EMPIRE MAKER IS PRE-DERBY DARLING.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Horse Racing horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) on a flat track, or among saddled horses over a turf course with ARCADIA - The way everybody looks at this Triple Crown season changed in about 10 seconds Saturday, the blink of an eye in which Empire Maker turned a tight Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida on the Saturday closest to the end of March or the first of April. into a romp. The next day at Santa Anita Santa Anita may refer to:
``That expedition we saw yesterday makes a guy a little nervous,'' Jeff Mullins said of Empire Maker's showing. ``(But) it's not a bad thing to hope to run second in the Kentucky Derby.'' Empire Maker wasn't even favored in the Florida Derby, but the 9 1/2-length victory by the colt ridden by Jerry Bailey makes him the popular choice for the Kentucky Derby on May 3. Being fitted with blinkers blinkers 1. rigid pieces of leather fitted to a head harness at a point where they will obstruct the horse's lateral vision. 2. a more sophisticated piece of harness worn by expensive horses consisting of a canvas head-covering with holes for the ears to protrude and two , intended to focus his enormous talent, apparently made much of the difference between his second-place finish to Man Among Men in the $81,000 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 7 and his sensational win over Trust N Luck in the $1 million race at Gulfstream Park. Trainer Bobby Frankel plans to use the April 12 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct as Empire Maker's Kentucky Derby steppingstone step·ping·stone n. 1. A stone that provides a place to step, as in crossing a stream. 2. An advantageous position for advancement toward a goal. . The only big question is whether the son of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled peaked too soon. Essentially, it's halftime in the Derby prep season, with the Louisiana and Florida derbies in the books and the Wood, April 5 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. and April 12 Blue Grass Stakes The Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. yet to be run. Here's a look at the hopefuls in Empire Maker's shadow. Contenders: Peace Rules, Kafwain, Atswhatimtalknbout. Frankel aims Louisiana Derby winner Peace Rules at the Blue Grass. Kafwain, second in Louisiana, and Atswhatimtalknbout, second in the San Felipe photo, will head the Santa Anita Derby. Kafwain trainer Bob Baffert announced jockey Victor Espinoza will be removed after the Louisiana defeat; Pat Valenzuela is a logical choice to replace him. Question marks: Trust N Luck, Badge of Silver, Domestic Dispute, Man Among Men. Trust N Luck's Fountain of Youth Fountain of Youth legendary fountain of eternal youth. [World Legend: Brewer Dictionary, 432] See : Unattainability win (at 1 1/16 miles) and Florida Derby loss (at 1 1/8) might have shown the limit of his stamina. Badge of Silver had a breathing problem in the Louisiana Derby (sixth). Domestic Dispute and Man Among Men flopped in the San Felipe after Santa Anita victories. Rising or falling: Ocean Terrace, Ministers Wild Cat, Indy Dancer, Lion Tamer, Buddy Gil, Offlee Wild. The first pair, 1-2 in the El Camino Real Derby The El Camino Real Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses held in late winter at Bay Meadows. The El Camino Real is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles (8 and 1/2 furlongs) on the dirt. A Grade III event, it offers a purse of $200,000. , step up to the Santa Anita Derby next. Indy Dancer, third in the Florida Derby, gets one more chance in the Wood. Lion Tamer tries two turns in the Lane's End on Saturday. Offlee Wild was sick when he ran fourth in the Fountain of Youth and has to get well in the Blue Grass. --How generous: Since the Breeders' Cup pick-six fix perpetrators were sentenced to jail Thursday - Derrick Davis for three years and a month, Glen DaSilva two years, Chris Harn a year - $3 million will be paid out to the rightful winners. Bettors with tickets naming five of six winners, who received $4,606 before the fraud was revealed, will soon get $39,580 more, including $249.48 in interest, racing officials announced. Having waited 145 days to hear that they'll get what's theirs, bettors will collect interest at a whopping 1.6 percent annual rate. Good thing the Breeders' Cup runs horse races and not a bank. --Immortality dept.: Southern California favorites are all over the list of nominees announced this week for the national thoroughbred racing hall of fame. Another local notable is a glaring omission. Jockey Mike Smith makes his first appearance on the ballot, joining Eddie Maple and Randy Romero. But Kent Desormeaux is not on the ballot after being one of those beaten out by Jack Westrope for election in 2002. Both Smith and Desormeaux are deserving. Mel Stute faces Sonny Hine and John Veitch in the trainers category. Ancient Title and Precisionist pre·ci·sion·ist n. 1. One who values precision; a purist. 2. often Precisionist A painter whose work is marked by precisionism. take on Manila among male horses. Flawlessly vies with Dance Smartly and Sky Beauty among females. Voting will be announced April 29. Inductions are Aug. 4 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. CAPTION(S): box Box: OUT OF THE GATE - Kevin Modesti |
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