Kentucky Derby Update: Feb. 15th

TOP STORIES:

•       TURF WAR, DENIS OF CORK TO SOUTHWEST

•       Z HUMOR MEETS SMOOTH AIR IN SAM F. DAVIS

•       ETCHED FOURTH IN 2008 DEBUT IN DUBAI

•       HALO NAJIB DOMINATES IN OBS CHAMPIONSHIP

SOUTH/TURF WAR, DENIS OF CORK SCHEDULED FOR OAKLAWN MATCHUP - Woodford Racing's Turf War, a dead-heat winner of the $1 million Delta Jackpot (Grade III) at Delta Downs with Z Humor in his most recent start, and Mr. and Mrs. William Warren Jr.'s undefeated Denis of Cork are expected to pass the entry box on Saturday at Oaklawn Park as likely favorites for Monday's $250,000 Southwest Stakes (GIII) at a mile.    

Trained by Mark Casse, Turf War is a full brother to recent New Orleans Handicap (GII) winner Grasshopper, who ran second in last summer's Travers (GI) to Street Sense, winner of 2007 Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (GI) The Southwest would mark the 2008 debut for Turf War, who has a record of 3-1-1 in five races for earnings of $518,548. Turf War is a son of Dixie Union out of the Mr. Prospector mare Grass Skirt.

Denis of Cork began his career with a sparkling victory on the "Stars of Tomorrow II" program at Churchill Downs on the closing day of its 2007 Fall Meet.  The David Carroll trainee followed that with an allowance victory last month at Fair Grounds. Named for Father Denis Carey of County Cork, Ireland, who is a friend of William Warren Jr., the son of Harlan's Holiday has earned $48,552 in his two victories.

The colt was an individual wagering interest in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 that closed on Sunday.  Odds on Denis of Cork stood at 46-1 at the conclusion of the pool.

J Be K Returns With Easy Fair Grounds Win - Zayat Stables' LLC's J Be K, a record-setting winner last summer at Saratoga in his only previous start, led throughout as he romped to five-length victory on Friday in his 3-year-old debut at Fair Grounds.

The son of Silver Deputy also competed for the first time for trainer Steve Asmussen, who assumed training of J Be K after the colt's recent move from the Southern California-based barn of three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert.

J Be K skipped over a sloppy track at Fair Grounds under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, who had the colt in hand as he romped to his easy win over longshots Marquet Reality and Mr. Serious in a six furlong allowance race.  His winning time was 1:10.06The colt rolled to a 7 ½-length victory and set a track record for 5 ½-furlongs in his only previous start on Aug. 29 at Saratoga.

SOUTHEAST/Z HUMOR, SMOOTH AIR TOP DAVIS FIELD - The Florida Gulf Coast road to Kentucky Derby 134 begins in earnest Saturday when nine 3-year-olds are scheduled to line-up for the $200,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth at Tampa Bay Downs. Graded stakes winners Z Humor and Smooth Air head the field for the Davis, the track's major prep for the March 15 Tampa Bay Derby (GIII).

Zayat Stables' Z Humor will be making his 2008 debut for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Z Humor closed 2007 in a dead-heat victory with Turf War in the $1 million Delta Jackpot (GIII) in December at Delta Downs. A son of Distorted Humor out of the A.P. Indy mare Offtheoldblock, Z Humor has a record of 5-2-0-2 for earnings of $543,700. Z Humor closed at odds of 45-1 in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1.

Mount Joy Stables' homebred Smooth Air enters the Sam F. Davis off a victory in the Hutcheson (GII) on Jan. 5 at Gulfstream Park. A son of Smooth Jazz out of the French Deputy mare Air France, Smooth Air has a record of 5-3-1-1 and earnings of $165,500 for trainer Bennie Stutts.

The Sam F. Davis will mark the first test around two turns for Smooth Air. Smooth Air closed at odds of 159-1 in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1.

Four other Triple Crown nominees are in the Davis field: Eric Fein's Big Truck, Four Roses Thoroughbreds' Fierce Wind, J D Farms' Wise Answer and Z.W.P. Stable's Wonder Mon.

Cowboy Cal Tops Hallandale Beach Stakes Field - Stonerside Stable's Cowboy Cal, who is a perfect three-for-three in races on the grass, will face 11 rivals in Saturday's $100,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth over the lawn at Gulfstream Park.

The homebred son of Giant's Causeway drew the rail for the Hallandale Beach and will be ridden by John Velazquez for trainer Todd Pletcher.  In his most recent start, Cowboy Cal won the Tropical Park Derby on Jan. 1 by two lengths over Starlight Stable, Donald Lucarelli and Paul Saylor's Why Tonto, with Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Cannonball another half-length back. Those two runners will try Cowboy Cal again on Saturday.  Other Triple Crown nominees in the Hallandale Beach are Gerald Crawford's Caberneigh and Wertheimer and Frere's Chitoz.

Halo Najib Rules At Ocala - Zayat Stables' Halo Najib toyed with seven rivals to win Monday's $150,000 Darley Ocala Breeders' Sales Championship at the Ocala Training Center in Florida. The Dale Romans trainee, who ran second in the Iroquois (GIII) at Churchill Downs last October, covered the mile and a sixteenth over the all-weather track in 1:46.40 in winning by 2 ¾ lengths under Kent Desormeaux over Hello From Haven.

Fountain Of Youth Draws 52 Nominations - Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito has nominated four colts, including 2007 Juvenile champion War Pass, to the $350,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (GII) to be run Feb. 24 at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by Robert LaPenta, War Pass is not expected to run in the Fountain of Youth, but may make his 2008 debut in an allowance race the same weekend. In the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1, War Pass closed as the third choice at 6-1.

A probable starter in the Fountain of Youth for Zito is Four Roses Thoroughbreds' Anak Nakal, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs in his most recent start. Other Zito nominees are Cool Coal Man and Coal Play, both owned by LaPenta.

DUBAI/ETCHED RUNS FOURTH IN 2008 DEBUT - Godolphin's previously unbeaten Etched, last seen winning the Nashua (GIII) by 6 ½ lengths over future Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Anak Nakal in October at Aqueduct, finished fourth in his 2008 debut on Thursday in the $250,000 UAE 2000 Guineas (GIII) at Nad Al Sheba.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Etched never threatened in the mile contest, finishing six lengths behind Honour Devil (ARG), a 4-year-old who completed the distance in 1:34.80. Another Godolphin Triple Crown nominee, Numaany, finished fifth.

In Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, Etched closed at odds of 26-1.  The colt is trained by Saeed bin Suroor.