SOME ARE HOT, SOME ARE NOT.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 horses are in no rush to settle on a 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. favorite. Winterbook favorite Declan's Moon got hurt. Heir to the throne Afleet Alex Afleet Alex (born May 9, 2002 in Florida) is an American thoroughbred race horse who, in 2005, won two of America's classic races, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. ran up the track. Six of the futures bettors' top dozen raced last weekend, and five were beaten. Instead of ranking contenders for the May 7 Kentucky Derby, better to say who's on the way up and who's on the way down with one round of major preps remaining. Going up Consolidator: About to be written off, D. Wayne Lukas' best took advantage of helpful conditions and won by 6 1/2 lengths in Saturday's San Felipe San Felipe (săn fəlē`pā), pueblo (1990 pop. 1,557), Sandoval co., N central N.Mex., on the Rio Grande; founded early 18th cent. The inhabitants are Pueblo of the Keresan linguistic family. Ceremonial dances are held there in spring and winter. . Sun King: After an easy win in Saturday's Tampa Bay Derby The Tampa Bay Derby is a race for Thoroughbred race horses held in March at Tampa Bay Downs. A Grade III event, the race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles (8.5 furlongs) on the dirt. , the Nick Zito-trained son of Charismatic has done everything but beat a top field. High Limit: His switch to Bobby Frankel's barn and Louisiana Derby romp made the Delaware Park product a serious threat. Sweet Catomine: Off five victories in a row against her own gender, she could be favored in the April 9 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. , a race only three fillies have won. Greater Good: The low-profile stretch-runner again failed to run fast in Saturday's Rebel Stakes, but note that he ran fast enough for his fourth stakes victory. Bandini: That's not the name for a Derby winner, but the son of Fusaichi Pegasus raised his rating again when he finished second to High Fly in the Fountain of Youth Fountain of Youth legendary fountain of eternal youth. [World Legend: Brewer Dictionary, 432] See : Unattainability . Going down Afleet Alex: He looked so solid, then he stopped and finished sixth in the Rebel, a clunker clunk·er n. Informal 1. A decrepit machine, especially an old car; a rattletrap. 2. A failure; a flop. that trainer Tim Ritchey blamed on a lung infection. It's catch-up time. Rockport Harbor: A slow start in the Rebel cost the Smarty Jones knockoff knock·off n. Informal An unauthorized copy or imitation, as of designer clothing: "the place to go for quality knockoffs" Women's Wear Daily. Noun 1. his perfect record, and foot problems have reduced his prep schedule to two races. Don't Get Mad: His third in San Felipe wasn't a poor effort, but he didn't look quite ready to step into the racing plates of his injured barn- mate Declan's Moon. Galloping Grocer: He ran third at 6-5 odds in the slow Gotham Stakes, his second failure to replicate his near-miss to Rockport Harbor in last fall's Remsen. Wilko: After coming out of the San Felipe with a hoof hoof, horny epidermal casing at the end of the digits of an ungulate (hoofed) mammal. In the even-toed ungulates, such as swine, deer, and cattle, the hoof is cloven; in the odd-toed ungulates, such as the horse and the rhinoceros, it is solid. crack, the Breeders' Cup winner has lost jockey Corey Nakatani to Sweet Catomine for the Santa Anita Derby. Roman Ruler: The Bob Baffert-trained colt's hoof crack got worse in the San Felipe, ending the hopes of the first of this crop to reach the Derby contenders' threshold by recording two graded-stakes wins and two 100-plus Beyer speed figures. --What's ahead: Spanish Chestnut (Gary Stevens riding) is the 5-2 favorite over eight others in the Lane's End Stakes The Lane's End Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held in late March at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on the dirt. on Saturday at Turfway Park in Kentucky. Big names aiming for the next major preps include Sweet Catomine, Don't Get Mad, Giacomo, Scipion and Wilko (Santa Anita Derby, April 9); Bandini, High Fly and Noble Causeway (Florida Derby, Gulfstream, April 2); Going Wild and Survivalist sur·viv·al·ist n. One who has personal or group survival as a primary goal in the face of difficulty, opposition, and especially the threat of natural catastrophe, nuclear war, or societal collapse. Noun 1. (Wood Memorial, Aqueduct, April 9); Consolidator, Sun King and High Limit (Blue Grass, Keeneland, April 16); and Rockport Harbor, Greater Good and Afleet Alex (Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn, April 16). --Hollywood ending? Before she became a trainer, Jenine Sahadi worked in the Hollywood Park marketing and publicity departments, her job entailing trips to Hong Kong to purchase the tote bags and other giveaway items that helped to draw huge crowds to the Inglewood track in the 1980s. ``I still see people carrying those bags around,'' Sahadi said. With the news last week that Hollywood Park is all but officially for sale and Los Alamitos is planning a $40 million expansion to lure major thoroughbred racing by 2007, Sahadi acknowledged some sadness. ``But there's no excitement there (at Hollywood Park now),'' said Sahadi, trainer of 2000 Santa Anita Derby winner The Deputy. ``I think there are other venues where you'd have a chance to bring people out. The Los Alamitos thing appeals to me ... exposing that kind of area, with that kind of wealth, to the game.'' Sahadi wishes Churchill Downs Inc., which owns Hollywood Park, would be explicit about its plans. ``I'm sick of the rumors and speculation,'' Sahadi said. ``If Churchill is going to stay in California, I wish they'd show some interest. Step up to the plate and try to do right by California horses and horsemen.'' For instance, Sahadi said: ``Give us a turf course that'll make it through the summer.'' Hollywood Park's four-month spring-summer season opens April 22. CAPTION(S): box Box: OUT OF THE GATE BY KEVIN MODESTI |
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