Bob Black Jack resumes career

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - The last time Bob Black Jack was in the public's eye he was fading from the lead in the Kentucky Derby on his way to a 16th-place finish behind Big Brown.

It was a failed experiment in trying a route for a colt who set a six-furlong world record of 1:06.53 at Santa Anita last January.

Bob Black Jack earned a vacation after the Kentucky Derby and is back to racing on Saturday in the $100,000 Vernon Underwood Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Trainer Jim Kasparoff is not predicting any world record this weekend. He would be happy to see Bob Black Jack rebound from his loss in the Kentucky Derby.

"I think it was a move we had to make," he said of the Kentucky Derby. "It didn't work out. He came back good and needed time off. We just kicked him out. We needed to get some weight on him."

Kasparoff envisions the six-furlong Underwood as a prep to the $250,000 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26. "It's 34 days to the Malibu," he said of the timing between races.

A winner of 3 of 8 starts and $442,925, Bob Black Jack has won at six and seven furlongs. He typically races near the front, and should have that role in the Underwood along with Wiredfortwotwenty. Trained by Brian Koriner, Wiredfortwotwenty is making his stakes debut and breaks from the rail.

The Grade 3 Underwood has drawn a field of seven, including Johnny Eves, the winner of the Grade 1 Malibu in 2007; Northern Soldier, who won the Governor's Cup Handicap at Fairplex Park on Sept. 21; and Noble Court, the winner of the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita in 2007.

Johnny Eves is winless in seven starts since the Malibu, but was second in the California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Oct. 5.

Noble Court has been plagued by injuries in his career, but has won half of eight starts. He was away from racing from August 2007 until October of this year because of a tendon injury, trainer John Sadler said. In his return, Noble Court won a six-furlong allowance race at Santa Anita by 1 3/4 lengths.

"He ran super," Sadler said. "I've tried to give him a lot of time since that race. He doesn't have to come from way back. He's very versatile."