Proud Citizen Derby Bound; Flores To Ride Essence Of Dubai
April 21, 2002
By Kentucky Derby Barn Notes Team

Kentucky Derby Headlines:

• Proud Citizen to run in Kentucky Derby
• Buddha works in Belmont mud
• Flores to ride Essence Of Dubai

Proud Citizen - The latest horse to join the Kentucky Derby 128 picture - Bob Baker, David Cornstein & Bill Mack's Proud Citizen - was doing well at Churchill Downs on the morning after his upset victory in Keeneland's Coolmore Lexington (GII) and four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas said all indications point toward a run in the famed "Run for the Roses" on Saturday, May 4.

"All we were concerned about is that everything would be the fine the next couple of days and he looks like he was more than fine," Lukas said. "He was very good today. We just walked him and grassed him a little."

Lukas' colt overcame problems at the starting gate, where he broke though the gate and hit his head prior to the start of the race. He also set most of the pace on a wet track on a day on which most of the Keeneland winners were coming from off the pace.

Proud Citizen, who would be the third son of Gone West in the Kentucky Derby field (joining Came Home and Castle Gandolfo), had the look of a Derby candidate last summer when he scored a 9 ¼-length victory in a Belmont Park maiden race. But he followed that win with a fifth-place finish as the favorite in the Sanford (GII) at Saratoga and a distant sixth-place finish behind Came Home in the Hopeful (GI) over the same track. He did not return to competition until a seventh-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) on April 6. During Proud Citizen's time away from competition, Lukas' colt underwent surgery to take care of a bone spur in his left front knee. Lukas said he started thinking seriously about the Kentucky Derby for the colt in mid-December.

"We knew we couldn't have any setbacks," said Lukas. "But we were resolved to the fact that if it didn't all fall into place we would just march on to the Preakness (GI) or something else. We were pretty much open-minded about it."

Lukas used a similar route to Derby success in 1999 when he saddled Charismatic to finish fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, won the Coolmore Lexington and then took the Kentucky Derby. But their schedules before those three races were very different.

"Charismatic had a lot more going for him," said Lukas. "He had those two-turn races under his belt and he was a big, heavy horse that would bear down. This horse is more genuine, though. By that, I mean that he gives more of himself in the morning. You can do almost anything with him."

Proud Citizen is another lightly raced horse in Derby 128 as he brings a career record of 2-1-0 in six starts into the race. But Lukas discounts his skimpy racing schedule as a concern.

"I'm not worried about his seasoning," he said. "He's got such a good mind. And yesterday (in the Lexington) he overcame some adversity. I don't think that he really relished that racetrack and I think he likes this one (at Churchill Downs). And the other thing is that's the first time in my career that I've ever had a horse hit the gate that hard and run well."

So, after a one-year absence, Lukas is back in the Kentucky Derby picture and he cautions that his late-developing horse is not one to ignore.

"I think we went from 200-1 to a horse they're going to watch a little bit now," he said. "I think we're going to get a little following."

And if Proud Citizen's talent was not enough to make the case for his Derby chances, Lukas turned to an intangible.

"In this year after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we've got a Proud Citizen out of the mare Drums of Freedom," he said. "Maybe it's an omen."

In other Derby news:

BUDDHA - Wood Memorial (GI) winner Buddha, breezed six furlongs over a muddy Belmont Training Track in 1:14.40 with the dogs up Sunday (Apr. 21) morning for trainer H. James Bond.

The move was his first since he captured the April 13th Derby prep. NYRA clockers caught Buddha's first quarter in :25 and the half-mile in :49.20. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:27.40.

"He looked good. I haven't made a decision when he'll leave," said Bond, who has yet to saddle a Derby starter. "Tentatively we're looking at next Monday (Apr. 29)."

CAME HOME - Dual Grade I winner Came Home galloped 1 3/8-miles shortly before the renovation break over a fast track at Churchill Downs with exercise rider Sal Gonzalez Sr. aboard.

Trainer Paco Gonzalez was expected to arrive in Louisville later Sunday (Apr. 21) with a work for the Santa Anita Derby winner tentatively slated for Wednesday (Apr. 24).

Sal Gonzalez said that Came Home "handled the track beautifully this morning. He got over the track better than Mane Minister and Free House did when they got here."

Sal Gonzalez was the exercise rider for Mane Minister in 1991 and Free House in '97 when his brother, Paco, brought them in for the Derby. Both horses finished third in their respective Derbies.

EASY GRADES - Desperado Stables' Santa Anita Derby (GI) runner-up Easy Grades galloped a mile and a half on Apr. 21 at Churchill Downs after the renovation break with exercise rider Cindy Lerille up.

Ted West, deputizing for son Ted H. West, said Easy Grades would work seven furlongs Monday (Apr. 22) morning after the break with Derby rider Jorge Chavez scheduled to be aboard. Chavez won the 2001 Derby aboard Monarchos.

ESSENCE OF DUBAI - Godolphin Racing's Essence Of Dubai galloped a mile and a quarter shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday (Apr. 21) with exercise rider Lee Roebuck aboard.

Tom Albertrani, assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor, said that David Flores would ride Essence Of Dubai in the Derby.

Frankie Dettori, who rode Essence Of Dubai to victory this year in the UAE 2,000 Guineas and the UAE Derby, will ride Imperial Gesture for Godolphin in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks and then return to England to ride Naheef the following day in the 2,000 Guineas.

Albertrani said that weather holds the key to when Essence Of Dubai will have his next work, scheduled between Wednesday (Apr. 24) and Friday (Apr. 26).

Imperial Gesture, with Roebuck up, and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) winner Tempera, with Rachel Dore up, galloped a mile and a quarter before the renovation break. The lone Oaks work for that duo is tentatively scheduled for Monday (Apr. 29) or Tuesday (Apr. 30) of next week.

ETHAN MAN - A disappointed trainer Patrick Byrne said that Saturday's (Apr. 20) dull fifth-place finish by West Point Thoroughbreds' Ethan Man knocked the Glitterman colt out of consideration for the Kentucky Derby.

The 1 1/16th-mile race was Ethan Man's first at a two-turn distance, but Byrne felt it was the track that did his colt in. The surface had been upgraded to "good" for the Coolmore Lexington (GII) after it had been listed as "muddy" for most of the day and Byrne said jockey Pat Day told him that Ethan Man did not care for it.

"I do dislike excuses for good horses and this is a good horse," Byrne said. "Pat said he was just spinning his wheels out there and wasn't handling the track at all. He never trained over that track, so we'll just toss it out."

Byrne said the Ethan Man came out of the race in good shape and did so little running that he's toying with the idea of running him back in Saturday's $100,000-added Derby Trial (GIII) at one-mile at Churchill Downs. If he doesn't run there, Ethan Man's next race would likely come in the new $100,000-added Matt Winn Stakes, a six-furlong sprint scheduled for Saturday, May 11.

As for Ethan Man's ability to handle a two-turn distance, Byrne has not lost any faith. But after the setback in the Coolmore Lexington, Ethan Man will have to wait a while for an opportunity to validate Byrne's confidence.

"If that race yesterday was three-quarters of a mile he would have done the same thing," Byrne said. "He's a good colt. We'll just draw a line through it and regroup."

With Saturday's loss, Ethan Man's record drops to 3-0-1 in five races.

HARLAN'S HOLIDAY - Starlight Stable's Toyota Blue Grass (GI) and Florida Derby (GI) winner galloped 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Helen Pitts.

Trainer Ken McPeek stayed home on Sunday to give his broken left ankle some rest. McPeek injured the ankle in a pick-up basketball game Thursday (Apr. 18) evening.

Harlan's Holiday is scheduled to breeze on Wednesday, April 24.

IT'SALLINTHECHASE - Darwin Olson's It'sallinthechase galloped a mile shortly after the track opened at 5:45 Sunday (Apr. 21) morning under exercise rider Joe Higgins.

Trainer Wilson Brown is expected in Louisville by Saturday (Apr. 27) when a work is scheduled for It'sallinthechase, who finished ninth in the Arkansas Derby in his last start.

Lusty Latin - Joey and Wendy Platts' Lusty Latin jogged in the mile chute and then galloped 1 ¾-miles under exercise rider Amy Mullins after the renovation break.

Trainer Jeff Mullins is scheduled to arrive in Louisville later Sunday (Apr. 21) from his Southern California base to oversee a Monday (Apr. 22) morning work that is slated for after the renovation break.

Glenn Corbett, who has ridden the El Prado colt in his four starts of 2002, may come in for the work.

"That was the talk at Santa Anita, that Glenn would come in," said Amy Mullins, wife of the trainer. "I worked him a couple times before the Santa Anita Derby, but Glenn did the last one."

MEDAGLIA D'ORO - Edmund Gann's Wood Memorial (GI) runner-up galloped Sunday (Apr. 21) morning after the renovation break with assistant trainer Jose Cuevas aboard.

Cuevas said that trainer Bobby Frankel was expected to return to Louisville Wednesday (Apr. 24) from his Southern California base.

Cuevas also partnered Gann's Oaks hopeful You for a Sunday (Apr. 21) morning gallop.

Ocean Sound (Ire) - Rebel Stakes' (GIII) runner-up Ocean Sound galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Adam Kitchingman before the renovation break.

Trainer James Cassidy is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Tuesday (Apr. 23) from Southern California.

PERFECT DRIFT - Stonecrest Farm's Lane's End Spiral Stakes (GII) winner Perfect Drift had another quiet morning at the Trackside Training Center, walking the shedrow on Apr. 21 at trainer Murray Johnson's barn.

"He will resume his regular gallops tomorrow (Apr. 22) with Joe Deegan up," said Johnson of Perfect Drift, who worked Friday (Apr. 19). "He seems like a very happy horse."

Perfect Drift would represent Johnson's second Kentucky Derby starter. Green Alligator ran fourth in 1991 to Strike the Gold.

Private Emblem/WINDWARD PASSAGE - Trainer Steve Asmussen said his 1-3 Arkansas Derby (GII) finishers, Private Emblem and Windward Passage, respectively, would work after the break Monday (Apr. 22) morning.

"It depends on how much rain we get today, but Private Emblem would go five-eighths and Windward Passage a half if the track is in good shape," Asmussen said. "If the track is less than 1,000 percent, they'll both go a half."

Both horses galloped Sunday (Apr. 21) morning with Lisa Orn on Private Emblem and assistant trainer Scott Blasi on Windward Passage.

Asmussen said that Easyfromthegitgo, third in Saturday's (Apr. 20) Coolmore Lexington Stakes (GII) at Keeneland, came out of the race in good order and likely would be pointed toward the Lone Star Derby in Texas on May 11.

Asmussen's Oaks hopeful, Coast To Coast Racing Fund's Lake Lady, galloped Sunday (Apr. 21) morning and is scheduled to work before the break Monday (Apr. 22).

REQUEST FOR PAROLE - Jeri and Sam Knighton's Request For Parole galloped 1 ¾-miles under exercise rider Loren Diego.

Trainer Steve Margolis said Request For Parole would work either five-eighths or three-quarters Thursday (Apr. 25) with Derby rider Robby Albarado scheduled to be aboard for the work.

SUNDAY BREAK (Jpn)/FLYING DASH (Ger) - Both of trainer Neil Drysdale's Kentucky Derby hopefuls - Koji Maeda's Sunday Break (Jpn) and Fusao Sekiguchi's Flying Dash (Ger) - were on the track Sunday (Apr. 21) morning for some light work. Drysdale said Sunday Break (Jpn) jogged, or "trotted," a mile. Flying Dash (Ger), who will run in Saturday's (Apr. 27) Derby Trial (GIII), galloped 1 1/8-miles. Both colts were ridden by exercise rider Marcelino Olguin.

WAR EMBLEM - The Thoroughbred Corps' War Emblem, winner of the Illinois Derby (GII), galloped 1 ½-miles at Churchill Downs on Apr. 21 under exercise rider Mick Jenner. He is expected to breeze at midweek.

Baffert has yet to name a Kentucky Derby rider for the Our Emblem colt.

Wild Horses - Peachtree Stable's Wild Horses, who arrived at Churchill Saturday (Apr. 20), galloped 1 3/8-miles under exercise rider Cindy Hutter Sunday (Apr. 21) morning. Hutter said that trainer Todd Pletcher is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Friday (Apr. 26) from Belmont Park.

In Oaks News...

BELLA BELLUCCI - Trainer Neil Drysdale said Comely (GIII) winner Bella Bellucci was doing well on the day after a Saturday (Apr. 20) breeze and she walked under the shedrow on Sunday (Apr. 21).

BELTERRA/TAKE THE CAKE - Trainer Carl Nafzger's Kentucky Oaks duo of Belterra and Take The Cake were on the track for Sunday (Apr. 21) morning exercise. Robert Manfuso's Belterra jogged a mile under exercise rider Tracey Wilkes. Elizabeth Valando's Take The Cake galloped 1 3/8-miles under Wilkes.

TAKE CHARGE LADY - Select Stable's Take Charge Lady, winner of the Ashland (GI), jogged two miles under exercise rider Helen Pitts.

MS BROOKSKI/CHAMROUSSE - Trainer Niall O'Callaghan said Gary Tanaka's Bonnie Miss (GII) winner Ms Brookski galloped a mile. Chamrousse galloped the same distance.

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