Derby Updates

By: Josh Abner

WEST/BROTHER DEREK SET TO ARRIVE AT CHURCHILL ON APRIL 25 - Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner Brother Derek, the likely favorite for the 132nd Kentucky Derby on May 6, is scheduled to work twice at California's Santa Anita before his ships to Churchill Downs on April 25.

Hendricks plans to work the California-bred son of Benchmark over the Santa Anita course on Monday. That work could be delayed if heavier than expected rains fall on the Southern California track during the weekend.

Meanwhile, trainer John Shirreffs will use the same travel schedule for San Felipe (GII) winner A.P. Warrior that worked last year when he won his first Kentucky Derby with Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Moss' Giacomo. Shirreffs will continue to train the son of A.P. Indy in California and will put the colt on plane to Kentucky on Tuesday of Derby Week.

Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert has yet to finalize travel plans for his pair of Derby 132 contenders. Baffert will be sending Santa Anita Derby runner-up Point Determined and Wood Memorial (GI) winner Bob and John to Churchill Downs.

MIDWEST/LAWYER RON LOOKS FOR SIXTH STRAIGHT IN ARKANSAS DERBY - Brother Derek may enter the gates as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) following his comfortable victory in the Santa Anita Derby (GI), but Lawyer Ron, owned by the Estate of James T. Hines Jr., will make a strong case for second billing if the streaking colt wins Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby (GII) at Oaklawn Park.

Lawyer Ron is the 7-5 favorite in the Arkansas Derby off five consecutive wins and two straight over the Oaklawn strip. Fourteen horses were entered for the 1 1/8-event that is the highlight of the Hot Springs, Ark. track's "Racing Festival of the South," but the field was reduced to 13 when the Walter Bindner-trained Well Said was scratched due to an ankle injury.

A win in Saturday's race would give the Lawyer Ron, a Robert Holthus-trained son of Langfuhr, a sweep of Oaklawn's major Kentucky Derby preps: the Southwest, Rebel (GIII) and the Arkansas Derby. Someday Farm's Smarty Jones swept the Oaklawn series in 2004 en route to a victory in the Kentucky Derby and an Eclipse Award as that year's 3-year-old champion.

Lawyer Ron, who has a record of 6-1-3 from 13 career starts, will break from post five with jockey John McKee aboard. "I'm delighted with the draw," said Holthus. "If Lawyer Ron wins, he'll be one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, and that's a lifelong dream."

Mike McCarty's Private Vow is the 5-1 second choice for trainer Steve Asmussen. The son of Broken Vow enters Saturday's race off a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Rebel in his first start of 2006 and will look to return to his dazzling 2-year-old form that saw him take the Belmont Futurity (GI) and the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs. Private Vow will break from post eight with Shaun Bridgmohan in the irons.

Thomas Franks' Red Raymond and Robert and Lawana Low's Steppenwolfer, second and third, respectively, in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, figure to do their best running in the Oaklawn Park stretch. Red Raymond, ridden by Oaklawn Park's leading jockey Luis Quinonez, is also trained by Holthus and will looking to generate enough graded stakes earnings to guarantee a spot in the starting gate on Kentucky Derby Day. The Dan Peitz-trained Steppenwolfer will gun for the upset under jockey Robby Albarado.

"Lawyer Ron was very impressive in the Rebel, he came home awful quick," said Albarado. "But there's still a question whether he wants a mile and a quarter, and I know Steppenwolfer does."

Winners of Turfway Park's major Kentucky Derby prep races have shipped from Kentucky to bid for the big purse at Oaklawn. Equirace.com's With a City, upset winner of the Lane's End (GII) for trainer Mike Maker, and Peachtree Stable's High Cotton, who took the Rushaway for trainer Todd Pletcher on the Lane's End undercard, will take aim on the local contingent.

Invading from the West Coast are J. Paul Reddam's impressive maiden winner Jealous Profit and Branch and Ellenay Racing's New Joysey Jeff, who joins Film Fortune and Nob Hill Deelite as part of the mutuel field.

The Arkansas Derby field (with jockey), from the rail out, includes: New Joyce Jeff (Jose Valdivia, Jr.); Steppenwolfer (Albarado); High Cotton (Chris DeCarlo); With a City (Brice Blanc); Lawyer Ron (McKee); Jealous Profit (Aaron Gryder); Private Vow (Bridgmohan); Red Raymond (Quinonez); Simon Pure (Jon Court); Nob Hill Deelite (Corey Lanerie); Superfly (Willie Martinez); Film Fortune (Terry Thompson); and Sayhellotolarry (Calvin Borel).

First Samurai Favored in Toyota Blue Grass - Bruce Lunsford and Lansdon Robbins III's First Samurai, winner via disqualification of the Fountain of Youth (GII) in his most recent start, heads a field of nine in Saturday's $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) at Keeneland.

The Frank Brothers trainee has trained forwardly at Churchill Downs leading up to the Blue Grass, including a half-mile move in :48.20 under jockey Rafael Bejarano on April 10. A two-time Grade I winner as a 2-year-old, First Samurai is 5-1-1 from seven career starts with $892,574 in lifetime earnings. The son of Giant's Causeway is the 8-5 favorite in the morning line and will break from post five.

WinStar Farm's Bluegrass Cat will look to return to the winner's circle after a disappointing second-place outing as the favorite behind Deputy Glitters in the Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) on March 18. The Pletcher-trained son of Storm Cat is the 5-2 second choice under jockey John Velazquez. The Pletcher-Velazquez duo won three races at Keeneland on Friday.

While First Samurai and Bluegrass Cat have more than enough earnings in graded stakes races to be assured a spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby regardless of what happens on Saturday, John Oxley's unbeaten Strong Contender must turn in an impressive performance in the Blue Grass if he is to have any hope of making the May 6 "Run for the Roses."

The John Ward, Jr.-trained son of Maria's Mon is perfect after only two starts - including just one race this year - and the Toyota Blue Grass will mark his debut in stakes company.

Strong Contender was entered in Lane's End at Turfway three weeks ago, but was excluded from that field because of insufficient earnings when an overflow field was entered. That left the Toyota Blue Grass as his last chance to generate the graded earnings he will likely need to run in the Kentucky Derby.

Oxley and Ward won the 2001 Kentucky Derby with Monarchos, another son of Maria's Mon, and Strong Contender is the 4-1 third choice on Saturday.

Two graded stakes-placed runners will challenge the top trio. William Farish Jr.'s Seaside Retreat - second in the Lane's End for trainer Mark Casse - and Robert Manfuso's Court Folly - third in the Swale (GII) at Gulfstream Park for trainer Ian Wilkes - are also entered.

The Bluegrass field (with jockey), from the rail out, includes: Little Cliff (Corey Nakatani); Bluegrass Cat (Velazquez); Storm Treasure (Mark Guidry); Strong Contender (Prado); First Samurai (Bejarano); Court Folly (Javier Castellano); Sinister Minister (Garrett Gomez); Sadler's Trick (Julien Leparoux); Seaside Retreat (Patrick Husbands).

Barbaro Arrives at Keeneland - Lael Stable's Barbaro, the unbeaten winner of the Florida Derby (GI), arrived at trainer Michael Matz's Keeneland barn on Wednesday to continue his preparation for Kentucky Derby 132.

The son of Dynaformer will train up to the Derby following his Florida Derby win and seeks to become the first Derby winner in 50 years to win the race off a layoff of more than a month.

« Back To Derby Updates