Colonel John 'Great' After Santa Anita Derby; Bob Black Jack possible for Kentucky

COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow) and BOB BLACK JACK (Stormy Jack), the respective top two finishers from Saturday's Santa Anita Derby (G1), were both reported to be in fine fettle on Sunday. While Colonel John has already booked his ticket to the 134th Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 3, Bob Black Jack remains on the fence for the Run for the Roses.

Colonel John came back "great" Sunday morning from his heroics at Santa Anita, where he caught Bob Black Jack approaching the wire to record a half-length victory. Winning trainer Eoin Harty has yet to enjoy the video of Colonel John's stirring rally.

"I still haven't seen the replay," Harty said. "I went out to dinner last night and I had to pack in order to get ready for Kentucky.

"He certainly proved himself as a contender (for the Derby) and justified the faith I've always had in him," said Harty, who was an assistant to Bob Baffert for seven years, during which Baffert won the Run for the Roses twice, with Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet in 1998. "I've always felt Colonel John was a very good horse and it all came together yesterday."

Right after the Santa Anita Derby, Harty said that he planned to give the bay colt two workouts at Santa Anita before shipping to Churchill Downs about 12 days before the Derby, and then have one work over that track.

"Hopefully, it will all go according to plan," Harty said, "but that's the way it looks right now."

Colonel John helped jockey Corey Nakatani to end a 12-race winless skein in the Santa Anita Derby. The rider, who recently recovered from a fractured right collarbone, is looking forward to ending a similar drought in the Kentucky Derby.

"I'm excited and glad he ran the way he did," the 37-year-old rider said. "Any time you come off an injury, you want to make sure you get the right horses to ride, and Colonel John definitely is a special horse. I'm looking forward to his next race, and he's done everything Eoin's asked him to do every time. He's gotten a little better and I think he's gone from being a boy (when runner-up) in the CashCall Futurity (G1) to becoming a man on Saturday, so hopefully, everything goes according to plan on the first Saturday in May."

Trainer Jim Kasparoff was considering all options Sunday morning for Bob Black Jack, who did everything right in defeat in the Santa Anita Derby.

"He looks good this morning, and I'd say we have no plans right now, but the Kentucky Derby is an option," the 33-year-old horseman said. "Over the next week and a half, we'll discuss everything, but he's got to be doing well and show me he deserves to go."

Santa Anita Derby third COAST GUARD (Stormy Atlantic), who led into the stretch and was beaten a total of 1 1/2 lengths at 19-1, came out of the race well, but is not a Kentucky Derby prospect. 

"We are not considering the Kentucky Derby," trainer David Hofmans said Sunday morning. "I don't know what we're doing yet."

Plans are likewise up in the air for EL GATO MALO (El Corredor), who wound up fifth as the 9-5 choice in the Santa Anita Derby. According to trainer Craig Dollase, the dark bay gelding came out of the race in good shape, "at least initially, but no decision has been made on his next race."

In another Santa Anita Derby postscript, an on-track crowd of 50,358 flocked to the Arcadia, California, oval on Saturday, marking the third consecutive year the live gate surpassed 50,000. On-track attendance on Santa Anita Derby Day last year was 56,810, and 54,189 in 2006.

"It was so gratifying to see people show up to a major event for horse racing," Santa Anita President Ron Charles said Sunday. "To have more than 50,000 people for the third year in a row is something you don't see very often, except for the Triple Crown races. It's remindful of old times, and how racing used to be, and that's the biggest compliment. If we can just do it a little more often, we'll be all right, and that's what we'll try to do."