John Asher's Derby Update (Feb. 8th)

KENTUCKY DERBY 134 UPDATE

Friday, Feb. 8, 2008

TOP STORIES:

• PYRO BIDS FOR RISEN STAR BREAKTHROUGH
• INTO MISCHIEF VS. GEORGIE BOY IN SAN VICENTE
• EZ DREAMER LEADS HOME TEAM AT TURF PARADISE
• ‘ALL OTHERS’ EARLY CHOICE IN DERBY FUTURES

MIDWEST/PYRO BIDS FOR STAKES BREAKTHROUGH IN RISEN STAR – Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Pyro spent most of last fall chasing unbeaten 2-year-old champion War Pass, but that rival will be nowhere near New Orleans’ Fair Grounds when trainer Steve Asmussen’s top hope for the $2 million Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) makes his 2008 debut on Saturday in the $300,000-added Risen Star Stakes (GIII).

The son of Pulpit is the morning line favorite in a field of 12 that includes Zayat Stables LLC’s Z Fortune, his Asmussen-trained stablemate and an impressive winner of the Lecomte Stakes (GIII) at Fair Grounds in his most recent start. Pyro will make his first start since a runner-up finish to War Pass over a sloppy track in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Monmouth Park. A win by Pyro would be his first in stakes competition.

Pyro has trained strongly in recent weeks as a workmate to stablemate and reigning “Horse of the Year” Curlin, but his final tune-up for Saturday’s race was a five-furlong move in 1:00.80 on Tuesday at the Fair Grounds that was sharper than his trainer preferred.

“He did too much,” Amussen told the Daily Racing Form. “We want him to relax his first time out, and he was a little more anxious than I wanted him to be.”

Unbeaten Z Fortune is a New York-bred son of Siphon who romped in races against state bred competition at Belmont Park and Aqueduct last fall, stepped up to roll to an easy victory in his debut against open company in the Lecomte.

Shaun Bridgmohan will ride Pyro, who is the 3-1 morning line favorite in the Risen Star. Garrett Gomez will be aboard Z Fortune, the second choice at 7-2.

Others in the full field in the 1 1/16-mile prep for the Louisiana Derby (GII) include Dogwood Stable’s Blackberry Road (5-1), the runner-up in the Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at Churchill Downs and the Lecomte; Southern Equine Stable’s California invader Signature Move (6-1), a winner of back-to-back races at over Cushion Track at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita; Visionaire (6-1), who is trained by Michael Matz, trainer of 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro; and Unbridled Vicar (12-1), who will be saddled by two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Carl Nafzger, whose Street Sense won last year’s “Run for the Roses.”

The Risen Star is Fair Grounds’ major prep for the $600,000-guaranteed Louisiana Derby (GII), its premier race for 3-year-olds. The Louisiana Derby will be run on Saturday, March 8.

WEST/INTO MISCHIEF VS. GEORGIE BOY IN SAN VICENTE – Two Grade I stakes winners make their season debuts on Sunday when B. Wayne Hughes’ Into Mischief, upset winner of Hollywood Park’s CashCall Futurity (GI), meets George Schwary’s Del Mar Futurity (GI) winner Georgie Boy in the $150,000 San Vicente (GII) over seven furlongs at Santa Anita.

Into Mischief is trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, who saddled Crown of Thorns to win last week’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes (GII) over the Cushion Track surface at the Arcadia, Cal. track. The Harlan’s Holiday colt has a record of 2-1-0 in three races with earnings of $448,800, and will be ridden in the San Vicente by Victor Espinoza.

Georgie Boy, a California-bred gelding trained by Kathy Walsh, will return to competition for the first time since Del Mar victory in September. Rafael Bejarano will ride.

Only three rivals will tackle the big two, and the Bob Baffert-trained Massive Drama could be the biggest threat to post an upset. He won the Hollywood Prevue, then finished third behind Into Mischief in the CashCall Futurity and El Gato Malo in the recent San Rafael (GIII).

TURF PARADISE DERBY – Triple AAA Ranch’s Ez Dreamer, coming off a 9 ¾-length win in the Rattlesnake Stakes at Turf Paradise, looms as the favorite in a field of eight entered for Saturday’s $100,000 Turf Paradise Derby at the Phoenix track. Glenn Corbett will ride the Arizona-bred son of In Excess, who has won three of six career starts.

Meer Cat, an Irish-bred colt who makes his debut on dirt for trainer Craig Dollase, looms as the top threat. Martin Pedroza rides the Red Ransom colt who raced in Britain before making his U.S. debut in a third-place finish on the grass in Hollywood Park’s Generous (GIII).

‘ALL OTHERS’ FAVORED AS DERBY FUTURE POOL OPENS – Unbeaten 2-year-old champion War Pass attracted strong support on the opening day of betting in Pool 1 of Churchill Downs’ 2008 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, but it was the mutuel field – or “all others” – that was the favored wagering interest at the end of Thursday’s betting.

The mutuel field, the favorite in Pool 1 in every Kentucky Derby Future Wager since the bet made its debut in 1999, stood at 2-1 after the first day of 2008 Pool 1 Derby Future betting. War Pass (3-1) was a close second choice, followed by Pyro (10-1) and Court Vision (13-1).

Betting on the 24 wagering interests Pool 1 was set to resume at racetracks and satellite wagering outlets across North America at noon (all times EST) on Friday, and wagering will continue through 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10. Advance deposit wagering on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is available through TwinSpires.com (www.twinspires.com).

DERBY 134 NOTES – Scoring begins Saturday, Feb. 9 in Churchill Downs “Road to the Roses” Fantasy Challenge, a free online contest that allows Derby fans to manage a stable of contenders for the “Run for the Roses.” The game’s grand prize is a VIP trip for two to Kentucky Derby 135 in 2009. Registration is underway at www.roadtotheroses.com. …A clerical error has resulted in the addition of one horse to the roster of nominees to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown. Dream Maker Thoroughbreds’ Ode’s Tribute was inadvertently left off the original list and raises the early nomination total to 449, one fewer the record established last year. … The Richard Mandella-trained Dixie Chatter, winner of the Grade I Norfolk, is nearing his return to serious training, but is a longshot to be ready for Derby 134. He was sidelined by an ankle injury and Mandella said he is about 10 days from his first workout. “He’s back in good shape, but we missed six weeks with him,” Mandella said of Dixie Chatter’s Kentucky Derby hopes. “If he comes along and everything was to go absolutely perfect, we won’t hold him back from it. But we’re not going to push him just to try and make it.”

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Derby 134 Update. The Update is published twice weekly. A Friday issue includes Kentucky Derby news and previews of weekend prep races, while a Monday edition will review the preps and news of the weekend. The update will also be available each week at www.kentuckyderby.com. Contact John Asher at (502) 636-4586 or johna@kentuckyderby.com for more information or comments.