|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
3.2.2002
|
Photo By: Orin France
|
|
|
Came Home and Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron, shown being led into the winner's circle after scoring a victory in the San Rafael Stakes (GII) at Santa Anita Park on Mar. 2, will try for stakes win number five in the 65th running of the Santa Anita Derby (GI) on Apr. 6 at the Arcadia, Calif. racetrack. |
|
|
|
|
Came Home Looks For Fifth Stakes Win In Santa Anita Derby
April 5, 2002
By John Asher
Kentucky Derby Headlines:
WEST (California) -- With major stakes victories in California and New
York under his belt, it is clear that Came Home is one of the most
talented members of this year's crop of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. Yet,
whenever his name is mentioned in regard to this year's Kentucky Derby (GI),
a
question is sure to arise:
Can he handle the mile and a quarter distance on the first
Saturday in May at Churchill Downs?
The son of Gone West will not definitively answer that question
no matter what happens when he faces seven rivals in tomorrow's $750,000
Santa Anita Derby. But a sharp victory at 1 1/8-miles in the key
Kentucky Derby prep would ease the concerns of many doubters.
The Paco Gonzalez trainee has been installed as the 6-5 morning
line favorite. He will be ridden by Chris McCarron, who is not among
those who are speculating about the colt's distance capabilities.
"I would prefer to go with a horse that's got class and sheer
talent rather than dwell on how well-bred they are and what their
particular breeding might dictate," McCarron said. "This horse has
shown me a tremendous amount of improvement with regard to how he
relaxes and his behavior and how cooperative he is."
Came Home, winner of the San Vicente (GII) and San Rafael (GII) this year and Saratoga's Hopeful (GI) at two, has won 5-of-6 races and
earned $421,440.
Major opposition is likely to come from Mayakovsky, winner of Aqueduct's Gotham (GIII); San Felipe (GII) runner-up
U S S Tinosa; San Rafael runner-up Easy Grades; and Golden Gate Derby
(GIII) winner Danthebluegrassman, the lone Kentucky Derby hope for
two-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert's chances may be stronger in Sunday's $100,000 Zany
Tactics Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong race for California-breds that will mark
the return to competition of The Thoroughbred Corp's Officer.
The son of Bertrando appeared destined to be a major Kentucky
Derby contender until a setback in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) at
Belmont Park started a season-ending string of three consecutive losses.
His most recent outing was a third-place finish to Siphonic in the
Hollywood Futurity in December.
Johannesburg Update -- The unconventional path to Churchill Downs chosen
by trainer Aidan O'Brien for Irish-based Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI)
winner Johannesburg will take the unbeaten colt to an Irish course for
his lone Kentucky Derby prep race.
O'Brien confirmed Thursday that Johannesburg would run on Sunday
against older foes in the Gladness Stakes, a seven furlong race on grass
at the Curragh. In choosing the Gladness, O'Brien decided against
taking the colt to Britain's Lingfield Park for a Saturday race on the
track's all-weather Polytrack surface. The race, the Fosters'
International Trial Stakes, had been specifically designed as a Kentucky
Derby prep for Johannesburg.
"We always had our eye on the Gladness," O'Brien told The Racing
Post. "We were hoping that the Curragh was going to dry out and give us
some nice ground. At the moment it looks like we are going to get
that."
Johannesburg has won all seven of his lifetime starts.
O'Brien has the Kentucky Derby in mind for Castle Gandolfo and
will run the Gone West colt in the Lingfield race. Castle Gandolfo won
the Group 3 Beresford Stakes and finished second at the Kentucky Derby
distance of 1 1/4-miles in France in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud in his
most recent start in November.
MIDWEST (Kentucky, Illinois, Louisiana, Arkansas) -- Select Stable's
Repent has lost only to Johannesburg in his last six races and will
attempt to extend his string of success in Saturday's 45th running of
the $500,000 Illinois Derby (GII) at Sportsman's Park.
The Ken McPeek-trained winner of the Louisiana Derby (GII) is
the morning line favorite under jockey Jerry Bailey, a three-time winner
of the Illinois Derby. The son of Louis Quatorze will break from the
outside post in a field of 10.
"I was glad to see him outside," McPeek said. "He was inside in
the Louisiana Derby and he had some traffic problems; it got him boxed
in. In the 10-hole, I don't think they can get that done with him and he
can stay outside and stay out of trouble.
Other contenders in the Illinois Derby include Hollywood
Futurity (GI) runner-up Fonz's; Canadian stakes winner
Changeintheweather; Arlington-Washington Futurity (GII) winner
Publication; Illinois Derby Prep winner War Emblem; and Peekskill, the
third-place finisher in the Florida Derby (GI).
Unbeaten Cashel Castle and Storm Commander, the upset winner of
the Hansel at Turfway Park, head a field of eight 3-year-olds entered in
Sunday's seven furlong Lafayette (GIII) at Keeneland.
Others in the field include Governor Hickel, third in the Swale
(GIII) at Gulfstream Park, and Lecomte Stakes runner-up Sky Terrace.
The latter has not run since a disappointing effort in the Risen Star
(GIII).
EAST (New York, Maryland) -- A small but very strong field is taking
shape for next week's renewal of the Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct, a
race that has produced the last two winners of the Kentucky Derby.
Gotham runner-up Saarland and San Felipe (GII) winner Medaglia
d'Oro head the prospective field for the April 13 race that also
includes Blue Burner, Sunday Break, Nokoma, and Buddha.
Fusaichi Pegasus won the Wood and the Kentucky Derby in 2000
while Monarchos finished second in last year's Wood before he scored his
Derby win three weeks later at Churchill Downs.
SOUTHEAST (Florida) -- Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) winner Equality will
attempt to extend his winning streak to three races when he faces the
improving Charioteer and seven other rivals in Saturday's first running
of the $250,000 Aventura Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Equality, a homebred son of Mt. Livermore owned by Pin Oak Farm,
romped to an easy win at Tampa Bay Downs in his stakes debut for trainer
Graham Motion. He has a career record of 3-0-1 in six races.
Charioteer, trained by Todd Pletcher for the Peachtree Stable,
finished fourth to Repent in the Louisiana Derby in his most recent
outing. He scored an 8 1/2-length allowance victory at Gulfstream in
his previous race.
Kentucky Oaks Update -- Two major contenders for the 128th Kentucky Oaks
-- Select Stable's Take Charge Lady and Robert Manfuso's Belterra meet
Saturday in the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (GI) at Keeneland.
The two fillies met last November in the Golden Rod Stakes (GII)
at Churchill Downs, a race in which the Carl Nafzger-trained Belterra
completed an unbeaten season with a four-length romp. But the Ken
McPeek-trained Take Charge Lady has inspired major headlines this year with sizzling victories in the Silverbulletday (GIII) and Fair Grounds
Oaks (GII) at the Fair Grounds, while Belterra finished third in
Gulfstream Park's Bonnie Miss (GII) in her lone start as a 3-year-old.
Regular rider Tony D'Amico will ride Take Charge Lady and Jon
Court will be in irons aboard Belterra.
Others in the Ashland include Colonial Glitter, First Again,
Take The Cake, Whiletheiron'shot, and Bronze Autumn.
« Back To Derby Updates
|
