Johannesburg To Run In Gladness Stakes, Then Kentucky Derby
By John Asher

Kentucky Derby Headlines:

• Champ Johannesburg To Get One Prep
  
• Repent: Dubai Or Not Dubai?
  
• D'Amico Loses Mount on Harlan's Holiday

IRELAND -- Michael Tabor's Johannesburg raced just once on these shores last year, but his romp in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (Grade I) at Belmont Park was enough for the Irish-based colt to earn an Eclipse Award this week that honored him as the king of America's 2-year-old Thoroughbreds. Now it appears that the Irish-based colt will take an equally unconventional path to Louisville and Churchill Downs in his bid to win the 128th Kentucky Derby on May 4.

Michael Tabor, who owns the Hennessy colt with Mrs. John Magnier, told the Thoroughbred Times after Monday's Eclipse Award ceremonies in Miami, Fla. that Johannesburg would have just one prep race before the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby. Tabor said that race will be the seven furlong Gladness Stakes, a Group 3 grass event at Ireland's The Curragh on April 6.

"There will be no prep race in America," said Tabor. "It isn't exactly ideal, is it? I'm sure we'll get castigated if it doesn't work out, but I don't train the horses. I just pay the bills." Johannesburg was unbeaten in seven races last year for trainer Aidan O'Brien, including Group 1 wins in Ireland, France and Britain. The Gladness would mark the colt's first race against older horses. O'Brien often uses the race as a launching pad for the campaigns of his top 3-year-olds. His superstar Giant's Causeway won the race in 2000 to start a remarkable campaign that ended with a narrow loss to Tiznow in the Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs. Tabor won the 1995 Kentucky Derby with Thunder Gulch.

SOUTHEAST (Florida) -- After a dazzling victory by Select Stable's Repent in Sunday's Risen Star (GIII) at the Fair Grounds, trainer Ken McPeek publicly kicked around the idea of shipping the son of Louis Quatorze to Dubai to make the $2 million U.A.E. Derby of March 23 at Nad al Sheba his final prep for the Kentucky Derby. But after a couple of days of talks with other trainers, McPeek decided to remain stateside rather than subject his colt to a 13,000-mile round trip for the 1 1/4-mile race just weeks before he would have to run the same distance at Churchill Downs in the famed "Run for the Roses" on May 4.

"I believe I could have gone over there and won, but the trip coming back would have compromised his chances in the Derby," McPeek told The Blood-Horse. "He's best with four to five weeks between races."

McPeek said Repent's next race would probably come in either the Louisiana Derby (GII) on March 10, the Lane's End Spiral (GII) at Turfway Park on March 23, or the Illinois Derby (GII) on April 6.

Meanwhile, McPeek confirmed that jockey Tony D'Amico has lost the mount on Starlight Stable's Fountain of Youth (GI) runner-up Harlan's Holiday -- but will continue to ride Repent. The Daily Racing Form reported that McPeek has not decided who will ride Harlan's Holiday in the $1 million Florida Derby (GI), but said the decision will be made "in the next couple of days."

A mile-and-70 yard allowance race on Saturday at Gulfstream Park could produce several contenders for the March 16 Florida Derby (GI). Heading the field of 13 is the Mark Hennig-trained Hutcheson (GII) runner-up Monthir and Michael Tabor's Remsen (GII) runner-up Nokoma. The latter is coming off a dull fourth-place finish in the Holy Bull (GIII) for trainer Todd Pletcher.

A full field of 13 3-year-olds has been entered for Friday's 1 1/8-mile Palm Beach (GIII) on the Gulfstream Park turf. Heading the field are Worldly Victor, the upset winner of the Dave Feldman Stakes, and Orchard Park, a Bill Mott-trainee who brings a three-race winning streak into the Palm Beach.

Ten 3-year-olds will prep for a run in the March 17 Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) in Saturday's $50,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Heading the list of contenders are Expected Hour, Ran South, Peekskill, and the Danny Hutt-owned entry of Devilwithoutacause and Bunk N Ted. Peekskill was also entered in Friday's Palm Beach at Gulfstream but will be scratched from that race if it stays on the grass.

MIDWEST (Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Arkansas) -- Eclipse Award-winning trainer Bobby Frankel had been in the market for a promising 3-year-old colt for owner Edmund Gann since Santa Catalina (GII) winner Labamta Babe went to the sidelines with an injury. He found at Oaklawn Park.

Frankel purchased Medaglia D'oro, a son of El Prado previously trained by David Vance and owned by Joyce Bell, for an undisclosed price after the colt scored a sharp maiden win at Oaklawn on Feb. 9.

WEST (California) -- A 1 1/16-mile allowance race Friday afternoon at Santa Anita has the potential to transform some promising 3-year-olds into serious Kentucky Derby contenders.

The most interesting member of the small field in Friday's seventh race may be the Japanese-bred Sunday Break, a son of Forty Niner who scored his first win in three races in a 4 1/2-length romp at Santa Anita. Sunday Break is trained by Neil Drysdale, who saddled Fusaichi Pegasus to win the 2000 Kentucky Derby.

Other contenders include Stronach Stable's frontrunning Raven Power and Azillion, an Irish-import that was a good third to the well-regarded Pelirrojo in his U.S. debut late last month. Hollywood Futurity (GI) winner Siphonic was scheduled to work either Friday or Saturday at Santa Anita for trainer David Hofmans. The colt that is, at the moment, considered the top Kentucky Derby contender on the West Coast, missed a scheduled work last Saturday because of what Hofmans described as a "slight fever."

A training injury has knocked the well-regarded Searcher from the Derby trail. The Grant Hofmans-trained colt, a romping maiden winner in his second career start on Feb. 9, fractured his right leg during a workout Wednesday at Santa Anita. The colt was scheduled for surgery on Thursday and is expected to race again.

EAST(New York, Maryland) -- Florida invader Final Table and Damon Runyon Stakes winner Eye of the Comet head a field of nine in Saturday's Best Turn Stakes at New York's Aqueduct. Final Table has three wins in six starts and will be ridden in the six furlong race by Richard Migliore.

The Daily Racing Form reported that the promising Lord ofthe Thunder has gone to the sidelines with a couple of minor injuries. The New York-bred son of Saint Ballado, a winner of 2-of-3 races, is recuperating from a muscle pull and a hoof bruise in South Carolina. Owner Ernie Paragallo said the colt is off the Derby trail, but should resume training this weekend and the Preakness (GI) may be a long-term goal.

Kentucky Oaks Update -- Belterra continues to be the top Kentucky Oaks (GI) contender in the barn of trainer Carl Nafzger, but his very strong second-stringer will be in action in Saturday's Davona Dale (GIII) at Gulfstream Park. Take The Cake scored an upset win in the Forward Gal (GIII) and will take on Aly Quatorze and Smok'n Frolic in the Davona Dale...Godolphin's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) runner-up Imperial Gesture will make her 3-year-old debut in Sunday's Moonshell Mile at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai. The race had been set for Thursday, but was postponed following the death of a member of Godolphin's Maktoum family in an automobile accident.

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