DerbyTrail
02-26-2005, 07:43 AM
From Derby Trail: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/DerbyTrail/ (http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/DerbyTrail/)
The slate for three year olds is somewhat abridged this weekend with just two low profile stakes and two divisions of a mile allowance featuring hopefuls scheduled. In Florida, the Sam Davis goes at Tampa starring Nick Zito's G P BLACK KNIGHT and ANDROMEDA'S HERO, while Gulfstream had an overflow of entrants for an N1X at 8f and split the event into the 7th and 10th. The latter includes Zito's SUN KING in his highly anticipated return after a nice juvenile campaign that culminated in his third place finish in the BC Juvenile. Shug's SURVIVALIST and Todd Pletcher's MONARCH LANE are also entered in this important-looking condition run.
Sunday, the 8.5f Borderland Derby at Sunland, a prep for its rich WinStar Derby, lured a nice group including under-appreciated and undefeated CAJUN PEPPER in his two-turn debut. Trainers Jose and Ramon Gonzalez have given their 5-for-5 ($112,000) charge a two month vacation after the son of Barricade ended his year with a fifth straight sprint romp in the lucrative Riley Allison at the little New Mexico bullring.
Cajun Pepper won his races in 2004 by a combined 27 lengths, and no competitor has been with 3 lengths of the dark bay gelding at the finish. The prospects on a stretchout appear good for the CO-bred, as he is not a speedball by any means, having demonstrated stalking gears in all the wins but his debut. The Gonzalez' have interspersed stamina-building 7f works into 'Pepper' since he resumed training, and his rail draw in the Borderland will help him save all the ground in his initial route try.
Three west coast invaders made the trip to El Paso and two are favored in the morning line ahead of 6-1 Cajun Pepper. SOUTHERN AFRICA (3-1, Michael Puhich), DOVER DERE (4-1) and THOR'S ECHO (6-1, both from Doug O'Neill) all have questions to answer themselves. Southern Africa was a big disappointment finishing 7th at 7-1 in the Sham three weeks ago in his third North American foray.
Dover Dere was nine lengths behind Buzzard's Bay as the favorite in the Golden Gate Derby, and Bay was miserable after a bad start in the recent Risen Star. Thor's Echo ran a big fig (98 Beyer) in his maiden breaker (1/21) at Santa Anita, but it came against state breds and this is his first stakes and route try. The 12 hole is an added burden for the son of Swiss Yodeler as well.
EL BATALLON has faced some good ones since privately purchased last fall, and visits here for Asmussen with Donnie Meche tagging along. QUIET MONEY was another private purchase by aggressive Everest Stables, and is a Seattle Slew son who is coming off a second in the Turfway Park Derby to the good General John B.
SELECTIONS:
1. Cajun Pepper: A terrific play if he's anything about 5-2.
2. Southern Africa: Worked OK after puzzling Sham flop.
3. El Batallon: Donnie Meche here for a reason.
4. Quiet Money: Expensive colt from quirky owner Jeff Neilsen.
Back in Florida, it's kind of watch and see afternoon Saturday, as the two allowances don't figure to be great betting affairs. In the 7th, our Florida fave GINGER'S FELLA is back after a brief freshening, but the rest of the field doesn't feature the Derby hopefuls that go in the 10th. There, Sun King's return will be closely scrutinized as Zito embarks on a Derby quest with Tracy Farmer's $400,000 son of Charismatic. With the lack of an emergence by any truly exciting Derby prospects so far this year, pundits and fans are looking to the best juveniles from '04 to energize the Trail. Sun King will be the first of that group to return to the track.
Meanwhile, Shug McGaughey, 0-for-13 at Hallandale so far, is looking for a big effort from Danzig progeny Survivalist here. Jerry Bailey gets the ride-back, and this will be an important test for the colt whose lone career win in three starts came at 8 panels.. Pletcher's Monarch Lane won his career debut six weeks ago, a facile score at 7f over 11 others. While the 10 hole will be a tough starting point for John Velasquez and the red son of Maria's Mon, the pair won their last from the 12. God things are expected from this Edgewood Farm KEE buy ($175,000)...
We're headed to Chicago this morning and will not be able to view today's action, so we're counting on the Trailers to report in on today's results!!
On tap is next weekend's BIG prep calendar with Fountain of Youth Day at Gulfstream (FOY, Swale), the Santa Catalina at Santa Anita and the Battaglia at Turfway...
Talk soon..
Steve
The slate for three year olds is somewhat abridged this weekend with just two low profile stakes and two divisions of a mile allowance featuring hopefuls scheduled. In Florida, the Sam Davis goes at Tampa starring Nick Zito's G P BLACK KNIGHT and ANDROMEDA'S HERO, while Gulfstream had an overflow of entrants for an N1X at 8f and split the event into the 7th and 10th. The latter includes Zito's SUN KING in his highly anticipated return after a nice juvenile campaign that culminated in his third place finish in the BC Juvenile. Shug's SURVIVALIST and Todd Pletcher's MONARCH LANE are also entered in this important-looking condition run.
Sunday, the 8.5f Borderland Derby at Sunland, a prep for its rich WinStar Derby, lured a nice group including under-appreciated and undefeated CAJUN PEPPER in his two-turn debut. Trainers Jose and Ramon Gonzalez have given their 5-for-5 ($112,000) charge a two month vacation after the son of Barricade ended his year with a fifth straight sprint romp in the lucrative Riley Allison at the little New Mexico bullring.
Cajun Pepper won his races in 2004 by a combined 27 lengths, and no competitor has been with 3 lengths of the dark bay gelding at the finish. The prospects on a stretchout appear good for the CO-bred, as he is not a speedball by any means, having demonstrated stalking gears in all the wins but his debut. The Gonzalez' have interspersed stamina-building 7f works into 'Pepper' since he resumed training, and his rail draw in the Borderland will help him save all the ground in his initial route try.
Three west coast invaders made the trip to El Paso and two are favored in the morning line ahead of 6-1 Cajun Pepper. SOUTHERN AFRICA (3-1, Michael Puhich), DOVER DERE (4-1) and THOR'S ECHO (6-1, both from Doug O'Neill) all have questions to answer themselves. Southern Africa was a big disappointment finishing 7th at 7-1 in the Sham three weeks ago in his third North American foray.
Dover Dere was nine lengths behind Buzzard's Bay as the favorite in the Golden Gate Derby, and Bay was miserable after a bad start in the recent Risen Star. Thor's Echo ran a big fig (98 Beyer) in his maiden breaker (1/21) at Santa Anita, but it came against state breds and this is his first stakes and route try. The 12 hole is an added burden for the son of Swiss Yodeler as well.
EL BATALLON has faced some good ones since privately purchased last fall, and visits here for Asmussen with Donnie Meche tagging along. QUIET MONEY was another private purchase by aggressive Everest Stables, and is a Seattle Slew son who is coming off a second in the Turfway Park Derby to the good General John B.
SELECTIONS:
1. Cajun Pepper: A terrific play if he's anything about 5-2.
2. Southern Africa: Worked OK after puzzling Sham flop.
3. El Batallon: Donnie Meche here for a reason.
4. Quiet Money: Expensive colt from quirky owner Jeff Neilsen.
Back in Florida, it's kind of watch and see afternoon Saturday, as the two allowances don't figure to be great betting affairs. In the 7th, our Florida fave GINGER'S FELLA is back after a brief freshening, but the rest of the field doesn't feature the Derby hopefuls that go in the 10th. There, Sun King's return will be closely scrutinized as Zito embarks on a Derby quest with Tracy Farmer's $400,000 son of Charismatic. With the lack of an emergence by any truly exciting Derby prospects so far this year, pundits and fans are looking to the best juveniles from '04 to energize the Trail. Sun King will be the first of that group to return to the track.
Meanwhile, Shug McGaughey, 0-for-13 at Hallandale so far, is looking for a big effort from Danzig progeny Survivalist here. Jerry Bailey gets the ride-back, and this will be an important test for the colt whose lone career win in three starts came at 8 panels.. Pletcher's Monarch Lane won his career debut six weeks ago, a facile score at 7f over 11 others. While the 10 hole will be a tough starting point for John Velasquez and the red son of Maria's Mon, the pair won their last from the 12. God things are expected from this Edgewood Farm KEE buy ($175,000)...
We're headed to Chicago this morning and will not be able to view today's action, so we're counting on the Trailers to report in on today's results!!
On tap is next weekend's BIG prep calendar with Fountain of Youth Day at Gulfstream (FOY, Swale), the Santa Catalina at Santa Anita and the Battaglia at Turfway...
Talk soon..
Steve