Kentucky Derby 134 Update: March 7th

TOP STORIES:
- Pyro Faces Eight in Louisiana Derby
- Unbeaten Giant Moon Heads Gotham
- El Camino Real Derby Attracts Field of 10
- Champ War Pass Favored on Day 1 of Futures

SOUTH/PYRO HEADLINES DEEP LOUISIANA DERBY FIELD – Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Pyro, the 6-1 second choice following the first of four days of betting in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that opened Thursday, will face eight rivals Saturday in the $600,000 Louisiana Derby (Grade II) at a 1 1/16-miles on dirt at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Pyro enters the Louisiana Derby off a scintillating last-to-first run in the stretch of the Risen Star (GIII) on Feb. 9 at the same distance. Shaun Bridgmohan, who has guided the son of Pulpit to a career mark of 2-2-1 in five races and earnings of $696,718, has the riding call on Saturday.

A big effort by Pyro would solidify his status as one of the major contenders for the 134th running of the $2 million guaranteed Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands, which will be run at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Included among Pyro’s rivals are two graded stakes winners who will be making their anticipated 2008 debuts.

Majestic Warrior, owned by Kinsman Stable of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier, won the Hopeful (GI) last September at Saratoga. Trained by Bill Mott, Majestic Warrior has not run since being injured in a sixth-place finish in the Champagne (GI) in October. Majestic Warrior was a 21-1 risk following the opening day of Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Charles Fipke’s Tale of Ekati, winner of the Futurity (GII) at Belmont in September, makes his first start since finishing fourth in the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) at Monmouth Park. Trained by Barclay Tagg, who conditioned 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide, Tale of Ekati was a 41-1 shot heading into Friday’s Pool 2 Derby Future betting.

Three other individual betting interests in the year’s second Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool are in the Louisiana Derby field, two of whom are undefeated.

Zayat Stables’ J Be K is two-for-two with a victory in a Fair Grounds allowance race for new trainer Steve Asmussen. Harlequin Ranches, David Bienstock, Richard Duggan and Charles Winner’s Yankee Bravo is three-for-three following a victory in the California Derby. J Be K stood at 50-1 and Yankee Bravo was at 68-1 following Thursday’s Derby Future betting.

Another Kentucky Derby Future Wager interest in the Louisiana Derby field is Dogwood Stable’s multi-graded stakes-placed Blackberry Road, who was an unlucky fifth in the Risen Star in his most recent start. He gets a new rider in Robby Albarado, who replaced Calvin Borel, who won the 2007 Kentucky Derby aboard Street Sense.

The Louisiana Derby field, from the rail out, is as follows: Robert LaPenta’s Stevil, B. Wayne Hughes’ My Pal Charlie, Pyro, J Be K, James Tafel’s Unbridled Vicar, Tale of Ekati, Blackberry Road, Yankee Bravo and Majestic Warrior. All are Triple Crown nominees except for My Pal Charlie.

EAST/GOTHAM LURES FIELD OF 10 – Albert Fried Jr.’s undefeated Giant Moon, a 43-1 shot after the opening day of Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, will face nine rivals and break from the rail in Saturday’s $250,000 (GIII) Gotham Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth over the inner track at Aqueduct.

Trained by Richard Schosberg, Giant Moon has been idle since winning the Jan. 5 Count Fleet at Aqueduct that ran his winning streak to four. The Count Fleet was Giant Moon’s first triumph in open company after posting three wins against straight New York-bred horses.

One other Pool 2 individual wagering interest in the field is Team Valor and Vision Racing’s Visionaire, who stood at 99-1 heading into day two of the Derby Future bet.

Trained by Michael Matz, who conditioned 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, Visionaire enters the Gotham off a third-place finish in the Feb. 9 Risen Star (GIII) in which he was beaten 2 ¾ lengths by Pyro. Visionaire will break from post position 10.

The field for the Gotham, from the rail out, is as follows: Giant Moon, Jacobson Racing Stable’s Laysh Laysh Laysh, Puglisi Stables’ Roman Emperor, West Point Thoroughbreds’ Saratoga Russell, Rhineshire Farm’s Southern Terminus, Dogwood Stable’s Holidaze, Stonerside Stable’s Texas Wildcatter, Robert LaPenta’s Larrys Revenge, Lansdon Robbins III’s Ling Ling Qi and Visionaire.

Laysh Laysh Laysh and Larrys Revenge are not nominated to the Triple Crown.

WEST/NIKKI’SGOLDENSTEED DRAWS RAIL FOR EL CAMINO REAL DERBY – Matthew Lomas and Gary Spencer’s Nikki’sgoldensteed, runaway winner of the Turf Paradise Derby in his most recent start, will break from the rail in a field of 10 Saturday for the $150,000 El Camino Real Derby (GIII) at Bay Meadows.

Trained by Bob Hess, Nikki’sgoldensteed is one of five Triple Crown nominees in the field. The son of Formal Gold, who won the mile and one-sixteenth Turf Paradise Derby by 5 ¾ lengths on Feb. 9, was an 86-1 shot after the opening day of Pool 2 Derby Future betting.

Other Triple Crown nominees entered in the El Camino Real Derby are Beau Greely, John Greely IV and Phil Houchens’ Tres Borrachos; Padua Stables, Michael Shustek and W. Don Stanley’s Behindatthebar; Amerman Racing Stables’ Coast Guard and Winner Silk’s Dreamed Day. Of those four, two exit stakes races: Coast Guard running second in the Feb. 2 Robert B. Lewis (GII) at Santa Anita and Tres Borrachos, who finished fourth in the Jan. 27 California Derby at Golden Gate.

The field for the El Camino Real Derby, from the rail out, is as follows: Nikki’sgoldensteed, General Dan, Autism Awareness, Bamaha Breeze, Tres Borrachos, Pleasure Grounds, Behindatthebar, Coast Guard, Dreamed Day and Master Daniel.

WAR PASS TOPS DERBY FUTURE POOL 2 – Robert LaPenta’s unbeaten champion War Pass stood as a solid 5-2 favorite following Thursday’s opening session Pool 2 of Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Louisiana Derby favorite Pyro was the second choice at 6-1, edging the mutuel field (“all others”), which also stood at 6-1, as the second choice. Denis of Cork was next at 10-1.

Real-time odds on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager are available at the official event Website at www.kentuckyderby.com.