Lookin At Lucky

ROMANS DUO COMPLETES CHURCHILL PREPARATIONS FOR PREAKNESS – Routine gallops were the order of the day on Tuesday for a pair of Preakness contenders trained by Louisville native Dale Romans, who is looking forward to saddling his double-barreled bid for a first victory in a Triple Crown classic.

Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado, third to Super Saver in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), will be joined in the starting gate on Saturday by stablemate First Dude, Donald Dizney’s third-place finisher behind Stately Victor and Paddy O’Prado in the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland on April 10.

Paddy O’ Prado will enter the Preakness without a work between the Kentucky Derby and Saturday’s race in Baltimore.  Beaten Kentucky Derby favorite Lookin At Lucky, sixth in the ruggedly-run race, also heads to Pimlico Race Course without a work between races.

“He didn’t need to work,” Romans said of his gray colt.  “If’s he not fit now, a half-mile work is not going to do him much good.”

Romans was relieved that First Dude finally seemed assured of a spot in the starting gate in Saturday’s Preakness.  Earlier in the week, it appeared that the 1 3/16-mile second jewel of the Triple Crown could attract an overflow field and Romans’ imposing bay son of Stephen Got Even could be left on the outside looking in.

“I wanted to run him in the Derby,” said Romans.  “I think he’ll run good.”

The trainer’s confidence in First Dude was boosted on Sunday when the Nick Zito-trained Fly Down, who has handed First Dude a pair of narrow defeats at Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park, scored a runaway victory in Sunday’s Dwyer (GII) at Belmont Park.  First Dude has a record of 1-3-1 in six career races.

“He’s a nice horse,” said Romans of First Dude.  “He’s a big, strong colt and he’s run with some of the best.  Fly Down just beat him twice and came back and crushed ‘em in the Dwyer.  We just think a lot of him.”

There is a potential for rain at Pimlico over the next few days, but Romans said track condition should be of little concern to his Preakness hopes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 “It shouldn’t bother either one of them,” he said.  “I think both of them will run on anything.  Paddy’s already proven that by running well on grass, Poly[track] and mud.  I don’t see why running on a fast track would be any different.”

SUPER SAVER WELL ON EVE OF JOURNEY TO BALTIMORE, NO PREAKNESS FOR MISSION IMPAZIBLE – WinStar Farm’s Super Saver, winner of the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), was reported to be doing well on the morning after Monday’s Churchill Downs workout that completed his serious training for Saturday’s 135th running of the Preakness (GI), the second jewel of the Triple Crown.
The son of Maria’s Mon worked three furlongs in :36.60 over a fast track under regular jockey Calvin Borel on Monday.  Mike McCarthy, the assistant who oversees Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher’s stable at Churchill Downs, said Super Saver was doing well Tuesday morning.

Pletcher will be represented in the Preakness by Super Saver and Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite, runner-up in the $200,000 The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GII) on April 24 at Churchill Downs.  Both horses are scheduled to fly from Louisville to Baltimore at midday on Wednesday.

Pletcher confirmed via text message that Twin Creeks Racing Stable’s Mission Impazible, the ninth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, would not travel to Baltimore to compete in the Preakness.  He said the next start for the winner of the Louisiana Derby (GII) at Fair Grounds has not been determined.

The Pletcher duo and other Preakness contenders on the grounds at Churchill Downs are schedule to board vans at the Pletcher barn for the brief journey to Louisville International Airport around 11:30 a.m. (all times EDT).  The Sutton Forwarding Co. flight that will carry the horses to Baltimore is set to depart from Louisville at noon.

LOOKIN AT LUCKY GALLOPS, GARCIA NOW DEFINITE FOR PREAKNESS RIDE – Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman’s Lookin At Lucky, a troubled sixth in the Kentucky Derby and America’s reigning 2-year-old champion, galloped at Churchill Downs on Tuesday, the eve of the colt’s departure for Baltimore to run in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.

Trainer Bob Baffert said all was well with the 3-year-old son of Smart Strike, who will bid to provide the three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer with his fifth victory in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.  Baffert notched earlier wins in the 1 3/16-mile classic with Kentucky Derby winners Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (’98) and War Emblem (2002), and with Point Given, who also won the Belmont Stakes in 2001 after a fifth-place finish as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby.

Baffert said 26-year-old Martin Garcia is confirmed to ride Lookin At Lucky in the Preakness.  It will be the first Preakness ride for Garcia, who will replace Garrett Gomez in the saddle after Lookin At Lucky endured troubled journeys in the Santa Anita Derby (GI), where he finished third, and the “Run for the Roses.”  
The trainer consulted with several more experienced riders who were available to ride in the Preakness, but decided to go with Garcia.

The thing with Martin is that he’s been on him – he’s worked him a lot,” Baffert said.  “And he wins for me.”
Baffert has said that his decision to replace Gomez is not a reflection on the rider’s talent, but an effort to reverse the recent run of bad luck for the horse.

LUKAS LEAVES EARLY WITH DUBLIN, NORTHERN GIANT – Hall of Fame trainer and five-time Preakness winner D. Wayne Lukas decided against a plane ride to Baltimore on Wednesday for his pair of Preakness contenders, who boarded a van Tuesday morning for the overland trip to Pimlico Race Course.

Robert Baker and William Mack’s Dublin, seventh in the Kentucky Derby for Lukas, completed his major preparation for the Preakness with a half-mile work on Monday in 48.40.  Also on the van on Tuesday was Westrock Stables’ Northern Giant., who had breezed three furlongs on Monday at Churchill Downs in :36.40.

Westrock’s Tidal Pool, a game third behind Blind Luck in the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (GI), was also on the van to Pimlico to run in Friday’s $175,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (GII) for 3-year-old fillies.  The Lukas-trained Yankee Gentleman filly is the morning line favorite in a field of nine and will be ridden by Calvin Borel.

 SUTTON FLIGHT TO CARRY 10 PREAKNESS HOPES TO BALTIMORE – Wednesday’s Sutton Forwarding Co. flight from Louisville to Baltimore for Saturday’s Preakness will carry 10 Preakness contenders to Pimlico – including eight that have been training at Churchill Downs.

The noon flight will carry the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Aikenite; Lookin At Lucky; the Dale Romans duo of Paddy O’Prado and First Dude; the Nick Zito-trained Jackson Bend, who finished 12th in the Derby; and Hurricane Ike, winner of The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial.

The flight will originate in Ontario, Cal. and Preakness contender Caracortado will board the plane there.  Joining the group of Preakness hopes in Louisville will be Florida Derby (GI) runner-up Pleasant Prince, who has been training at Keeneland for Wesley Ward since his third-place run in The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial.

Also boarding the plane in Louisville will be Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Blame, the Al Stall, Jr.-trained winner of last fall’s Clark Handicap (GII) who is scheduled to make his 4-year-old in the Schaefer Handicap (GIII) at Pimlico on Preakness Day.  He has been preparing his 2010 debut at Keeneland.

WORK TAB (Track: WET FAST) – Aspire, runner-up in the 2009 Hopeful (GI) and third in the Champagne (GI), breezed five furlongs for trainer Eddie Kenneally in 1:00.60 – the fastest of 16 moves at the distance. … veteran sprinter Euroears breezed a half-mile in :48 … John Battaglia Memorial winner Vow to Wager breezed a half-mile in :50 … Iroquois (GIII) winner Thiskyhasnolimit breezed four furlongs for trainer Steve Asmussen in :50.80.

FIRST DUDE WORKS BULLET FIVE-EIGHTHS FOR PREAKNESS – Donald Dizney’s First Dude punched his ticket to Baltimore with a bullet, five-furlong work in 1:00.60 under Tammy Fox after the morning renovation break.

Churchill Downs clockers caught the son of Stephen Got Even in fractions of :11.60, :23.40, :35.20, :47.60 and out six furlongs in 1:14.80. First Dude started his work at the half-mile pole and went to the seven-eighths pole.

“I was very pleased with the work. It’s on to the Preakness,” trainer Dale Romans said. “I got him in 1:01.”

The move, accomplished over a track labeled as fast, was the best of 13 at the distance. It was First Dude’s second bullet work since finished third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 10. First Dude had worked five furlongs over a muddy track in 1:00.80 on April 26, the best of 26 at the distance that day.

"If he had thrown in a clunker today, he would not have gone,” Romans said. “But he never has thrown one in and I didn’t expect him to this morning.”

Romans’ other Preakness probable, third-place Kentucky Derby finisher Paddy O’Prado, galloped a mile and a half after First Dude’s work. Paddy O’Prado is owned by Donegal Racing.

PLETCHER LIKES WHAT HE SEES OF SUPER SAVER – MONDAY WORK LIKELY – WinStar Farm’s Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver galloped a mile and an eighth early on a cool, brisk Saturday morning with exercise rider Kevin Willey aboard.

Trainer Todd Pletcher viewed the morning exercise from the frontside of the track.

He galloped really, really well,” said Pletcher, who arrived in Louisville Friday night and was seeing the Derby winner on the track for the first time since his triumph in last Saturday’s Run for the Roses.

“His energy level is very good and he has rebounded quickly. You always hope for that coming back in two weeks.”

Super Saver, who gave jockey Calvin Borel his third Kentucky Derby victory in the past four years, may work Monday.

“Right now, I am leaning toward working him,” Pletcher said. “I want to see how he gallops tomorrow, but most likely it will be an easy half-mile.”

Pletcher’s other Preakness probable, Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite, galloped a mile and three-eighths under Willey.

“He will work five-eighths in company in the morning,” Pletcher said of the Grade 3 Derby Trial runner-up. “He is training well and doing well.”

NOTE: Pletcher will have a meeting with the media this afternoon at 5:15 (EDT) in the Churchill Downs paddock.

LOOKIN AT LUCKY GALLOPS TOWARD POSSIBLE PREAKNESS BID – Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman’s Lookin At Lucky galloped a mile and a half after the renovation break under exercise rider Peter Hutton.

Trainer Bob Baffert has yet to make a firm decision on Lookin At Lucky’s Preakness participation but said Saturday morning, “I’ll know by Monday, but he’s 52 percent (to go) today.”

Baffert also addressed the rumor mill surrounding jockey Garrett Gomez, who has been aboard Lookin At Lucky in all nine of his starts.

"I am still not sure if I am going to run and if I don’t run, I don’t need to make a switch,” Baffert said. “There are a lot of rumors out there. What happened is I told Martin Garcia’s agent (Jim Pegram) not to do anything for Preakness Day because I might have other horses running there that day.”

Tne horse Baffert is considering taking to Pimlico is Quiet Invader, who is nominated to the Chick Lang Stakes. The colt is also nominated to the Matt Winn to be run at Churchill Downs the same day and Garcia has ridden Quiet Invader in all five of his starts.

BARN TALK – Robert LaPenta’s Ice Box, runner-up in last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, left by van for Saratoga on Friday afternoon. Trained by Nick Zito, Ice Box is being pointed to the June 5 Belmont Stakes (GI). …

Ice Box’s stablemate, 12th-place Kentucky Derby finisher Jackson Bend, galloped a mile and three-eighths under Stacy Prior before the renovation break Saturday morning as he moved toward a possible Preakness start.

Other Preakness prospects on the grounds included Hurricane Ike galloping a mile and a half before the break and Yawanna Twist galloping the same distance under Michelle Nevin after the break. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ two Preakness hopefuls, Dublin and Northern Giant, galloped before the break under Arielle Witkowski.

The Lukas duo is scheduled to work Sunday or Monday and Hurricane Ike is penciled in for a seven-furlong work Monday.

WORK TAB (Track: GOOD prior to the maintenance break, FAST afterward ) – Count Fleet (GIII) and Mr. Prospector (GIII) winner Custom for Carlos breezed a half-mile in :50 over a “fast” track for trainer Eddie Kenneally.

CONVEYANCE REMOVED FROM PREAKNESS CONSIDERATION – Three-time Kentucky Derby (GI)-winning trainer Bob Baffert reduced his list of Preakness prospects in half Friday morning by declaring Zabeel Racing International’s Southwest Stakes (GIII) winner Conveyance out of the second jewel of the Triple Crown.

“He’s not going,” Baffert said of the Kentucky Derby pacesetter who finished 15th in the mile and a quarter classic. “The plan now for Conveyance is to win a stake somewhere in the country with him.”
Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman’s Lookin At Lucky, the Kentucky Derby favorite who finished sixth behind Super Saver, galloped a mile and a half after the renovation break under Peter Hutton.

"I am just taking it day by day with him,” said Baffert, who has won the Preakness four times. “He is still 51 percent (to go).”

In addition to Lookin At Lucky, eight other horses eyeing the Preakness galloped Friday morning at Churchill Downs.

Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, owned by WinStar Farm, galloped a mile and a sixteenth under Kevin Willey. Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite galloped a mile and three-eighths under Willey and is scheduled to work Sunday. Both colts are trained by Todd Pletcher.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ two Preakness prospects, Robert Baker and William Mack’s Dublin and Westrock Stables’ Northern Giant, galloped a mile and a half before the renovation break with Arielle Witkowski handling both colts. Lukas plans to work both horses Sunday or Monday.

Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado, third in the Kentucky Derby, and Donald Dizney’s First Dude each galloped 1 ½ miles for trainer Dale Romans. First Dude is scheduled to work Saturday morning with Tammy Fox in the saddle.

Robert LaPenta and Jack or Better Farm’s Jackson Bend, 12th in the Kentucky Derby, galloped a mile and three-eighths under Stacy Prior and Ike and Dawn Thrash’s Hurricane Ike, winner of The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII) on April 24, galloped a mile and a half shortly after the track opened at 6 a.m. Hurricane Ike is scheduled to work Monday.

APPRENTICE LENCLUD BAGS THURSDAY TRIPLE – Apprentice jockey Freddie Lenclud had an idea Thursday could be a good day at Churchill Downs.

"In the morning, I was looking at the paper and it looked like I had a couple of shots,” said Lenclud, a 23-year-old native of Lamdrecis, France. “I told my agent (Doc Danner) that three or four was a good number and he was laughing.”

When the day was done, Lenclud had three winners from seven mounts and became the first apprentice to win three races in a day at Churchill Downs since Julien Leparoux in the spring of 2006 when he won at least three races 11 times.

"To win three at Churchill Downs, that’s pretty good,” said Lenclud, who posted his first North American victory last July at Ellis Park. Lenclud rode 24 winners at the 2010 Oaklawn Park meeting, good for seventh in the rider standings, and rode five winners last month at Keeneland, good for a tie for ninth in a star-studded jockey colony.

“I’m not sure about the last time an apprentice rode three, but I am sure glad he did it yesterday,” said Danner, “because everybody was watching Churchill Downs.”

With a $947,641 Pick 6 carryover and a pool in the multiple-race wager that grew to $4,086,255, plenty of eyes were on Churchill Downs and two of Lenclud’s winners came in the Pick 6 sequence:  Dabossman ($10.40) in the sixth and Quiet by Seven ($5.80) in the seventh. The latter victory on the Matt Winn Turf Course was for trainer Michelle Nihei.

"I like a lot of things about him,” Nihei said of Lenclud, whom she uses often. “He works hard. He shows up in the mornings and I feel very confident that he knows the horses.

“He tries hard and he’s hungry. He works to get it done. He’s very patient and I think he’s got a little bit of ice in his veins and that’s important.”

IROQUOIS WINNER THISKYHASNOLIMIT HEADS NOMNEES TO MAY 15 MATT WINN – Cathy and Bob Zollars and Mark Wagner’s Thiskyhasnolimit, winner of last fall’s Iroquois (GIII) beneath the Twins Spires, heads a list of 20 nominations for the ninth running of the Matt Winn.

Scheduled for May 15, the $100,000-added Matt Winn is a seven-furlong sprint on the main track for 3-year-olds that was won last year by Capt. Candyman Can.

Idle since finishing sixth as the favorite in last year’s Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) that was won by Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Thiskyhasnolimit is trained by Steve Asmussen. Asmussen has won the Matt Winn twice, scoring with Posse in 2003 and Razor in 2005.

Among the other stakes winners nominated to the Matt Winn training on the grounds are Robert and Lawana Low and Winmore LLC’s Cool Bullet and Donegal Racing’s Vow to Wager.

Cool Bullet, trained by Steve Margolis, won the Sugar Bowl this winter at Fair Grounds and in his most recent start won the Hansel at Turfway Park. Vow to Wager, trained by two-time Matt Winn winner Dale Romans, won the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park in February via disqualification and ran second to Stay Put in an optional claiming race that opened the Kentucky Derby Day card.

Trainer John Sadler, who saddled Hurricane Ike to win the opening-day The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII), is pointing C R K Stable’s Privilaged to the Matt Winn. Privilaged ran third last out in the seven-furlong Swale (GII) at Gulfstream.

Entries for the Matt Winn will be taken Wednesday.

BARN TALK – Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel will be the Spring Meet’s first guest for “Get in the Game with Jill Byrne,” a regular Saturday interview and handicapping seminar hosted by the Churchill Downs racing analyst.

Saturday’s seminar is set for at 11:45 a.m. (EDT)  in the paddock.

BAFFERT DERBY DUO, DUBLIN RETURN TO THE TRACK – Kentucky Derby favorite Lookin At Lucky and stablemate Conveyance were back on the track Thursday morning for the first time since last Saturday’s “Run for the Roses” with both colts galloping 1 ½ miles after the renovation break under Peter Hutton.

`“He looks good,” trainer Bob Baffert said of Lookin At Lucky, who finished sixth as the tepid favorite in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands.  “He’s got a swagger to him. They both looked good.”

Throughout the week, Baffert had called Preakness participation for both colts a “50-50” proposition. That changed a tiny bit Thursday morning.

“He’s 51,” Baffert said of Lookin At Lucky, owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram and Paul Weitman. “This one (Conveyance, owned by Zabeel Racing International) is 50.”

Also returning to the track for the first time since Saturday’s Derby was Robert Baker and William Mack’s Dublin.  The son of Afleet Alex jogged a mile shortly after 6 o’clock under exercise rider Arielle Witkowski.

“He’s doing excellent; sharp as a tack,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “You’d never know he ran.”

Dublin, who ran seventh in the Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to van to Pimlico on Tuesday where he will attempt to give Lukas a sixth Preakness victory.

Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, owned by WinStar Farm, jogged a mile for the second consecutive day under exercise rider Kevin Willey.

Other Thursday morning activity for Churchill Downs-based Preakness hopefuls included Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite galloping 1 ¼ miles, Robert LaPenta and Jacks or Better Farm’s Jackson Bend galloping a mile and a quarter, Ike and Dawn Thrash’s The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (GIII) winner Hurricane Ike jogging a mile and the Dale Romans-trained duo of Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado and Donald Dizney’s First Dude galloping a mile and a half each.

PURE CLAN HEADED TO ROOD & RIDDLE – What was supposed to be a routine work day turned out to be anything but that when Lewis Lakin’s star turf mare Pure Clan demonstrated that she wanted no part of a scheduled five-furlong work under regular exercise rider Steve Schmelzel.

“She didn’t want to work,” trainer Bob Holthus said. “There is possibly something wrong with her left front foot and we are going to try to get her in today at Rood & Riddle (clinic in Lexington).”

Pure Clan has not raced since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) last November at Santa Anita.

“She bruised the bottom of her feet when she was turned out, just like last year,” Holthus said. “Physically, she has filled out a lot.”

Holthus was plotting a 2010 campaign similar to that of 2009 when Pure Clan began the year in the Early Times Mint Julep (GIII) at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course and concluded with a Breeders’ Cup run.

“If she runs five times and as good as she did last year, I’ll be happy,” said Holthus, who counts Pure Clan among the best horses he has trained in the company with Proper Reality and Lawyer Ron.

In three seasons of racing, Pure Clan has compiled a record of 8-4-3 in 16 races with earnings of $1,987,498. Included in that record are Grade I victories in the American Oaks Invitational and Flower Bowl and three graded stakes triumphs at Churchill Downs.

RAVI’S SONG RETURNS WITH STYLISH VICTORY-- If one wants to draw a smile from trainer Carl Bowman, just mention Ravi’s Song.

The smiles have been plentiful since last Friday when Ravi’s Song returned to the races after a 7 ½-month layoff because of an injury. Ridden by Francisco Torres, Ravi’s Song swept past seven rivals in the stretch to win a seven-furlong allowance test by 2 ¼ lengths in 1:22.85.

“She was pretty impressive, wasn’t she,” Bowman said. “She just has an incredible turn of foot and when she kicks it in, wow!”

The 4-year-old filly by Unbridled’s Song is a daughter of Lu Ravi, who was trained by Bowman. A five-time graded stakes winner and three-time runner-up in Grade I races, Lu Ravi compiled a record of 26-11-8-3 in five years of racing for earnings of $1,819,781.

Lu Ravi’s best running came in routes and Bowman expects the same from Ravi’s Song.

“She is much better going two turns,” Bowman said. “I would prefer to find a non-winners of three other than going a mile and a sixteenth and after that look at stakes. I don’t like grass and I don’t like synthetics, so she will stay on dirt.”

SELVA HEADS FIELD OF EIGHT FILLIES AND MARES FOR SATURDAY’S UNBRIDLED SIDNEY – Helen Alexander and Helen Groves’ Selva, winner of the 2009 Mardi Gras on turf at Fair Grounds and runner-up in her 2010 debut in the Bienville on grass, tops a field of eight fillies and mares entered for Saturday’s $62,000-added Unbridled Sidney at five furlongs on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

Trained by David Carroll, Selva will be ridden by Robby Albarado, who was aboard for the Mardi Gras triumph.

The field for the Unbridled Sidney, from the hedge out, is Ivory Empress (Julien Leparoux, 118 pounds), Knockout Bertie (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118), Tirbracken Lily (Leandro Goncalves, 112), Pina Colada (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118), Selva (Robby Albarado, 118), Trusty Temper (Corey Nakatani, 118), Valentine Fever (Francisco Torres, 118) and Candy Cane (Garrett Gomez, 118).

WORK TAB (Track: FAST) – Miner’s Reserve, seventh in The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial for trainer Nick Zito, breezed four furlongs in :49.40 … (Turf: FIRM – dogs up) –  Veteran turf star Silverfoot breezed four furlongs on turf in :50.20.  Trainer Dallas Stewart’s three-time winner of the Louisville Handicap (GIII) is now 10 years old … Regret (GIII) winner and Mrs. Revere (GII) runner-up Keertana breezed three furlongs on turf in :36 for trainer Tom Proctor.

Assuming those already firmly positioned within the Top 20 Graded Stakes Earnings list perform well in prep races on April 3, 10 and 17 and exit those races in good order, it’s conceivable that it could take as much as $200,000 in graded stakes earnings to crack the Kentucky Derby 136 field on the first Saturday in May.

After all, there’s still plenty of money to be earned in the $750,000 Wood Memorial (April 3), $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (April 3), $500,000 Illinois Derby (April 3), $1 million Arkansas Derby (April 10), $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (April 10) and $300,000 Coolmore Lexington (April 17). Last ditch efforts could also be made in the $200,000 The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (April 24) at Churchill Downs or the $150,000 Withers (April 24).

The Kentucky Derby has been restricted to 20 starters since 1975, and the current system to determine the field by highest graded stakes earnings has been in place since 1986. The “bubble” to get in has varied year to year. Last year, it took only $55,500 for Nowhere to Hide to complete the 20-horse field. Two years ago, the last horse in was Denis of Cork who had $165,000 – the highest total ever for the last spot in the field.

As of April 1, this year’s Top 20, which is based on known intentions or a consideration to run in the Kentucky Derby, looks like this:

1. Lookin At Lucky ($1,390,000) – April 3 Santa Anita Derby (trained by Bob Baffert)
2. Noble’s Promise ($708,000) – April 10 Arkansas Derby (Ken McPeek)
3. Rule ($645,000) – May 1 Kentucky Derby (Todd Pletcher)
4. Mission Impazible ($473,434) – May 1 Kentucky Derby (Todd Pletcher)
5. Ice Box ($457,500) – May 1 Kentucky Derby (Nick Zito)
6. Endorsement ($400,000) – May 1 Kentucky Derby (Shannon Ritter)
7. Conveyance ($386,000) – May 1 Kentucky Derby (Bob Baffert)
8. Discreetly Mine ($340,000) – May 1 Kentucky Derby (Todd Pletcher)
9. Dean’s Kitten ($326,475) – May 1 Kentucky Derby (Mike Maker)
10. Dublin ($273,208) – April 10 Arkansas Derby (D. Wayne Lukas)
11. Interactif ($270,450) – April 10 Toyota Blue Grass (Todd Pletcher)
12. Homeboykris ($250,500) – May 1 Kentucky Derby (Rick Dutrow Jr.)
13. Aikenite ($218,000) – April 10 Toyota Blue Grass (Todd Pletcher)
14. Make Music for Me ($215,000) – April 10 Toyota Blue Grass (Alexis Barba)
15. Awesome Act ($210,000) – April 3 Wood Memorial (Jeremy Noseda)
16. Uh Oh Bango ($187,952) – April 10 Arkansas Derby (Kory Owens)
17. A Little Warm ($180,000) – May 1 Kentucky Derby (Tony Dutrow)
18. Odysseus ($180,000) – April 10 Toyota Blue Grass (Tom Albertrani)
19. Sidney’s Candy ($180,000) – April 3 Santa Anita Derby (John Sadler)
20. Backtalk ($172,566) – April 3 Illinois Derby (Tom Amoss)

Rule, Mission Impazible, Ice Box, Endorsement, Conveyance, Discreetly Mine, Dean’s Kitten, Homeboykris and A Little Warm won’t have another Derby prep race. On March 28, A Little Warm’s trainer Tony Dutrow told Daily Racing Form that if it was left up to him, he would not go to the Derby, which could open another spot. Also, final decisions on Conveyance and Interactif might not be made until their trainers – Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher, respectively – watch their horses train over the Churchill Downs main track.

Who’s Out?

Fillies She Be Wild ($1,272,100), Blind Luck ($861,150), Devil May Care ($364,000) and Crisp ($225,000) appear more likely for the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks on Friday, April 30, although trainer Todd Pletcher said last weekend that the connections of Bonnie Miss winner Devil May Care haven’t entirely ruled out the Derby just yet.
Godolphin’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Vale of York-IRE ($1,114,784) has been sidelined by colic and UAE Derby third Mendip ($200,000) appears likely to remain overseas, along with Coolmore’s Beethoven-IRE ($342,616).
Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. has said that D’ Funnybone ($420,000) “will not run in the Derby” but could be aimed at the Preakness. Also, his Radiohead-GB ($196,332) appears more likely for the Grade II, $175,000 American Turf at 1 1/16 miles on turf on Oaks Day. In mid-March, Buddy’s Saint ($210,000) was sidelined by a right front ankle chip following a workout at Gulfstream Park.

This Week

Grade I, $750,000 Wood Memorial – Aqueduct, Race 9, 5:12 p.m. ET (NBC Sports, 5-6 p.m. ET)

• First: $450,000
• Second: $150,000
• Third: $75,000
• Fourth: $37,500
• Fifth: $22,500
• Sixth: $15,000

Likely In: Awesome Act ($200,000 in graded stakes earnings). Needs Top 3 Finish: Eskendereya ($150,000). Needs Top 2 Finish: Schoolyard Dreams ($100,000) and Jackson Bend ($80,000). Must Win: Carnivore ($0). Not Nominated: Most Happy Fella ($0).

Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby – Santa Anita, Race 6, 5:36 p.m. ET (NBC Sports, 5-6 p.m. ET)

• First: $450,000
• Second: $150,000
• Third: $90,000
• Fourth: $45,000
• Fifth: $15,000

Already In: Lookin At Lucky ($1,390,000). Needs Top 4 Finish: Sidney’s Candy ($180,000). Needs Top 3 Finish: Caracortado ($108,000). Needs Top 2 Finish: Alphie’s Boy ($90,000), What’s Up ($60,000) and Cardiff Giant ($54,000). Must Win: Setsuko ($30,000), Posse Power ($18,000) and Thomas Baines ($0). Not Nominated: Skipshot ($0).

Grade I, $500,000 Illinois Derby – Hawthorne, Race 7, 5:37 p.m. ET

• First: $291,000
• Second: $97,000
• Third: $53,350
• Fourth: $29,100
• Fifth: $14,550
• Sixth: $5,000
• Seventh: $5,000
• Eighth: $5,000

Needs Top 4 Finish: Backtalk ($172,566). Must Win: American Lion ($87,000), Dave in Dixie ($30,000), Turf Melody ($13,857), Boulder Creek ($3,000) and Game Ball ($0). Not Nominated: Stephen’s Got Hope.  

Note: Horses not nominated to the Triple Crown can only run in the Kentucky Derby if less than 20 eligible horses are entered.

Click here for the Kentucky Derby Graded Stakes Earnings “Bubble” At A Glance (Since 1999) Chart

Fans of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) made two things resoundingly clear in the first of Churchill Downs’ three Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”): there is no definitive favorite on the road to the big race on the first Saturday in May and it is possible that the winner of this year’s 136th renewal of American’s Greatest Race is not yet on the radar screen.

While 2009 2-year-old champion Lookin At Lucky was favored among 23 individual horses when KDFW Pool 1 wrapped up its three-day run Sunday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. (EST), it was the mutuel field – which represents all 3-year-olds other than the 23 horses in the pool – that was the heavy overall favorite.  The “all others” bet closed as the heavy 3-2 betting choice and the mutuel field now been the favored betting interest each year since the Derby Future Bet was unveiled in 1999.

Should a member of the mutuel field win the Kentucky Derby, as Mine That Bird did in 2009, the win payout for a $2 wager on the “all others” betting interest (#24) will be $5.  Lookin At Lucky, who bids to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his fourth winner of the famed “Run for the Roses”, closed at 8-1 and would return $18.20 to his KDFW Pool 1 backers if he wins the Derby.  Buddy’s Saint, the Remsen (GII) winner and the pool’s third betting choice at 10-1, will return $22.40 to his fans with a victory in Derby 136.

A total of $466,048 was wagered during the first-ever three-day Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool – all pools had lasted four days prior to this year.  The Pool 1 total included $385,995 in win betting and $80,053 wagered on exactas.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager provides an opportunity for fans to wager weeks in advance on contenders for the Kentucky Derby (GI) – which will be run at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 1 – at odds that could be more attractive than those they would receive on Derby Day.  All KDFW pools also include exacta wagering.  The Derby Future bet is a $2 minimum “win” wager.  The minimum wager for a straight exacta, which requires the bettor to select the Kentucky Derby’s top two finishers in the exact order of finish, is $2, while the minimum for exacta boxes and wheels is $1.

Others horses that attracted strong support during Pool 1 included the Bill Mott-trained Drosselmeyer, Hopeful (GI) winner Dublin and Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Super Saver – all of whom closed at 20-1. Eskendereya, a recent allowance winner at Gulfstream Park, closed at 22-1; and Rule, winner of Saturday’s Sam F. Davis (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs, who was a 24-1 risk at the conclusion of wagering.   Todd Pletcher, looking for his first Derby victory, trains Super Saver, Eskendereya and Rule.

More information on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is available online at www.kentuckyderby.com, the official Web site for the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and definitive online resource for information about the Kentucky Derby experience.  Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is set for March 5-7, while the year’s final pool is scheduled for March 26-28.

Final Pool 1 Win Odds

Final Pool 1 Exacta Probables

Lookin At Lucky and Buddy’s Saint continued to attract solid support in the opening pool of Churchill Downs’ 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”), but the “all others” option remained a dominant favorite heading into Sunday’s final day of betting in the three-day pool.

The mutuel field, which includes all 3-year-olds other than the 23 individual horses in the pool, remained a strong 6-5 betting choice following Saturday’s second day of wagering in the three-day pool.  The “all others” wager was the 2-5 choice following Friday’s opening session of betting.  The Bob Baffert-trained Lookin At Lucky, the 2-year-old champion of 2009, remained a solid second choice at 6-1 and Buddy’s Saint, winner of the Remsen (Grade II) at Aqueduct on Nov. 28, was the third choice at 10-1. 

Total wagering through two days of KDFW Pool 1 rose to $254,419 at the end of Saturday’s betting, which included $36,988 wagered on exactas.  Betting will resume at noon (all times EST) on Sunday, the closing day of the pool.  Betting in the first of three 2010 Derby Future pools will conclude Sunday at 6 p.m.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager provides an opportunity for fans to wager weeks in advance on contenders for the Kentucky Derby (GI) – which will be run at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 1 – at odds that could be more attractive than those they would receive on Derby Day.  All KDFW pools also include exacta wagering.  The Derby Future bet is a $2 minimum “win” wager.  The minimum wager for a straight exacta, which requires the bettor to select the Kentucky Derby’s top two finishers in the exact order of finish, is $2, while the minimum for exacta boxes and wheels is $1.

Two significant Kentucky Derby prep races were run on Saturday.  The $150,000 Robert B. Lewis (GII) at Santa Anita was won by Caracortado, a member of the favored mutuel field. Dave In Dixie (38-1) and American Lion (40-1) finished 2-3 behind Caracortado. The Sam F. Davis (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs was won by Rule, an individual betting interest in Pool 1 whose odds dropped to 31-I by the end of Saturday’s betting.  Previously Uptowncharlybrown, who was third in the Davis, closed at 29-1 on Saturday after opening the day at odds of 35-1. Dublin (21-1) and Conveyance (37-1) are scheduled to run on Monday in the Southwest (GIII) at Oaklawn Park.

 
#        WAGERING INTEREST        ODDS          
                                   
1        AIKENITE        58-1
2        AMERICAN LION        40-1        
3        BUDDY’S SAINT        10-1          
4        CONCORD POINT        99-1       
5        CONVEYANCE        37-1        
6        DAVE IN DIXIE        38-1         
7        DROSSELMEYER        25-1       
8        DRYFLY        56-1          
9        DUBLIN        21-1       
10        ESKENDEREYA        25-1         
11        JACKSON BEND        33 -1    
12        LOOKIN AT LUCKY        6-1        
13        MAKE MUSIC FOR ME        99-1     
14        MAXIMUS RULER        90-1        
15        NOBLE’S PROMISE        39-1       
16        RON THE GREEK        35-1         
17        RULE        31-1      
18        STAY PUT        59-1        
19        SUPER SAVER        26-1         
20        TIZ CHROME        29-1
21        UPTOWNCHARLYBROWN        29-1          
22        VALE OF YORK (IRE)        30-1                
23        WILLIAM’S KITTEN        54-1            
24        MUTUEL FIELD “ALL OTHERS”        6/5          
                                   
        TOTAL        $217,431  (win pool)             

There were few surprises on a brisk opening day of betting in Pool 1 of Churchill Downs’ 2010 Kentucky Derby Future Wager (“KDFW”) as 2-year-old champion Lookin At Lucky ended the day as the favored individual contender for the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum Brands (Grade I), but the “all others” wagering interest was a heavy overall favorite.

Fueled by a $5,000 wager placed on the mutuel field, which represents all Thoroughbreds other than the 23 individual horses in Pool 1, during the first five minutes of Friday’s betting, odds on the “all others” betting interest dropped as low as 1-9 in and had risen slightly to 2-5 by late evening.  The Bob Baffert-trained Lookin At Lucky, winner of the Cash Futurity (GI) at Hollywood Park last time out, was the second choice at 9-1, while Remsen (GII) winner Buddy’s Saint was a close third choice at 12-1.

A total of $121,975 was wagered during the first of three days of Pool 1 Derby Future betting – which included $105,905 in win wagers and $16,070 in exacta betting.   Of the win total, $60,788 was wagered on the mutuel field.  Betting is set to resume in the first of three 2010 KDFW pools at noon (all times EST) on Saturday, Feb. 13.  Pool 1 wagering will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m.

The Kentucky Derby Future Wager provides an opportunity for fans to wager weeks in advance on contenders for the Kentucky Derby – which will be run at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 1 – at odds that could be more attractive than those they would receive on Derby Day.  Exacta wagering, a popular addition to the Kentucky Derby Future Wager betting menu in 2009, is back for all three pools in 2010.  The Derby Future bet is a $2 minimum “win” wager.  The minimum wager for a straight exacta, which requires the bettor to select the Kentucky Derby’s top two finishers in the exact order of finish, is $2, while the minimum for exacta boxes and wheels is $1.

Other horses that attracted significant support on Friday’s opening day of betting included Dublin (27-1), the Hopeful (GI) winner trained by four-time Kentucky Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas; unbeaten Uptowncharlybrown (35-1), one of the favorites for Saturday’s Sam F. Davis Stakes (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs; and the WinStar Farm duo of Drosselmeyer (40-1) and Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) winner Super Saver (41-1).
 
#        Wagering Intereest       ODDS         
                               
1        AIKENITE        83-1     
2        AMERICAN LION        59-1     
3        BUDDY’S SAINT        12-1   
4        CONCORD POINT        99-1  
5        CONVEYANCE        71-1    
6        DAVE IN DIXIE        99-1   
7        DROSSELMEYER        40-1   
8        DRYFLY        79-1    
9        DUBLIN        27-1  
10        ESKENDEREYA        50-1      
11        JACKSON BEND        60-1   
12        LOOKIN AT LUCKY        9-1    
13        MAKE MUSIC FOR ME        99-1   
14        MAXIMUS RULER        99-1    
15        NOBLE’S PROMISE        70-1  
16        RON THE GREEK        62-1   
17        RULE        59-1
18        STAY PUT        98-1      
19        SUPER SAVER        41-1  
20        TIZ CHROME        47-1   
21        UPTOWNCHARLYBROWN  35-1
22        VALE OF YORK (IRE)        52-1    
23        WILLIAM’S KITTEN        73-1     
24        MUTUEL FIELD “ALL OTHERS”        2-5   
                               
TOTAL                        105,905.60    

The cream of this year’s crop of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds has risen to the top once again as 366 members of that class have been nominated early for the 2010 renewals of America’s three classic races that comprise horse racing’s highly sought Triple Crown.

The first of the classics – the 136th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands – will be run May 1 at Louisville’s Churchill Downs, to be fol­lowed by the 135th Preakness Stakes on May 15 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and the 142nd Belmont Stakes on June 5 at New York’s Belmont Park. The early nomina­tion period, at $600 per horse, closed Saturday, Jan. 16. A late period for nominations, at $6,000 each, will close on Saturday, March 27.

At the head of the 2010 class are American Eclipse Award 2-year-old champion Lookin At Lucky, owned by 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness-winning owner Mike Pe­gram and partners Karl Watson and Paul Weit­man, and 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Vale of York, who represents Godolphin Racing of Dubai. Lookin At Lucky is trained by Bob Baffert, a three-time winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness who was ushered into rac­ing’s Hall of Fame last summer. Vale of York is trained by Saeed bin Suroor for Go­dolphin’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, who has overseen the development of that massive racing operation into a worldwide racing powerhouse. Vale of York and Lookin At Lucky, just a head apart in their memorable 1-2 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, are joined on the roster of Triple Crown nominees by all the other runners from that race except the Irish-bred Alfred Nobel.

In addition, eight fillies, including Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and Eclipse Award 2-year-old filly champion She Be Wild and multiple Grade I win­ner Blind Luck, who finished third in the Juvenile Fillies before winning the Hollywood Starlet, are nominated for the Triple Crown.

The 2010 early nomination total is down from the 401 3-year-olds initially made eligible for the three-race series in 2009.  Eleven horses were added to the overall list during last year’s late nomination phase.

“Our nomination total is down a bit, but the 366 horses on the roster of nominees represent as deep a field of quality prospects as we’ve seen over the years,” said Donald R. Richardson, senior vice president, racing, for Churchill Downs Incorporated.  “All the major players in the United States have come forward for these classics and have been joined by 17 representatives from abroad. The list includes eight of the top nine horses from the 2009 Experimental Free Handicap for 2-year-old males, along with the fillies that were considered the top two of their gender in 2009, so it’s clear that interest in this special series of classics that include the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes remains deep and widespread.”   

Of the 17 overseas nominees, eight – led by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Vale of York and promising recent purchase Tahitian Warrior – are part of the ongoing bid by Godolphin Racing to capture the Kentucky Derby, one of the few major races in the world that has eluded Sheikh Mohammed. The rest of the overseas contingent hail from England and Ireland and include horses conditioned by trainers such as John Gosden, Aidan O’Brien, Dermot Weld and Jeremy Noseda.

After giving way to two-time Eclipse Award winner Steve Asmussen to end a six-year run as the trainer nominating the most horses to the Triple Crown, Todd Pletcher returns to that familiar spot this year with 20 nomi­nees. Making a spectacular return to the big stage this year is Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who made a habit to be at the head of the list for nomina­tions. Lukas’ presence among the major nominators has diminished in recent years, but he returned with a vengeance in 2010 with 19 nominations, which ranks second on the list. Lukas has won 13 Triple Crown races and is tied for the highest career total of Triple Crown wins with Hall of Fame trainer “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons, who saddled a pair of Triple Crown winners in Gallant Fox and Omaha in 1930 and 1935, respectively.  

Hall of Famers Nick Zito and Baffert, always among the top nominators, are prominent again this year. Zito has 15 on the list and Baffert 13. Joining them at the double-figure level are Southern California conditioners John Sadler, with 16 nominees, and Richard Mandella, another Hall of Fame trainer, with 11. Asmussen, the trainer of Preakness winners Curlin (2007) and Rachel Alexandra (2009) who led trainers in 2009 with 25 nominations, has nominated six horses to this year’s Triple Crown races. His Preakness winners have combined to earn Horse of the Year honors in each of the last three years.

Taking over the leadership at the top of the owner rankings is Thorough­bred Racing Legends, a partnership that has parceled its horses to Lukas, Zito and Baffert. The partnership is represented by 12 Thoroughbreds. Close behind is WinStar Farm with 10 early nominees. Spendthrift Farm of B. Wayne Hughes and the Gary and Mary West Stables join Godolphin with eight nominations. Zayat Stables, which led owners with 22 early nominees in 2009, nominated just two horses in the early phase this year.

Leading the sire list of nominees are Distorted Humor and Tiznow, each with 10. Following closely with nine are Un­bridled’s Song and Maria’s Mon. Afleet Alex and Gi­ant’s Causeway are, respectively, the sires of eight early nominees.

Click Here for the full list of Nominations

HORSES (BY SEX)
Colts 324
Geldings 30
Fillies 8
Ridgelings 4
TOTAL 366

HORSES (By Color)
Bay 138
Chestnut 105
Dark Bay/Brown 93
Gray/Roan 30
TOTAL 366

BIRTHPLACE OF NOMINATED HORSES (inside U.S)
Kentucky 270
Florida 34
New York 12
California 9
Maryland 7
Pennsylvania 6
Virginia 4
Illinois 2
Texas 2
Arizona 1
Indiana 1
Minnesota 1
Ohio 1
Oklahoma 1
TOTAL 351

BIRTHPLACE FOR NOMINATED HORSES (Outside of U.S.)
Ireland 8
Canada 4
Great Britain 3
TOTAL 15

HALL OF FAME TRAINERS (By Number of Nominations)
D. Wayne Lukas 19
Nicholas P. Zito 15
Bob Baffert 13
Richard A. Mandella 11
W Jonathan Sheppard 3
William I. Mott 6
Neil Drysdale 2
Claude R. McGaughey III 2
Carl Nafzger 1