NEXT GENERATION CHARGING TO THE FORE NEW TRIO OF DOMINANT TRAINERS EMERGES.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI Sports Editor Noun 1. sports editor - the newspaper editor responsible for sports news newspaper editor - the editor of a newspaper LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When a photographer atChurchill Downs arranged a Kentucky Derby-week picture recently of 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. , Steve Asmussen Steven Mark Asmussen (born November 18, 1965, in Gettysburg, South Dakota) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. Born into a horse racing family, his parents, Keith and Marilyn "Sis" Asmussen, are both trainers who run El Primero Training Center off the Mines Road in and Doug O'Neill, he buttered up the trainers by noting that the last time he posed such a group it consisted of D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935 in Antigo, Wisconsin) is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. , Bob Baffert Bob Baffert (born January 13, 1953 in Nogales, Arizona) is an American horse owner and trainer. He graduated from the University of Arizona's Racetrack Management Program with a Bachelor of Science degree. and Nick Zito. The new stars among Kentucky Derby trainers, stepping into the old guys' frame? Pletcher had to laugh at the comparison. "We're only nine Derby wins behind those guys!" Pletcher said. But they might soon begin to catch up. For the first time since 1980, there will be no horses trained by Lukas, Baffert or Zito in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. They've won the Derby respectively four, three and twotimes in the past 19 years, and saddled post-time favorites five other times among them. The three men's single-mindedness and loquaciousness lo·qua·cious adj. Very talkative; garrulous. [From Latin loqu  x, loqu have
defined the Triple Crown for a young generation. Now it might be time
for that young generation to grab the torch. Pletcher, 39, has entered
five horses in the 133rd Derby (Circular Quay, Scat SCAT sheep cell agglutination test. Daddy, 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. , Cowtown Cat and Sam P.), tying the record shared by Lukas and
Zito. Asmussen, 41, has entered two (morning-line favorite Curlin and
Zanjero).
O'Neill, 38, also has brought two (Great Hunter and Liquidity) from his Hollywood Park barn. "These young lions probably are on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of doing something, but remember," Lukas said this week, "they've got to win nine to catch us." Lukas couldn't resist putting in a plug for Pletcher, the most successful of his former assistants. "He's probably going to get nine by himself." Pletcher certainly is the leader of the trio that seeks its first Derby win at 6:04p.m. Saturday. In some ways a chip off the Lukas block, with carefully combed gray hair and piercing eyes, the Dallas-born son of trainer J.J. Pletcher has set season earnings records and been voted the past three years' Eclipse Awards as the nation's champion trainer while running barns from coast to coast. Of the 11 Lukas prot(hrt)g(hrt)s who've become head trainers, Pletcher "got the fewest ass-chewings" in his younger days, his old boss said. But he took a long time to win his first Breeders' Cup races and remains 0 for the Triple Crown, including 0 for 14 in the Derby. He finished second with Invisible Ink in 2001 and Bluegrass Cat in 2006. This will be his best chance to break through, with the winners of the Florida Derby (Scat Daddy), Louisiana Derby (Circular Quay) and Illinois Derby (Cowtown Cat) topping his full house. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Wayne's influence," said Pletcher. "I think Wayne opened the doors for some of the rest of us to do that. Before Wayne, you expected a trainer to have 20 horses in one barn and be his own night watchman WATCHMAN. An officer in many cities and towns, whose duty it is to watch during the night and take care of the property of the inhabitants. 2. He possesses generally the common law authority of a constable (q.v. ." Pletcher said he plans to saddle the whole quintet by himself Saturday -- they have four distinct owner groups. Lukas offered a tip. "Saddle them in order of saddle cloth numbers, not in the order you like them," Lukas said. "You'd be surprised how many of those (owners) are looking over your shoulder, wondering who you'll go to first." Asmussen, a Texas resident, also has Lukas ties. His father, Keith, worked for Lukas when Steve and brother Cash (the champion jockey) were children. A few years ago, Steve Asmussen called the Derby "the pinnacle of my ambitions," but, like Pletcher, he has had to be satisfied with piling up ridiculous statistics on lesser fields of play. In 2004, Asmussen won 555races all over the country, over 100 more than Jack Van Berg's record. His brother, The man beneath distinctive salt-and-pepper hair and dark goatee, is in charge of 211horses at five tracks, from Belmont Park in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of to Evangeline Downs in Louisiana. None of Asmussen's fiveprevious Derby starters finished better than ninth. He should at least improve on that number with Curlin, the inexperienced but flashy colt who dominated three races in Florida and Arkansas. Asmussen credits Lukas for providing "my best Derby advice." A few years ago, Asmussen was standing in a crowd at Churchill Downs' outside rail, straining to watch one of his horses' workouts. "When you bring a horse to the Derby, don't forget to bring a pony," said Lukas, who was perched as always atop his stable pony. O'Neill, who grew up and lives in Santa Monica, doesn't come from a racing family and hasn't made the national splash that Pletcher and Asmussen have. His biggest victory came with Merv Griffin-owned Stevie Wonderboy in the 2005 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. . But for Californians, he has been the most talked-about trainer of the 2000s. With Lava Man leading the charge -- becoming the first horse to sweep the 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 , Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions. and Pacific Classic -- O'Neill has won most of the Southern California track training titles the past few years and set a victories record at the Santa Anita meet that ended in April. Although Griffin's Cobalt Blue was pulled out of the Derby this week, O'Neill will make his debut in the race with Great Hunter and Liquidity. Each comes off a disappointing prep race. O'Neill, he of the gee-whiz personality, marvels at the standard set by Lukas, Baffert and Zito. "It's hard to believe how involved those guys were -- and still are," O'Neill said. "We're so grateful to be coming here with a couple of horses. Those guys were here every year." Lukas, at 72 the oldest of the three who dominated Churchill Downs for twodecades, said he feels good and has no plan to quit seeking a Derby winner (to add to Winning Colors, Thunder Gulch, Grindstone grindstone or grind common metaphor for industriousness. [Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : Industriousness and Charismatic). Baffert (Silver Charm, Real Quiet and War Emblem) will be back. Zito (Strike the Gold and Go for Gin Go for Gin (foaled 1991 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred racehorse most well known as the winner of the 1994 Kentucky Derby. He was sired by Cormorant out of the dam Never Knock. ) isn't going away. But if their era isn't over, it is off stride. Wednesday, Lukas and Pletcher sat side-by-side at a Churchill Downs press conference promoting Youbet.com, the Woodland Hills-based Internet wagering company. Most of the questions went to Pletcher. "This," Lukas said, "is probably the only way I'm going to get a press conference this week." heymodesti(AT_SIGN)aol.com (818) 713-3616 CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 3) From left, trainers Doug O'Neill, Steve Asmussen and Todd Pletcherhave nine entries among the 20 horses that will run in Saturday's Kentucky Derby. O'Neill by Edna T. Simpson/Daily News; Asmussen and Pletcher by Jeff Haynes/Getty Images |
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