ROUNDUP: CONTENDERS FALTER IN PREPS.Byline: Kevin Modesti Staff Writer Although Came Home didn't run fast in Saturday's 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. , he did run fast enough - and with enough heart - to win the important race. The same could not be said over the weekend for two of the 3-year-olds competing against Came Home for the top spot on 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. favorites list. Sunday afternoon, in an unorthodox Kentucky Derby prep held on turf in Ireland, Johannesburg absorbed the first defeat of his eight-race career when he and jockey Michael Kinane Michael Kinane (born June 22, 1959 at Killenaule in County Tipperary, Ireland) is a flat racing jockey. His father, Tommy Kinane was a leading National Hunt jockey who won the Champion Hurdle on Monksfield. gave up the lead in the final stride and finished second by a head to the 4-year-old filly Rebelline and rider Declan McDonogh. ``He got tired late, but he was beaten by a good filly,'' trainer Aidan O'Brien Aidan P. O'Brien (born [1]]], is an Irish horse racing trainer. He is the private trainer for John Magnier and his associates at Coolmore Stud and heads up the training operation at Ballydoyle Stables in County Tipperary. said after Johannesburg's setback, which occurred in his first start of 2002. Johannesburg traveled to 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 win the 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. last fall - earning the North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. 2-year-old championship with that single effort - and had been scheduled to come to Louisville, Ky., to try the Kentucky Derby on May 4. It wasn't clear whether his loss in Sunday's Gladness Stakes, run on ``yielding'' grass at the Curragh racecourse, would affect O'Brien's plans. Johannesburg might still come to the Kentucky Derby and try to become co-owner Michael Tabor's second winner (joining Thunder Gulch, 1995). Or he might take a more traditional route for a European 3-year-old and go to Newmarket, England, for the 2000 Guineas. ``We will have to see how he takes this (Sunday's) race,'' O'Brien said. O'Brien indicated he might come to the Derby with both Johannesburg and Castle Gandolfo, winner of Saturday's Fosters-International Trial at Lingfield Park in England. Johannesburg, carrying 125 pounds, 11 less than Rebelline, went off as a 1-3 favorite in Ireland. He had an open lead in the final furlong before the filly surged at the rail. Johannesburg was the second Kentucky Derby contender in two days to see a winning streak come to an end. Saturday, minutes before Came Home won in Arcadia, Repent finished second in the Illinois Derby at Sportsman's Park near Chicago, rallying from last place under jockey Jerry Bailey but coming up 6 1/2 lengths short of runaway pacesetter War Emblem and rider Larry Sterling Jr. Going into the Illinois Derby, Repent had won three races in a row, including the Louisiana Derby, since his second to Johannesburg at the Breeders' Cup. The weekend's developments caused Came Home's stock to rise among Kentucky Derby handicappers. Came Home's odds improved to 8-1, close behind Harlan's Holiday (7-1) and Johannesburg (8-1), as the third round of betting in the national Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Sunday. Came Home had been the 12-1 fifth choice three weeks ago. In addition to Came Home, expected to go from the Santa Anita Derby to the Kentucky Derby are runner-up Easy Grades and third-place Lusty lust·y adj. lust·i·er, lust·i·est 1. Full of vigor or vitality; robust. 2. Powerful; strong: a lusty cry. 3. Lustful. 4. Merry; joyous. Latin. Plans for fourth-place Mayakovsky were said by trainer Patrick Biancone to be undetermined. The last major Kentucky Derby prep races will be run Saturday. Florida Derby winner Harlan's Holiday heads the 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. at Keeneland. San Felipe winner Medaglia d'Oro faces Remsen winner Saarland in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. --At Santa Anita: Officer ($2.60) snapped a three-race losing streak, sprinting to a six-length victory with Victor Espinoza in Sunday's $106,800 Zany Tactic Stakes. Rolly Polly ($6) and Kent Desormeaux won the $108,500 Las Cienegas Handicap The Las Cienegas Handicap is a race for Thoroughbred horses run each year at Santa Anita Park. It is open to fillies and mares, age four and up, willing to race six and a half furlongs down the downhill turf. The race is a Grade III event with a purse of $100,000. by three-quarters of a length over Penny Marie on the turf hillside. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Officer, with Victor Espinoza aboard, wins the Zany Tactic Stakes at Santa Anita on Sunday, ending a three-race losing streak. Benoit Photo/Associated Press |
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