remained in the pool.

Wagering will continue in the pool on Saturday and Sunday. The year's final Derby Futures pool is scheduled to conclude on Sunday at 6 p.m.

The Derby Future Wager allows racing fans to wager on contenders in the race weeks or months in advance at odds that could be better than they would receive on Derby Day. Odds that are in place at the conclusion of the pool will determine the payouts in the wager when the 132nd Kentucky Derby is run on May 6.

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