The Other Contenders
– Tale of Ekati worked for the first time since finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby, zipping four furlongs in :46.84 at Belmont on Tuesday morning. “He went a little faster than we wanted, but he did it easy,” said assistant trainer Robin Smullen, who confirmed that the Belmont Stakes was the colt’s next likely start. “We realize that Big Brown is a very salty customer, but Tale of Ekati is doing awfully well” (DRF). Along with Tale of Ekati, two other Derby starters are likely — Denis of Cork and Anak Nakal — as are two Preakness starters — Icabad Crane and runner-up Macho Again.
– Casino Drive, widely considered Big Brown’s main rival, remains without a jockey. “We are leaving our options open,” said racing manager Nobutaka Tada. “Fortunately, many good riders are interested” (Blood-Horse). Over on Green But Game, Dana considers who she would like to see on the half-brother of Rags to Riches and Jazil and narrows the possibilities down to Castellano or Prado …
– Music Note reappears. The 3-year-old A.P Indy filly made her debut last fall in a maiden special that turned out to be a major key race, returned three weeks later to win her second start by an impressive 7 1/2 lengths while under a handride, and then was shipped to Dubai for the winter, where she apparently didn’t race. On Thursday, she makes her first start for trainer Saeed bin Suroor in the third, a one mile N1X, which drew a couple promising maiden winners in the Seeking the Gold filly Charming ($3.2 million Keeneland yearling purchase) and the Barclay Tagg-trained Song of Love (half to Nobiz Like Shobiz), as well as A Rose for You, making her second start for Kiaran McLaughlin.
– Interesting: “It’s impossible to overlook the fact that every Grade 1 winner [Dutrow has] had since Carson Hollow in 2002 had started his or her career in another barn.”
– Epoxy, Whistle Dick, and 498 more bad horse names.
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