SANTA ANITA DERBY: ANSWERING THAT 3-YEAR-OLD QUESTION SANTA ANITA DERBY WILL SHOW WHO'S GOT WHAT.Byline: Art Wilson Arthur Earl "Dutch" Wilson (December 11, 1885 in Macon, Illinois; died June 12, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois) was a catcher in Major League Baseball. Art Wilson was the catcher for Cubs pitcher Hippo Vaughn during the "double no-hitter" game in 1917. Staff Writer ARCADIA - Today's $750,000 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. figures to clear up a lot of unanswered questions concerning the local 3-year-old brigade. It's a guessing game as to whether any of the 10 sophomores entered in the Grade I test at 1 1/8 miles are ready for the grueling 1 1/4-mile marathon that is 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. on May 3 at Churchill Downs. But by around 2:50 p.m. today, we'll know a little bit more about these horses. --Can 9-5 morning-line favorite Atswhatimtalknbout continue his climb up the class ladder and get the job done against the toughest field he's met in four lifetime starts? Trainer Ron Ellis, who never has started a horse in the Kentucky Derby, will have one of the Derby favorites if the son of A.P. Indy wins today. --Kafwain is 2 for 2 at Santa Anita, including a victory in the Norfolk Stakes at Oak Tree as a 2-year-old, but can the Cherokee Run colt successfully negotiate the longer distances that the spring classics demand? --Will the real Domestic Dispute please stand up? The Unbridled's Song colt looked impressive while winning the Grade II Santa Catalina Stakes by three lengths at Santa Anita on Jan. 18, but he finished a disappointing fifth as the 2-1 favorite in the Grade II San Felipe Stakes The San Felipe Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses run each year at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The race is normally held in mid-March and is open to horses, age three, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles (8.5 furlongs) on the dirt. on March 16. However, he raced four-wide part of the way and lost by only three lengths. An improved effort would not be a surprise. --Is Buddy Gil the real deal? The lone gelding gelding castrated male horse. in the field is coming off two consecutive graded victories, the Grade III Baldwin and the Grade II San Felipe, and he gets the services of Santa Anita Derby king Gary Stevens. A victory by Buddy Gil today would give Stevens a record ninth victory in the race, breaking a tie with Bill Shoemaker. But the prevailing opinion seems to be that Buddy Gil's nose victory over Atswhatimtalknbout in the San Felipe was an aberration rather than a signal the son of Eastern Echo is ready to join the nation's elite group of 3-year-olds. Neil Drysdale has been there, done that. He won the 2000 Kentucky Derby with a lightly raced colt named Fusaichi Pegasus, and he has another one in Ministers Wild Cat. Ministers Wild Cat, by Deputy Minister, ran second in his graded-stakes debut at Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields is a horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the on March 8, and he's capable of improving off that runner-up effort to Ocean Terrace 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. . Trainer Bob Baffert, who has won three of the past six Kentucky Derbies, has three colts entered today - Kafwain, Domestic Dispute and Indian Express. Even he doesn't know quite what to expect. ``Kafwain is going to be there,'' Baffert said. ``The other two, I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. . Indian Express has a lot of talent. I just don't know how good he is and whether I've had enough time to get him ready, but physically he looks fantastic.'' The Santa Anita Derby will be run as the sixth race at about 2:45 p.m., and it will be televised live by ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network . First post today is noon. AT A GLANCE What: $750,000 Santa Anita Derby When: Today (sixth race on card that begins at noon) TV: ESPN, 2 p.m. CAPTION(S): box Box: AT A GLANCE (see text) |
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