SEX, LINES AND (LACK OF) VIDEOTAPE.Byline: Kevin Modesti Daily News Staff Writer The West's 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. candidates meet today in a race so contentious, top-ranked U.S. 3-year-old Prime Timber is rated the third choice on the Santa Anita Santa Anita may refer to:
That's the plot for the 62nd 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. . Then there are the subplots that make this one of the more intriguing editions of the $750,000 race - the personalities, the dirty dealing and the matter of sex (gender, anyway). Honest Lady tries to be the fifth filly - the first since Winning Colors
Winning Colors is the third novel in the space opera, military science fiction Familias Regnant fictional universe written by Elizabeth Moon; it continues the plot centered on the adventures of in 1988 - to win the Santa Anita Derby. She's one of four fillies around the country to be considered Kentucky Derby prospects this year. ``I think the fillies are a cut above the usual,'' trainer Bobby Frankel said. ``I think she can run with these (colts).'' Frankel said Honest Lady and jockey Kent Desormeaux Kent J. Desormeaux (born February 27, 1970, in Maurice, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year. will have to win ``or have a big excuse'' to go on to the Kentucky Derby. She fought for the lead and finished a close fifth in the San Rafael Stakes The San Rafael Stakes is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park, located in Arcadia, California. The race is a Grade II event with a purse of $150,000 and is open to three-year-olds willing to race one mile (8 furlongs) on the dirt. behind Desert Hero, Prime Timber and Capsized, all in today's 1-1/8-mile race. Frankel, a Hall of Famer for his success with older horses, has run only two horses in Kentucky Derbies. He admitted a case of Derby Fever is the reason he ``might be pushing'' Honest Lady. Desert Hero tries to stay unbeaten in his first start for trainer Richard Mandella Richard Mandella (born November 5, 1950 in Beaumont, California) is a Thoroughbred horse trainer and a member of the Racing Hall of Fame. Mandella's father, a blacksmith, introduced him to horses at an early age and while still in high school he began breaking and training , who took over when Saudi Prince Ahmed bin Salman's Thoroughbred Corp. abruptly fired Wally Dollase in mid-March. As of Thursday, Mandella hadn't even seen videotape of his new horse in action, though he liked what he'd read about Desert Hero's resourceful victory in the San Rafael San Rafael (săn rəfĕl`), residential city (1990 pop. 48,404), seat of Marin co., W Calif., a suburb of San Francisco on the northern shore of San Francisco Bay; inc. 1913. . Desert Hero is 2 for 2 in his brief career. Twelve horses have taken undefeated records into the Santa Anita Derby and six have won - including Indian Charlie last year. As for Dollase, he's out of business at least temporarily and the object of sympathy on the Santa Anita backstretch back·stretch n. The part of an oval racecourse farthest from the spectators and opposite the homestretch. . Dollase is declining public comment on his firing while haggling continues over his Thoroughbred Corp. contract. Desert Hero is ridden by Corey Nakatani - Dollase's son-in-law. Chris McCarron has a little extra incentive when he rides likely pacesetter High Wire Act after being bounced from General Challenge by trainer Bob Baffert. Gary Stevens, Baffert's No. 1 rider, replaces McCarron, who would have taken his breach-of-contract complaint to the state stewards if the trainer hadn't promised him attractive future mounts. The controversy resulted in a public argument Tuesday between Baffert and McCarron agent Scotty McClellan, during which the normally affable Baffert shoved the typically low-key McClellan in the back. All parties say the dispute is behind them - but it'll be the story if High Wire Act pulls an upset. The gelding's wire-to-wire allowance victory in February earned a 106 Beyer speed figure The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post. to match Prime Timber for the career- high in this field. The trainers span a range of personalities from proud 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. , the soon-to-be Hall of Famer who has a Santa Anita Derby entrant for the 21st straight year in Charismatic, to unassuming Lisa Lewis, the 29-year-old California newcomer who has built a good reputation since opening a stable in Minnesota nine years ago. ``We had only three 2-year-olds last year,'' said Lewis, whose Capsized can improve. ``You compare that to a guy like Baffert, and it's pretty amazing to think we've got a chance.'' Baffert is the race's largest personality. He hopes to shoot for a record third-straight Kentucky Derby victory May 1 after winning with Silver Charm and Real Quiet - each a Santa Anita Derby runner-up. Baffert's General Challenge is 3-1 and Prime Timber is 7-2, both behind 5-2 Desert Hero on the track's morning line, which raised eyebrows when it was announced Thursday. ``You can't worry about stuff like that (the odds). But I thought Prime Timber would be favored off his last race,'' Baffert said, referring to the colt's victory over since-injured barnmate Exploit in the 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. . Prime Timber's owner Aaron Jones said a representative of Dubai's Sheikh sheikh or shaykh Among Arabic-speaking tribes, especially Bedouin, the male head of the family, as well as of each successively larger social unit making up the tribal structure. The sheikh is generally assisted by an informal tribal council of male elders. Mohammed offered $6 million for the colt on Thursday but ``I'm not about to sell him, not even for $20 million.'' General Challenge has recorded fast workouts since 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 following a fifth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby. ``I think the blinkers will help him focus,'' Baffert said. So many distracting side issues surround today's race, maybe the rest of us should wear blinkers too. AT A GLANCE When: 2:40 p.m., the fifth of 11 races on a noon program at Santa Anita. TV: 2 p.m.. Channel 11. The race: 1-1/8 miles for 3-year-old thoroughbreds. At stake: Shares of a $750,000 purse and the title of Best in the West going into the May 1 Kentucky Derby. The field: Eight horses, including Bob Baffert-trained Prime Timber and General Challenge; Desert Hero and the filly Honest Lady. Daily News picks: Bob Ike and Terry Turrell handicap the race, Page 5. SANTA ANITA DERBY LINEUP PP Horse Jockey ODDSx 1 Honest Lady Kent Desormeaux 4-1 2 Prime Timber David Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the 7-2 3 Desert Hero Corey Nakatani 5-2 4 Capsized Alex Solis 8-1 5 Walk That Walk Chris Antley 30-1 6 High Wire Act Chris McCarron 8-1 7 General Challenge Gary Stevens 3-1 8 Charismatic Laffit Pincay 15-1 x- Odds predicted by Santa Anita's Jeff Tufts. Each horse is assigned 120 pounds except for Honest Lady, a filly, who carries 115. CAPTION(S): 2 Boxes Box: (1) AT A GLANCE (See text) (2) SANTA ANITA DERBY LINEUP (See text) |
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