A WEEKEND WHEN THINGS SHAKE OUT.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI ARCADIA - On this weekend a year ago, Barbaro still was a turf specialist trying to show little-known owners named Roy and Gretchen Jackson that he might have something to offer on the dirt tracks of the Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. trail. Jazil was the proud owner of one desperate victory in four starts, running to long odds. And Bernardini was a month away from his first victory. They played a good game of catch-up, huh? Barbaro won the Derby, Jazil won the Belmont, and Bernardini won the Preakness on his way to being the champion of all the 3-year-olds. It was this week in 2006 when Barbaro jumped onto Derby handicappers' top 10 lists by winning the Holy Bull Stakes The Holy Bull Stakes, once known as the Preview Stakes, is a race for thoroughbred horses dedicated to the famous race horse Holy Bull. It is held in April at Gulfstream Park and open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. by three-quarters of a length on a sloppy surface at Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans January through March, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America. near Miami. So, if Barbaro's fate has put you in a mood to quickly turn the page to the May 5, 2007, Kentucky Derby, it would be fitting to start paying attention Noun 1. paying attention - paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people); "his attentiveness to her wishes"; "he spends without heed to the consequences" attentiveness, heed, regard Saturday. The campaign begins in earnest on both coasts when Liquidity faces California-bred leader Pirates Deputy and Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967, Dallas, Texas) is a leading American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won three consecutive Eclipse Awards as outstanding Trainer of the Year, while topping the leader board in purse earnings in 2004, 2005, and 2006. prospect Ravel in the $100,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, and the widely popular Nobiz Like Shobiz Nobiz Like Shobiz (born January 29, 2004) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, who during his three-year-old season was considered a top contender for the 2007 U.S. Triple Crown series of races. has a rematch with Scat SCAT sheep cell agglutination test. Daddy in the $150,000 Holy Bull at Gulfstream. The 1 1/8-mile Sham -- won last year by Bob and John, on his way to winning the Wood Memorial before a disappointing Derby -- drew seven horses this time, none of them big-race winners yet. The lineup, from the rail out: Ravel (Garrett Gomez riding), a strong maiden winner by Fusaichi Pegasus; Pirates Deputy (Victor Espinoza), the champion Cal-bred 2-year-old after his restricted-stakes victory at Santa Anita; Time Squared (Julien Leparoux), a $1.05 million New York-bred by Fu Peg seeking his first win; Silent Soul (Richard Migliore), mid-pack finisher in the Hollywood Futurity and the San Rafael; Song of Navarone (Jon Court), 2 for 3 at Zia and Sunland Park; Liquidity (Corey Nakatani), who missed by a photo to Stormello in the Hollywood Futurity; and Kolo Kolo (meaning "wheel" in some Slavic languages) may refer to one of the following:
The 1-mile, one-turn Holy Bull finds Nobiz Like Shobiz (Cornelio Velasquez) starting from the outside of a field of eight, while Scat Daddy (John Velazquez) comes from post 2. An impressive victory could vault Nobiz Like Shobiz to No.1 in this column's Kentucky Derby Top 10, which debuts like this: 1. Street Sense -- The 10-length Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. winner deserves at least a tenuous hold on the top spot, but we'll find out how much he was helped by the rail bias at Churchill Downs and how much he'll be hurt by the decision by trainer Carl Nafzger (Derby winner with Unbridled, 1990) to have only two Derby preps beginning with the March 3 Hutcheson at Gulfstream. 2. Nobiz Like Shobiz -- Trainer Barclay Tagg (Funny Cide, 2003) is way ahead of the game with a colt who already has won big at 1 1/8 miles in the Remsen. 3. Circular Quay -- So far, the son of Thunder Gulch is the best hope for Pletcher, the Peyton Manning of thoroughbred trainers, still trying to win the big one. 4. Stormello -- Winning the Hollywood Futurity made the Bill Currin owned and trained colt the leader of the Southern California crop. 5. Scat Daddy -- After taking advantage of Nobiz Like Shobiz's bad start to upset him in the Champagne, the Pletcher colt had his own trouble and ran fourth at the Breeders' Cup. 6. Any Given Saturday Any Given Saturday (foaled January 29, 2004 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. From the mare Weekend in Indy, a daughter of the 1992 U.S. Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, A.P. -- Another from Pletcher's barn, Any Given Saturday is recommended by his close second in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill to Tiz Wonderful, an unbeaten who has been injured and is off the Derby trail. 7. Notional and 8. Great Hunter -- Two stars for trainer Doug O'Neill and owner Paul Reddam, an equine team rounded out by Liquidity. Cal-bred Notional won the San Rafael three weeks ago, and Great Hunter was a busy and consistent 2-year-old. 9. EZ Warrior -- The $1.2 million son of Exploit, trained by Bob Baffert (Silver Charm, 1997; Real Quiet, 1998; War Emblem, 2002), is 3 for 3 but all in sprints. 10. Hard Spun -- The Pennsylvania-bred has a chance to continue the mighty Penn trend in the Triple Crown, after Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex and Barbaro all had connections to that state. He's 4 for 4, all by five lengths or more. This weekend: Horse of the Year Invasor makes his 2007 debut at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, and Southern California's less imposing older horses run at Santa Anita both days. Invasor (Fernando Jara), seeking his fifth win in a row, drew post 1 for the $500,000 Donn Handicap and gives away five to 13 pounds in a nine-horse field that includes Magna Graduate (Velazquez), Strong Contender (Edgar Prado) and the rising Chatain (Velasquez). Brother Derek (Alex Solis) tries for his first win since the 2006 Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. , his six opponents in Saturday's $300,000 Strub Stakes for 4-year-olds including Awesome Gem (Tyler Baze) and Midnight Lute (Espinoza), the two who beat him in the San Fernando. Sunday's $250,000 San Antonio Handicap The San Antonio Handicap is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park each year. The race is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. The Grade II event offers a purse of $250,000. Round Table won this race in 1958. is one of the lesser runnings of the race that's ostensibly os·ten·si·ble adj. Represented or appearing as such; ostensive: His ostensible purpose was charity, but his real goal was popularity. the prep for the March 3 Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in the late winter at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses three years old and up, and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during , with Preachinatthebar (Court) and Southern Africa (Aaron Gryder) the only probable entrants with as much as a Grade III win. heymodesti(AT_SIGN)aol.com (818) 713-3616 CAPTION(S): box Box: OUT OF THE GATE - Kevin Modesti |
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