Biancone finds colt's niche

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Memo from Patrick Biancone to the next trainer who wins the Flash Stakes at Belmont in June: Don't start dreaming about the following year's Kentucky Derby.

"It is extremely rare for a horse to win the Flash and become a Derby horse," Biancone said.

The point is illustrated by the type of races in which Whywhywhy - the precocious colt who won the Flash by 5 1/2 lengths last summer for Biancone - now competes in. Instead of a more serious Derby prep, Whywhywhy will run Sunday in the $100,000 Lafayette Stakes, a seven-furlong race that is not expected to produce a serious Derby contender.

"I never really thought of him as a Derby horse," Biancone said. "We gave him every chance by trying him once or twice in longer races, but obviously that didn't work out. Now we're back to better spots."

Indeed, the Lafayette distance seems far more suitable to the style of Whywhywhy, which is one of several reasons the colt figures as the logical favorite in the Grade 3 Lafayette. After fading badly in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, he scaled back to seven furlongs in the Swale Stakes. He finished a distant third behind the highly impressive winner, Midas Eyes.

Biancone said he believes Whywhywhy ran well in the Swale but should fare considerably better Sunday.

"He's been doing very well here," Biancone said.

Tony Farina, who like Biancone hails from France, has the mount on Whywhywhy. Farina has most recently ridden at Santa Anita.

Whywhywhy's top challenger in the Lafayette is likely Quick Draw, a winner of his last two starts. The Overbrook Farm-owned Quick Draw has progressed nicely in recent weeks, having captured the Hansel Stakes on the Lane's End undercard at Turfway Park in his last start, but he is not being considered for the Derby, said his trainer, D. Wayne Lukas.

Completing the field are Battle Won, Posse, Roll Hennessy Roll, and Bossanova.

The Lafayette in recent years had been run on the first Wednesday of the meet. Some good 3-year-olds have won the Lafayette in recent years, including Mr. Greeley (1995), Whywhywhy's sire.

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