Dale Romans search for another star in his barn

Posted on Friday, March 10th, 2006

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - After losing standouts Roses in May and Kitten’s Joy to retirement earlier this year, trainer Dale Romans is searching for another star in his barn. He might have found one Saturday.

Dawn of War, who went off at 36-1, led almost all the way and captured the Grade I Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.

Dawn of War fought jockey John Jacinto during the stretch run, never getting on the right lead. But the Kentucky-bred 2-year-old son of Catienus steadily pulled away and beat another long shot, Catcominatcha, by 3 1/2 lengths, running 1 1-16 miles in 1:48.77.

Dawn of War has three wins and has never finished worse than second in six career starts.

"I thought if he could get clear, he might be tough," Romans said. "I’m not shocked. We wouldn’t have been in there if we didn’t think we at least had a shot. We take some aggressive positions every once in awhile, but usually there’s a reason."

Romans had hoped to have a prominent presence in the Breeders’ Cup, to be run Oct. 29 at Belmont Park. But Roses in May, last year’s second-place Classic finisher, was retired in August, while turf standout Kitten’s Joy was retired last month, both due to injury.

Like those two horses, Dawn of War is owned by Ken Ramsey, who wasn’t at Keeneland on Saturday because of a family engagement. But Romans said he had no doubt that Ramsey would enter Dawn of War in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

"Those horses are impossible to replace," Romans said of Roses in May and Kitten’s Joy. "You’ve just got to find (another) that you can do good with."

Laity, the 3-1 favorite, was second entering the final turn but faded and finished fifth. Laity beat Dawn of War by 11 3/4 lengths in their last start on Sept. 5 at River Downs.

Romans’ horse started near the outside of the 12-horse field, which proved to be an advantage, as it allowed Dawn of War to move to the lead by the time the horses reached the first turn. Romans said he wanted to keep Laity from breaking away from the field.

"Mr. Romans told me that if I wanted to go to the lead it was OK," Jacinto said. "My horse is fast and he ran easy."

Dawn of War paid $74.60, $24.20 and $11.20. Catcominatcha, a 21-1 shot, paid $16.60 and $8.60, and the exacta paid $870.20. Stream Cat paid $4.20 to show.

Catcominatcha’s trainer, Eddie Kenneally, remained noncommittal about his colt’s Breeders’ Cup possibilities. Mike Smith, who rode Stream Cat, said he thought his horse would fare well should it run at Belmont.

"Those long sweeping turns at Belmont will fit him perfectly," Smith said.

The Grade I Shadwell Turf Mile featured a 1-2-3 finish by long shots, as Chilean-bred Host, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, rallied in the final furlong to edge Vanderlin by a neck, with Gulch Approval third.

Host, trained by Todd Pletcher, went off at 10-1, while Vanderlin was 27-1 and Gulch Approval was 29-1.

Host broke awkwardly and bumped Durban Thunder before settling toward the back of the 10-horse field. Bejarano kept the 5-year-old son of Hussonet well off the rail and went six-wide in the stretch as Host made his run. Host passed Great Britain-bred Vanderlin in the final furlong and won in 1:37.67.

Trainer Bobby Frankel’s two horses in the race, Three Valleys and Alinghi, went off as the favorites at 2-1 odds, but neither one seriously challenged. Three Valleys finished fifth, while Alinghi, an Australian-bred filly, tired on the second turn and finished eighth.

Host paid $22.80, $9.80 and $6. Vanderlin paid $19.20 and $11.20, while the exacta paid $399.20. Gulch Approval paid $12.

Host, the winner of eight of 14 career starts, is not nominated for the Breeders’ Cup, and his owner, Eugene Melnyk, would have to pay a $300,000 supplemental entry fee to run at Belmont.

In the Grade III Phoenix Breeders’ Cup, 7-1 shot Elusive Jazz pulled away from a four-horse pack at the top of the stretch to win by three lengths over long shot Wild Tale. The son of Elusive Quality covered the six furlongs in 1:11.6 under jockey Robby Albarado in the 153rd running of the nation’s oldest stakes race.

In 14 career starts, Elusive Jazz has won four times, but hadn’t won a stakes race before Saturday. Trainer Bobby Barnett said a trip to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint was a possibility.

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