Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Big Brown & Smooth Air Getting Ready For The 2008 Kentucky Derby
Posted on Sunday, April 13th, 2008
While other 2008 Kentucky Derby contenders were in the spotlight in stakes races at Keeneland, Oaklawn Park and Gulfstream Park Saturday, 2008 Kentucky Derby favorite Big Brown worked at Palm Meadows that morning and Mt. Joy Stables’ Smooth Air continued his preparation for the 134th Kentucky Derby (gr. I) at Calder Race Course Sunday morning with a sharp mile workout timed in 1:41, a very impressive move over that surface.
Trained by Bennie Stutts Jr., Smooth Air has $290,000 in graded-stakes earnings after his runner-up effort behind Big Brown in the $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park on March 29. The homebred chestnut by Smooth Jazz is due to work again next Saturday before boarding a Tex Sutton Forwarding charter flight for Louisville Sunday.
Big Brown plans to work one more time on Monday, April 28, before leaving Palm Meadows for Kentucky later that day.
Owned by IEAH Stable and Paul Pompa Jr., Big Brown was the 3-1 favorite for the 2008 Kentucky Derby after Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed last Sunday. His owners hope he becomes the 12th Florida Derby winner to take the Kentucky Derby, following the path most recently taken by Lael Stable’s Barbaro in 2006.
While Big Brown and Smooth Air are assured of their berths in the maximum of 20 allowed in the Kentucky Derby field, the status of Jet Set Racing’s Tomcito and Bea Oxenberg’s Hey Byrn, third and fourth in the Florida Derby, remains undetermined with graded-stakes earnings of $151,292 and $140,000, respectively.
Tomcito is at Keeneland where trainer Dante Zanelli Jr. is pondering a start for him in next Saturday’s $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) if he feels the Street Cry colt needs to add to his bankroll in order to qualify for a Kentucky Derby berth.
Hey Byrn looked good winning Saturday’s $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes (gr. III) here for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr., but with others leapfrogging into the fray in the wake of the Saturday’s $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland and $1 million Arkansas Derby (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park, the Put It Back colt will need a lot of help and luck to make the 2008 Kentucky Derby field.
www.gulfstreampark.com
"Big Brown & Smooth Air Getting Ready For The 2008 Kentucky Derby" was posted on Sunday, April 13th, 2008 at 9:37 pm and is filed under Calder Race Course, Gulfstream Park, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Previous Horse Racing News Entry:
Gayego Wins 2008 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park
Next Horse Racing News Entry:
Pimlico 2008 Spring Meeting Opens April 17