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.Colonel John, El Gato Malo Head April 5 Santa Anita Derby Field
Posted on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
A pair of the country’s consensus top 3-year-olds will be among 11 taking the final step toward Triple Crown distinction in Saturday’s 71st running of the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, a Grade I fixture that has produced 35 Triple Crown race winners including 15 in the Kentucky Derby.
Colonel John and El Gato Malo, difficult to separate while consistently among the elite in 2008 Kentucky Derby countdown rankings, will aim to advance in the West Coast’s defining competition at 1 1/8 miles. If all 11 start, the field size will match 2005 as the largest since 13 ran in 1981.
The complete field for the 71st Santa Anita Derby (sixth race), with jockeys and morning-line odds in post position order (all starters carry 122 pounds):
Yankee Bravo, Alex Solis, 4-1- Signature Move, Michael Baze, 30-1
- Coast Guard, Joseph Talamo, 20-1
- Bob Black Jack, Richard Migliore, 6-1
- Colonel John, Corey Nakatani, 2-1
- On the Virg, Tyler Baze, 15-1
- Shore Do, Chantal Sutherland, 20-1
- El Gato Malo, David Flores, 5/2
- Polonius, Victor Espinoza, 10-1
- Meetingwithdestiny, Joel Rosario, 30-1
- Rosso Corsa, Alonso Quinonez, 50-1
The Santa Anita Derby is the cornerstone of an 11-race program on April 5 at Santa Anita Park.
Santa Anita Park oddsmaker Jeff Tufts has installed Colonel John as the 2-1 favorite on his morning line with El Gato Malo at 5/2. Yankee Bravo is rated next at 4-1. Georgie Boy would indeed have been in the favorite’s mix had he not been sent to the sidelines earlier this week with a pulled muscle in his back. Georgie Boy’s late defection helped influence an eleventh-hour decision to enter Bob Black Jack who had been preparing for the Arkansas Derby. Bob Black Jack is 6-1 on the morning line.
A Kentucky-bred son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Tiznow, Colonel John solidified his glowing credentials when he got the better of El Gato Malo in taking the Grade III Sham Stakes by one-half length at the Santa Anita Derby distance of 1 1/8 miles on March 1.
Colonel John has never been worse than second in five starts that include three victories and earnings of $375,300. The WinStar Farm homebred will be reunited with jockey Corey Nakatani, who missed the Sham Stakes while sidelined with a broken collarbone.
El Gato Malo had won his first three starts, two of them two-turn stakes, by a combined 16 lengths before he was tripped up by Colonel John as the 7-10 favorite in the Sham Stakes. In that race, El Gato Malo was boxed in through the stretch. “He absolutely leveled when we got out,” said jockey David Flores.
Trainer Craig Dollase believes the Sham proved to be a valuable educational experience for the Florida-bred son of El Corredor that he trains for West Point Thoroughbreds. “I think he did learn a lot from it,” Dollase said of the bay gelding who has earned $200,200 after being purchased as a yearling for $95,000.
Colonel John will be the first Santa Anita Derby starter for horse trainer Eoin Harty. But Harty is hardly a stranger to the event. He served as the chief assistant to Bob Baffert for seven years up to 2000. During that stretch, Harty helped care for six Santa Anita Derby starters including winners Cavonnier, Indian Charlie and General Challenge. Runners-up Silver Charm and Real Quiet went on be winners of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.
Yankee Bravo is a son of Pulpit who ran third to another Pulpit offspring, early Kentucky Derby favorite Pyro, in the Grade II Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds on March 8. “Each time he’s run, he’s finished well,” trainer Paddy Gallagher said of the $17,000 partnership purchase who has won three of four while earning $202,049. Asked if Yankee Bravo seemed ready to compete against the West Coast’s premier 3-year-olds, a confident veteran jockey Alex Solis replied, “I think the other ones should worry about whether they’re ready to compete with him.”
Attempting a route of ground for the first time after five sprints, Bob Black Jack set much of the pace in the Grade II San Felipe Stakes on March 15 before fading to third, 1 3/4 lengths behind Georgie Boy. Purchased for $4,500 as a yearling by Jeff Harmon and Tim Kasparoff, the California-bred son of Stormy Jack has earned $292,925 from three wins in six starts. With regular rider David Flores committed to El Gato Malo, trainer Jim Kasparoff secured the services of recent Santa Anita George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award winner Richard Migliore.
$200,000 Potrero Grande Handicap
Surf Cat, who returned to his brilliant form of 2006 when becoming a two-time winner of the Grade II San Carlos Handicap on Feb. 16, is the likely favorite in the Grade II, $200,000 Potrero Grande Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs. The 6-year-old, who has posted an 8-5-1 record in 16 starts for earnings of $795,420, must again contend with the ultra-consistent Greg’s Gold and 4-year-old speedster Johnny Eves, second and fourth, respectively, in the San Carlos.
The complete field for the Potrero Grande (fourth race), with jockeys and weights in post position order: El Roblar, Migliore, 118; Sailors Sunset, Tyler Baze, 115; Peace Chant, Michael Baze, 115; Surf Cat, Solis, 120; Greg’s Gold, Espinoza, 119, and Johnny Eves, Flores, 117.
$150,000 Arcadia Handicap
Irish-bred Daytona returns from Louisiana to head a cast of seven in the Grade II, $150,000 Arcadia Handicap at one mile on turf. The 4-year-old gelding, trained by Dan Hendricks, won four successive graded stakes including a pair at Santa Anita before finishing a close third when favored in the March 8 Mervyn Munoz Jr. Handicap at the Fair Grounds. Daytona has achieved a career record of 6-2-3 in 13 races for earnings of $691,390.
The complete field for the Arcadia Handicap (seventh race), with jockeys and weights in post position order: Hyperbaric, Tyler Baze, 113; No Dream, Espinoza, 113; Daytona, Solis, 120; Artiste Royal, Nakatani, 118; Golden Balls, Brice Blanc, 116; Crested, Migliore, 115, and Storm Military, Flores, 115.
$100,000 Providencia Stakes
Three of ten 3-year old filly entrants, Bel Air Sizzle, Starry Pursuit and Sweeter Still, will be shooting for their third consecutive victories when contesting the Grade II, $100,000 Providencia Stakes at one mile on turf.
The complete field for the Providencia Stakes (ninth race), with jockeys and weights in post position order: Bel Air Sizzle, Sutherland, 117; Briecat, Jon Court, 119; Carnival Queen, Solis, 115; Missit, Espinoza, 115; Theodora, Flores, 115; Porto Marmay, Tyler Baze, 115; Sweeter Still, Martin Garcia, 119; Gorgeous Goose, Michael Baze, 119; Snow Delicious, Rosario, 115, and Starry Pursuit, Talamo, 115.
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"Colonel John, El Gato Malo Head April 5 Santa Anita Derby Field" was posted on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Santa Anita Track, Stakes Races, 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.
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