Owners mull options for Somelikeithotbrown

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It was Monday morning and the owners of Somelikeithotbrown still had yet to decide where the colt would make his 3-year-old debut.

“We’re leaning toward the Dania Beach [at Gulfstream] Saturday,” said Harvey Diamond, who co-owns the New York-bred with longtime partners Jim Shircliff and David Koenig. “But we might wait for the [Feb. 8] Battaglia at Turfway or even the [Feb. 16] Risen Star” at Fair Grounds. “This decision is almost driving me crazy.”

Based this winter at Gulfstream with trainer Mike Maker, Somelikeithotbrown ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in his last of five starts at 2. Surely that big effort would be enough to make him a major contender Saturday in the $100,000 Dania Beach, which goes at a mile on turf.

But there’s a sticking point – all three owners live in Louisville and would like to have another Kentucky Derby horse, having already partnered (sometimes with other entities) on five Derby starters since 2011. Shircliff admits to being particularly susceptible to Derby Fever.

“Jim always wants to run in the Derby,” Diamond said with a laugh. “I’d like to win the Derby with this horse, too – the Belmont Derby,” a Grade 1 turf race in July. “I mean, if we really want to make the [Kentucky] Derby, we can still run him on grass a couple times then maybe go to something like the Blue Grass and see if he can get enough [qualifying] points there. In the meantime, we’re going to try to have as much fun with the horse as we can.”

Somelikeithotbrown was given his name by Shircliff’s daughters, Susie and Cathy, and is a clever play on words. The colt was sired by 2008 Derby winner Big Brown (thus the reference to the “Hot Brown,” a food item closely associated with Louisville and the Derby) and produced by Marilyn Monroan. The 1959 comedy film, “Some Like It Hot,” starred Marilyn Monroe.