Kentucky Derby 134 Update: March 10th

TOP STORIES:

• Pyro Crushes Foes in Louisiana Derby

• Visionaire Rallies From Last in Foggy Gotham

• Autism Awareness Shocks in El Camino Real

• Huge Weekend Looms on Kentucky Derby Trail

SOUTH/PYRO LEAVES EIGHT LOUISIANA DERBY FOES IN THE DUST – Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Pyro solidified his status as a major player in the picture for the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) by cruising to a three-length victory Saturday over a deep field in the $600,000-added Louisiana Derby (Grade II) at New Orleans’ Fair Grounds.

Running closer to the pace than he did in his 2008 debut in the Feb. 9 Risen Star (GIII), Pyro exploded from behind horses under Shaun Bridgmohan at midstretch to pull away from pacesetter My Pal Charlie. A son of Pulpit out of the Wild Again mare Wild Vision, Pyro covered the mile and a sixteenth on a track labeled “fast” in 1:44.44.

“I was not panicking with my position at all. I knew what I had, and he gave it to me. A spot opened for him on the straightaway and he went about his business,” said Bridgmohan, who has been aboard the Steve Asmussen trainee for all six of his starts that have netted earnings of $1,056,718 with a record of 3-2-1 in six career races.

“The last time (in the Risen Star) we were very cautious,” Asmussen said. “Today, these were some very good horses. We prepared well. It looks like he is right on target.”

Pyro’s next target is expected to be the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (GI) over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface on April 12, which will serve as his final Kentucky Derby prep.

B. Wayne Hughes’ My Pal Charlie, the only non-Triple Crown nominee in the field, went off at 60-1 and held the runner-up spot by a half-length over the previously undefeated Yankee Bravo who rallied from last. Completing the field in order were Blackberry Road, Stevil, Tale of Ekati, Majestic Warrior, J Be K and Unbridled Vicar.

The victory propelled Pyro into the favorite’s role in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that closed Sunday night. Pyro, who opened as the 6-1 second choice on Thursday, closed at 4-1.

EAST/VISIONAIRE EMERGES LATE TO WIN THE GOTHAM – Team Valor International and Vision Racing’s Visionaire charged from out of the fog to nip Stonerside Stable’s Texas Wildcatter by a nose to win Saturday’s $250,000 Gotham Stakes (GIII).

Trained by Michael Matz, who saddled 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, and ridden by Jose Lezcano, Visionaire covered the mile and a sixteenth over a sealed sloppy track in 1:44.60. A son of Grand Slam out of the French Deputy mare Scarlet Tango, Visionaire improved his record to 3-1-1 in five races with earnings of $228,260.

Breaking from the outside post in the field of nine, Visionaire was steered to the inside by Lezcano and trailed the field into the first turn as favored Saratoga Russell scampered off to the lead and took the field through fractions of :23.78, :46.37 and 1:11.40.

As the field emerged from the fog in the stretch, Texas Wildcatter had put Saratoga Russell away and appeared home free until Visionaire appeared late on the scene after swinging wide into the lane.

“I knew there was some speed in the race, and I was in no hurry to ask my horse,” said Lezcano, who was riding Visionaire for the third time. “My plan was just to make one move and come with a strong finish. I felt I had a lot of horse coming off the turn. I think he showed how good a horse he was today. He handled everything.”

It was another 7 3/4 lengths back to Larrys Revenge, the only non-Triple Crown nominee in the field, who finished third. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Roman Emperor, who was followed in order by Ling Ling Qi, Holidaze, Southern Terminus, Saratoga Russell and Giant Moon.

Coming off a third-place finish behind Pyro in the Feb. 9 Risen Star (GIII), Visionaire opened at 30-1 in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. When wagering closed Sunday night, Visionaire was a 19-1 proposition.

Albert Fried Jr.’s Giant Moon, who was undefeated in four starts prior to the Gotham, had opened at 20-1 and closed at 67-1 after his last-place finish.

“He was very upset with the surface,” trainer Richard Schosberg said. “You can tell he was not handling it at all. He’s obviously better than that. We’ve got a lot of thinking to do now. Obviously, the main concern is to make sure he is OK.”

WEST/AUTISM AWARENESS SCORES AT 62-1 IN EL CAMINO REAL DERBY – Johnny Taboada’s Autism Awareness, who is not nominated to the Triple Crown, pulled off the biggest shocker on the road to Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby 134 on Saturday by winning the $150,000 El Camino Real Derby (GIII) at odds of 62-1 at Bay Meadows.

Ridden by Luis Contreras and trained by Genaro Vallejo, rallied from just off the pace to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths over Triple Crown nominee Nikki’sgoldensteed with Tres Borrachos, another Triple Crown nominee, another 1 ½ lengths back in third in the field of nine. A son of Tannersmyman out of the Sharp Victor mare Lady Essex, Autism Awareness covered the mile and a sixteenth on a fast track in 1:43.17.

“About three years ago, I started buying yearlings so we could name them,” said Taboada, who purchased Autism Awareness for $1,000. “We named him this because our youngest son (Renzo) was diagnosed with autism when he was 2. My wife (Hedieh) wanted to name the horse. We realized it was a great opportunity to make people aware of autism. What a Cinderella story.”

Nikki’sgoldensteed, owned by Matthew Lomas and Gary Spencer, was the only El Camino Real Derby runner included as an individual betting interest in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. He closed at 99-1 when Derby Future betting concluded on Sunday night.

Other Triple Crown nominees in the race were Behindatthebar, who finished fifth, Dreamed Day (sixth) and Coast Guard, who finished eighth as the favorite.

UPCOMING WEEKEND TO OFFER TESTS FOR WAR PASS, DENIS OF CORK – Three graded stakes coming up this Saturday figure to have major ramifications on the Kentucky Derby picture, with the expected appearance of Robert LaPenta’s champion War Pass in the $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs being the weekend’s big event.

Trained by two-time Kentucky Derby winner Nick Zito, War Pass is undefeated in five starts and opened his 2008 campaign with a 7 ½-length triumph on Feb. 24 in a one-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park. A two-time Grade I winner, War Pass closed as the 9-2 second choice in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Among the expected challengers to War Pass is Godolphin Racing’s Barrier Reef, winner of the Feb. 2 Whirlaway at Aqueduct in his most recent start.

Also on Saturday, Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren Jr.’s undefeated Denis of Cork is expected to headline the $300,000 Rebel Stakes (GII) at Oaklawn Park, and, at Santa Anita, George Schwary’s Georgie Boy figures to be the favorite for the $200,000 San Felipe (GII). All three Saturday stakes are a mile and a sixteenth.

Trained by David Carroll, Denis of Cork debuted Nov. 24 with a maiden score at Churchill Downs and opened 2008 with an allowance victory at Fair Grounds on Jan. 19 and a 2 1/4-length triumph in the Southwest Stakes (GIII) on Feb. 18 at Oaklawn Park. Denis of Cork’s major opposition in the Rebel figures to be Zayat Stables’ Z Fortune, winner of the LeComte (GIII) and runner-up in the Risen Star (GIII) in his two most recent starts.

Denis of Cork closed at 12-1 in Pool 2 of the Derby Future Wager and Z Fortune was a 33-1 shot at the end of the four-day pool.

Trained by Kathy Walsh, Georgie Boy opened his 2008 campaign with a 3 ¼-length score in the seven-furlong San Vicente (GII) on Feb. 10 at Santa Anita. Winner of the Del Mar Futurity (GI) last September, Georgie Boy closed at 20-1 in Pool 2 of the Derby Future Wager.

Other Pool 2 wagering interests expected to run in the San Felipe are Jeff Harmon and Tim Kasparoff’s Bob Black Jack, who closed at 49-1, and Cubanacan Stables’ Gayego, who closed at 111-1.

On Sunday at Sunland Park, the non-graded WinStar Derby offers a $600,000 purse for 3-year-olds going a mile and an eighth.

LOUISIANA DERBY ROMP MAKES PYRO FAVORITE IN KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER POOL 2 – Although Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s homebred Pyro has failed to defeat reigning 2-year-old champion War Pass in three meetings, but racing fans across North America appear to believe a showdown in the 134th Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on May 3 could have a different result.

An emphatic victory in the Louisiana Derby by the Steve Asmussen-trained son of Pulpit propelled Pyro into the role of 4-1 favorite in Pool 2 of Churchill Downs’ 2008 Kentucky Derby Future Wager. War Pass, whose most recent win over Pyro came in the $2 million Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI), closed as the 9-2 second choice in the four-day betting pool. The mutuel field, which included all 3-year-olds other than the 23 individual horses on the Pool 2 wagering roster, was the 5-1 third choice.

Racing fans across North America wagered $325,306 during the pool that opened at noon on Thursday, March 6 – and $54,450 of that total was wagered on Pyro. Winning payouts are based on the odds in place at the end of the pool’s wagering. The last of Churchill Downs’ three 2008 Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools is set for April 3-6.

Other horses that enjoyed strong support included Denis of Cork (12-1), El Gato Malo (15-1), Court Vision (16-1), Colonel John (17-1) and Elysium Fields (17-1). Odds on Team Valor and Vision Racing LLC’s Gotham (GIII) winner Visionaire stood at 96-1 after Friday’s wagering, but plummeted to 19-1 by the time wagering closed on Sunday.

More information and complete closing odds the first two pools of the 2008 Kentucky Derby Future Wager can be found on the official event Web site at www.kentuckyderby.com.