Giant Game getting throat problem corrected

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Giant Game was scheduled to undergo what trainer Dale Romans described as a minor throat procedure Tuesday after the colt, he said, “displaced his palate pretty bad” when a distant eighth Saturday in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park.

“It’s a very common procedure that’s done right in the horse’s stall,” Romans said. “Hopefully, this will correct whatever he’s got troubling him and we’ll have him back in training before the weekend.”

The Holy Bull was Giant Game’s first race since the Giant’s Causeway colt finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 5 at Del Mar. Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and the Albaugh Family Stable, Giant Game finished 24 lengths behind the winner, White Abarrio, as the 4-1 third choice in a field of nine in the Holy Bull, a 10-4-2-1 qualifier toward the Kentucky Derby on May 7.<

:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more

“Obviously, we were disappointed,” Romans said. “But that’s the way it goes sometimes. Oftentimes this kind of thing gets corrected and you’re back on track.”

Unlike last year, when Essential Quality, Hot Rod Charlie, Jackie’s Warrior, and Rombauer all became divisional standouts after finishing a respective 1-2-4-5 in the 2020 BC Juvenile at Keeneland, the 2021 Juvenile is washing out thus far.

The winner, Corniche, is not close to a comeback race, as reported last weekend in Daily Racing Form. The runner-up, Pappacap, was third as the favorite in his seasonal debut, the Lecomte on Jan. 22 at Fair Grounds. The fourth finisher, Commandperformance, is still weeks away from a start, and none of the seven horses who were behind him have done anything of consequence yet.

Meanwhile, Romans will have a runner Saturday in Howling Time in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs, another 10-4-2-1 Derby qualifier. The Atlantic Coast shippers Classic Causeway and Make It Big figure as the favorites in the 1 1/16-mile race, with Howling Time among the next tier of contenders.

“It looks like a pretty good race,” said Romans, “but we think we’ve got a real nice horse, too. Let’s line ’em up and find out.”

Kenny McPeek was similarly disappointed by the seventh-place finish in the Holy Bull by Tiz the Bomb, the 9-2 fourth choice. The colt appeared to be climbing into the first turn and never entered serious contention.

McPeek said he intends to give Tiz the Bomb another chance on the Derby trail, “and if he doesn’t run good again, it’ll be back to the turf,” where the colt excelled as a 2-year-old.

Meanwhile, McPeek’s top two Derby prospects both were out for serious breezes Saturday. Before dawn, Rattle N Roll worked in company, getting a half-mile in 48.60 seconds. Rattle N Roll’s next start is still to be determined.

A little later, Smile Happy went five furlongs in 59.40, also in company. Smile Happy is headed to the Risen Star on Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds.

– Marty McGee

Weaver 3-year-old smokes in debut

One of the more impressive performances on Saturday’s Holy Bull program was turned in by the George Weaver-trained 3-year-old Nitrous Channel, who rallied to a 2 1/4-length debut win in a six-furlong maiden race. He received a 94 Beyer Speed Figure, four points higher than My Prankster earned winning the seven-furlong Swale 30 minutes later.

Nitrous Channel, who brought $625,000 at a Fasig-Tipton sale held in the Gulfstream Park paddock last March, is owned by R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and Spedale Family Racing.

– Mike Welsch