Before the El Camino Real on Sunday, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was modest about the prospect of his colt, Cause to Believe, running in the Kentucky Derby. “I’m pleased they think that much of him to put him in there,” Hollendorfer said of the [Daily Racing Form list of early Derby contenders]. “But I don’t have a certain path for him, because my owner isn’t real serious about the Derby trail.” But then Cause to Believe won the El Camino Real with a late run, finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of pace-setting Objective. “I’ve had confidence in this horse all along,” said Hollendorfer after the race. “We have a lot of options with this horse … And with luck, maybe we can get into the [Kentucky] Derby.” Northern California horses swept the first three places; Bold Chieftain was third.
A.P. Warrior, a $1.3 million yearling purchase and the heavy favorite in the El Camino Real, finished fourth, eight and three-quarters lengths behind Cause to Believe and only a head in front of fifth-place finisher Wanna Runner. “That was very disappointing,” said jockey Alex Solis. “He didn’t show up today. I was laying in good position, and we had some pace to run at. I got him outside at the five-sixteenths, and he didn’t fire.”
Both A.P. Warrior and Wanna Runner have been competitive against Brother Derek and Stevie Wonderboy in previous starts, which makes me wonder — have both tailed off in their development after showing flashes of talent as two-year-olds? Or is the northern contingent just that much better?
Steve Haskin is done wondering about A.P. Warrior: “Whatever the case with A.P. Warrior, he has not been a happy horse and has thrown in too many clunkers to be considered a top Derby candidate any longer.” But he’s high on Cause to Believe: “He’s all heart and is as consistent as they come.”
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Trainer Steve Asmussen’s top Derby prospect, Private Vow, worked this morning for the first time in several weeks, going four furlongs in :51 at Palm Meadows. Several other Derby hopefuls have hit the track in the past couple of days, including Bluegrass Cat and Barbaro.
Posted by JC in Racing on 01/30/2006 @ 6:30 pm / Tagged Kentucky Derby / Follow @railbird on Twitter
For a couple of seconds in mid-stretch, it looked as though Jerry Bailey’s career would have a perfect ending, that even-money favorite Silver Tree would win the Sunshine Millions Turf after an ground-saving expert ride. If only he hadn’t been briefly blocked before squeezing daringly through a narrow hole along the rail, because on the outside, longshot Miesque’s Approval was in the clear and charging to the lead. The 48-1 shot beat Silver Tree by three-quarters of a length.
“You’re either a hero or a goat. I guess I’ll go eat hay tonight,” Bailey said after. “I think Silver Tree was probably the best horse … But it didn’t open up in time for me. I played the hand that was dealt me. It just wasn’t enough.”
“Well, it wasn’t exactly the fairy tale ending was it,” said Silver Tree’s trainer, Bill Mott. “But it was close.”
Shut out on both his mounts in the Sunshine Millions, Bailey retired with 5,893 wins in a 31-year career. His last came aboard the filly Shakespearesister in a $33,000 allowance race on Friday at Gulfstream.
More: “I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been … Hell, I never expected to get out of New Mexico” … “There were tears all around until Bailey was asked if it upset him that he did not visit the winner’s circle for the 5,898th time. ‘Yeah, it does,’ he said, stopping in his tracks. ‘I know Silver Tree was probably the best horse in the race.'”
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Lava Man, winless since taking last year’s Hollywood Gold Cup, came back into form to win the Sunshine Millions Classic. “He finally ran like he had been training,” said trainer Doug O’Neill.
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Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo may make his first start in eight months in the Strub Stakes at Santa Anita next Saturday.
Posted by JC in Jockeys on 01/28/2006 @ 10:45 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
Trainer Bob Baffert’s Point of Impact was one of the many promising colts horseplayers have been eagerly looking forward to debuting this winter as a possible Kentucky Derby contender. On Wednesday, he appeared in an allowance at Santa Anita and seemed to ruin whatever Derby chances he had by acting rank, blowing the first turn and running to the outside rail. Point of Impact still managed to finish fourth, but it was hardly the performance of a colt you’d want to have a lot of money on come May 6. Jockey Victor Espinoza, though, has an excuse:
“He’s inexperienced and it was the first time he was going two turns … Going a mile, the turn is right there, plus he’s so big, he needed a little more time to get around the turn. After that it was great. He settled down the backside and finished good, but it was too much for him to overcome.”
Perhaps. Point of Impact does have a couple of months to figure out this whole racing thing, but I don’t think I’ll put him in the Derby top 10 just yet.
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Wild Fit, the impressive California filly last seen finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to Folklore, worked six furlongs in 1:12.4 at Santa Anita on Thursday. It’s expected the Patrick Biacone trainee will start next in the February 11 Las Virgenes Stakes.
Posted by JC in Track Notes on 01/27/2006 @ 8:55 am / Follow @railbird on Twitter
