Derby next race for Homeboykris

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trainer Rick Dutrow confirmed Saturday that he still plans to train Homeboykris into the Kentucky Derby instead of getting another prep into the colt.

The 2009 Champagne winner, Homeboykris has not started since finishing second behind stablemate Radiohead in a one-mile allowance race here on Feb. 27. Homeboykris finished fifth in his only other start at 3, the one-mile Holy Bull here.

"I just didn't think another race was necessary," said Dutrow.

Homeboykris will remain at Gulfstream Park until April 20, then he will ship to Churchill Downs, where he is expected to have his final Derby work.

Dutrow also said that Radiohead has been shipped to Keeneland and will make his next start in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs on April 30.

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No Derby for Tempted to Tapit

Trainer Steve Klesaris said he was pleased with his one-time Derby hopeful Tempted to Tapit's third-place finish in the Sunland Derby on March 28.

"We had an outside post and it turned out the race was pretty fast," Klesaris said Saturday. "It doesn't look like we'll have enough graded earnings to get into the Kentucky Derby and I wouldn't want to go just for the sake of being in the race even if we could get in. There are plenty of nice races out there for 3-year-olds the rest of the year."

Allez Reef earns a stakes shot

One late-developing 3-year-old to keep an eye on later this season is Allez Reef, the winner of a first-level allowance here Saturday.

Allez Reef, who is owned by the Harris Racing LLC and trained by Eddie Plesa Jr., had finished second to the undefeated Tiz the One three weeks ago while earning a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure. Allez Reef covered seven furlongs in 1:22.01 on Saturday.

Last fall, Allez Reef finished second in the Foolish Pleasure and fourth in the $400,000 In Reality, part of the Florida Stallion Stakes series.

"I pushed him a little after his big effort in the Foolish Pleasure to make the Stallion Stakes because it was the Stallion Stakes, which is out of character for me," said Plesa. "So I just sent him to the farm and gave him some time and it's made a big difference. We'll probably have to look for a stakes for him next although I'm not sure where. I'll just have to see what's available."

Cassidy's Pride turns tables

Cassidy's Pride was victimized by a racetrack that was decidedly deeper near the inside when beaten six lengths by D'wild Ride under high-priced optional claiming conditions here on Feb. 28. But turnabout was fair play on Friday as Cassidy's Pride used a speed-biased strip to reverse that decision en route to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $57,000 Harmony Lodge Handicap.

Trainer Manny Estevez took the blinkers off Cassidy's Pride for the Harmony Lodge, a change that helped the 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro post the first stakes victory of her career. With jockey Jose Lezcano reuniting with Cassidy's Pride for the first time since winning a first-level allowance race here last winter, she went right to the front along the rail and repulsed bids from the even-money D'wild Ride and Grade 3 winner First Passage, both of whom raced wide and out in the deeper going around the turn.

* Owner Frank Carl Calabrese and trainer Nick Canani combined to win both ends of Saturday's daily double, with the combination of I'm It Wayne and Killarney Mist returning a paltry $4.80. Both horses were ridden to victory by apprentice Luis Saez. The two winners gave Calabrese 21 for the meet, solidifying his lead atop the owner standings while moving Canani into a dead heat for fifth in the trainer standings with Marty Wolfson and Wesley Ward.