Kentucky Derby Update: Feb. 18th

TOP STORIES:

•       FIERCE WIND STORMS TO SAM F. DAVIS WIN
  
•       PYRO WORK MORE EXCITING THAN PLANNED
  
•       TURF WAR HEADS 11 IN MONDAY'S SOUTHWEST
  
•       WHY TONTO UPSETS STABLEMATE COWBOY CAL

 
SOUTHEAST/FIERCE WIND ADDS TO ZITO'S DERBY DEPTH - Four Roses Thoroughbreds' Fierce Wind gave trainer Nick Zito another card to play on the road to Kentucky Derby 134 by winning Saturday's $200,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs by a half-length over Big Truck.
           
Already sitting with a pair of aces in champion War Pass and Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) winner Anak Nakal, Zito's hopes for a third Kentucky Derby win to go with those of Strike the Gold in 1991 and Go for Gin in 1994 were bolstered by Fierce Wind's third consecutive victory at a two-turn distance.
           
Ridden for the third consecutive time by Cornelio Velasquez, Fierce Wind rated off the pace before moving four wide entering the stretch. The son of Dixie Union out of the A.P. Indy mare Post Parade first disposed of 6-5 favorite Z Humor and then held off the late surge of Big Truck and Smooth Air, who finished another three-quarters of a length back in third in the field of eight. Z Humor finished fifth, beaten five lengths by the winner.
           
The victory improved Fierce Wind's record to 3-0-0 in five starts with earnings of $146,200.  He covered the mile and a sixteenth over a fast track in a stakes-record 1:44.13.
           
"Two turns is always a plus when you've got tactical speed," said Tim Poole, assistant to Zito. "You've got a horse that can get to the first turn and get position. ... Obviously he was the horse today. This is the time of year when they all start coming out of the woodwork - (we) start to separate the men from the boys, and this is one of those steppingstones; he took a step in the right direction today. Hopefully we can stay on that path towards the ultimate goal - you all know what that is."            
           
Why Tonto? Why Not In Hallandale Beach - Starlight Stable, Donald Lucarelli and Paul Saylor's Why Tonto turned the tables on favored Cowboy Cal to win Saturday's $100,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes over the turf at Gulfstream Park.
           
Ridden by Edgar Prado, Why Tonto slipped to the inside of Stonerside Stable's Cowboy Cal entering the stretch and pulled away to win by 1 ½ lengths. In their previous meeting, Cowboy Cal had beaten Why Tonto by two lengths in the Tropical Park Derby (GIII) on Jan. 1.
           
The top two finishers are trained by Todd Pletcher.  Prior to the Tropical Park Derby, Why Tonto had finished second in the overnight Grand Canyon Stakes on Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs. The victory gave Why Tonto a record of 8-3-2-0 for earnings of $131,893. Why Tonto covered the mile and a sixteenth over a firm course in 1:40.20.
           
"Why Tonto ran an improved race today while Cowboy Cal was a little rank and didn't handle the first turn too well, although he still ran a good race to be second after those fractions (22.85, 46.12, 1:09.66)," Pletcher said. "I think there are things he (Cowboy Cal) can improve on from here. We'll see how they come back and see where we go from here. Nothing today would necessarily change any plans (a possible start in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 12) for Cowboy Cal."
           
Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Cannonball was another 1 ¾ lengths back in third in the field of nine.

Undefeated Champion War Pass Nears 2008 Debut - Robert LaPenta's undefeated champion War Pass worked six furlongs in 1:13.20 on Saturday at Palm Meadows for two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito.
           
Winner of the 2007 Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) and the champion 2-year-old of 2007, War Pass closed as the third choice at 6-1 in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1 that closed Feb. 10.
           
Also working for Zito on Saturday was Four Roses Thoroughbreds' Anak Nakal, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 24 in his most recent start. Anak Nakal covered five furlongs in 1:00.80 in his final tuneup for his 2008 debut that is expected to come in Sunday's $300,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (GII) at a mile and an eighth at Gulfstream Park. In Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, Anak Nakal closed at 33-1.
           
The Fountain of Youth also may mark the 2008 debut of WinStar Farm's Court Vision, winner of last fall's Iroquois (GIII) at Churchill Downs. Other possible Fountain of Youth entrants include Courtlandt Farms' Adriano, Robert LaPenta's Cool Coal Man, Robert Evans' Elysium Fields, Starlight Stable and Donald Lucarelli's Monba,  Bear Stable's Kentucky Bear,  Edgewood Farm's Make the Point,  Caroni Stable's White Shoes and M375 Thoroughbreds and Suarez Racing's Golden Spikes.
            
Eventful Monday Work For Risen Star Winner Pyro - Winchell Thoroughbreds' Pyro returned to serious training for the first time since his dazzling victory in the $300,000 Risen Star (GIII) with a five-furlong work on Monday at Fair Grounds that was much more exciting than trainer Steve Asmussen had planned.

Exercise rider Dominic Terry had to veer the Pulpit colt off the rail on the far turn to avoid an oncoming loose horse.  Pyro and Terry avoided a collision as the loose horse passed, then completed the work without further incident.  Asmussen's colt covered the distance in 1:05.60 - a time clearly affected by the incident on the turn. 

Zayat Stable's Z Fortune, Pyro's stablemate and runner-up in the Risen Star, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.40. 

The $600,000 Louisiana Derby (GII) on March 8 remains the next target for Pyro, but Asmussen has not decided on the next race for Z Fortune.
 
SOUTHWEST/PONI COLADA ROMPS IN BORDERLAND DERBY - Poni Colada, a Triple Crown nominee trained by Steve Asmussen crushed four other rivals in winning Saturday's $100,000 Borderland Derby at Sunland Park by 8 lengths.

Owned by Bob Zollars and Mark Wagner, Poni Colada covered the mile and a sixteenth over a fast track in 1:47.19 under Alfredo Juarez Jr.  Black Hawk Stable's Cape Time, another Triple Crown nominee, was second.
           
Poni Colada is a son of Volponi out of the Pleasant Colony mare Coconut Willamina. His record is 7-3-1-0 for earnings of $123,366.