Derby Updates

By: Josh Abner

WEST/WEATHER COULD DELAY BROTHER DEREK'S ARRIVAL - Likely Kentucky Derby favorite Brother Derek's scheduled arrival at Churchill Downs on Tuesday, April 25 could be delayed by as many as two days if wet weather descends on Southern California.

Trainer Dan Hendricks will be watching the skies this weekend as he prepares Brother Derek for his run in the May 6 Kentucky Derby.

"There's the slightest chance we could change our travel plans by two days and go on the 27th," Hendricks said, "but it's not a big issue. I'll know more by Saturday."

Brother Derek is coming off a victory in the Santa Anita Derby for owner Cecil Peacock.

MIDWEST/LEXINGTON WIN COULD GIVE LAEL ANOTHER UNDEFEATED DERBY STARTER - Lael Stables already has one of the favorites for the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands in unbeaten Florida Derby (GI) winner Barbaro, but the stable could have a second option on the first Saturday with May if another unbeaten, Showing Up, should win Saturday's $325,000 Coolmore Lexington (GII) at Keeneland.

The Coolmore Lexington provides a final chance for would-be Derby hopefuls to gain the needed earnings in graded stakes races to gain a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Showing Up and Gotham winner (GIII) Like Now are among the horses that hope to follow the path of Charismatic, who completed the only Coolmore Lexington-Derby double in 1999.

Barclay Tagg, the veteran trainer who saddled Sackatoga Stable's Funny Cide to win the 2003 Kentucky Derby, trains Showing Up. The son of Strategic Mission, who won both of his career starts at Gulfstream Park, will run in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile event because a bruised foot caused him to miss a planned start in the Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct on April 8.

"We've had a couple of setbacks," said Tagg. "We wanted to run him in the Wood. That was our perfect plan, but it wasn't to be. We considered the Blue Grass, but he needed another week and another breeze."

The Kentucky-bred chestnut will break from post 2 in the field of 10 under jockey Cornelio Velasquez. He has $39,000 in earnings - but no graded stakes money - and is the second choice at odds of 3-1.

"We decided it was best to wait for this race," said Tagg. "We have to win here to make it to the Derby."

John Dillon's homebred Like Now was also forced to miss the Wood Memorial, in his case due to a fever. The Florida-bred son of Jules exits an upset victory in the Gotham on March 18 in which he bested likely Kentucky Derby starters Keyed Entry and Sweetnorthernsaint in his first race at a two-turn distance. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin who finished second in last year's running of the Kentucky Derby with Closing Argument, Like Now breaks from post eight under regular jockey Fernando Jara, and is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the field of 10.

McLaughlin will also saddle Gone Prospecting, who will break from the rail post.

Other stakes winners entered in the Coolmore Lexington include James McIngvale's Baldwin (GIII) winner Fast Parade; Vinery Stables' More Than Regal, winner of the Sportsman's Paradise for trainer Steve Asmussen; Bear Stables' multiple-stakes winner Bear Character; and Ike Thrash's Chin High, winner of Keeneland's Translyvania (GIII) on turf. Hemingway's Key, Special Interest and Greeley's Legacy complete the field.

EAST/ELEVEN ENTERED IN TESIO AT PIMLICO - Although none of the 3-year-olds entered in Saturday's $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico appear to have Kentucky Derby aspirations, a bid for one of racing's spring classics is not out of the question for many of the Maryland-based sophomores entered in the 1 1/8-mile race.

A field of 11 3-year-olds is set for a race that has become Pimlico's top local prep for the Preakness (GII) of May 20, the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

The Jim Stables' Ah Day, an impressive seven-furlong allowance winner at Laurel Park last time out, heads the Tesio field. Trained by Maryland legend King T. Leatherbury, the Malibu Moon colt is being wheeled back off a rest of just a week and a half as he makes his sixth start of the year.

Ah Day will attempt follow 2005 winner Malibu Moonshine as the second consecutive son of Malibu Moon to take the Tesio. Leatherbury's colt is the 3-1 morning line choice.

Twin Oaks Stables' Our Peak enters the race off a stunning 73-1 upset in the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel. That victory came at the Tesio distance and his victims that day included Saturday's morning line favorite.

Missing from the race will be Sweetnorthernsaint, the undisputed leader of Maryland's 3-year-old division who will make his next start in the Kentucky Derby. Several shippers are looking to take the Tesio in the absence of Sweenorthernsaint. That group includes Roamin Murphy and Victory Lake, who invade from Florida, as well as New York-based Scanlon's Song.

Sweetnorthernsaint was impressive on Friday in his final Maryland work for the "Run for the Roses." The gelded son of Sweetsouthernsaint breezed five furlongs in 1:00 at Laurel Park for trainer Michael Trombetta. The moves was the fastest of 25 at the distance and Laurel clockers caught the son of Sweetsouthernsaint galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.40. Sweetnorthernsaint is scheduled to travel by van to Churchill Downs on April 25.

Jazil breezes at Belmont - Shadwell Stables' Jazil, a hard-charging second in the Wood Memorial (GI), breezed a half-mile in :50.20 over the main track at Belmont Park on Friday. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin plans to ship the son of Seeking the Gold to Churchill Downs on April 29.

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