Liberty Bull drew the far outside post as a lukewarm morning-line favorite in a field of 10 3-year-olds entered for the $600,000 WinStar Derby on Sunday at Sunland Park.
Liberty Bull, winner of the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park two starts back, was established as the 3-1 choice in the 1 1/8-mile WinStar Derby. Most of the other favorites drew closer to the rail, with Poni Colada (9-2) getting post 1, Winsome Charm (7-2) post 2, and Ablaze With Spirit (5-1) post 3.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Add Smooth Air to the growing list of prospective starters for the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29.
Trainer Benny Stutts said he will pass Saturday's Tampa Bay Derby to await the $1 million Florida Derby with Smooth Air, upset winner of the seven-furlong Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park earlier in the meet. Smooth Air finished a troubled third behind Fierce Wind and Big Truck in his two-turn debut in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Autism awareness has radically changed Johnny Taboada's life since his 8-year-old son, Renzo, was diagnosed with the disease at age 2.
Autism Awareness has also radically changed Taboada's life since scoring the biggest upset in the 27 runnings of the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby last Saturday at Bay Meadows. The 3-year-old Autism Awareness, who didn't win his maiden until his 13th start, won the 1 1/16-mile El Camino Real in his next start, returning $126 for a $2 win bet.
Denis of Cork, who closed as the 12-1 fourth choice in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, will bypass the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel at Oaklawn Park on Saturday and start next in either the Grade 1, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct or the Grade 2, $500,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne, said his trainer, David Carroll. Both races will be run April 5 at 1 1/8 miles.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Indian Blessing used raw speed to win five consecutive races including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. But her odds-on defeat racing two turns last weekend at Fair Grounds revealed distance limitations, and trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Tuesday that the champion 2-year-old filly of 2007 will skip the Kentucky Oaks and return for a summer-fall campaign in shorter races.
"I wasn't convinced [she wanted to run long]," Baffert said. "She's quiet, but when that gate comes open, she grabs that bit and goes. I'm going to freshen her up for summer and fall."
Tom Amoss is playing an angle. Knowing that the WinStar Derby is not a graded race - and therefore, by definition, not a major prep for the Kentucky Derby - the veteran trainer has sent Liberty Bull all the way from New Orleans for a $600,000 race to be run Sunday at Sunland Park in New Mexico.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Sierra Sunset flew to Oaklawn Park from his Northern California base last month and turned in one of the best races of his career, finishing second to top Kentucky Derby candidate Denis of Cork in the Grade 3, $250,000 Southwest Stakes. Saturday, Sierra Sunset has reason to trump that performance in the Grade 2, $300,000 Rebel, the final local prep for the $1 million Arkansas Derby.
Larry Jones is in the process of relocating much of his Fair Grounds string to Kentucky, and among those slated to ship north to Keeneland on Monday is Proud Spell. She leaves after earning her connections a pretty trophy by winning the Fair Grounds Oaks last Saturday. In so doing she became the first horse to beat Indian Blessing, last year's champion 2-year-old filly.
Proud Spell, Jones said Tuesday morning, had exited her 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2, $400,000 race in great physical shape.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Two years after winning the Kentucky Derby with Barbaro, trainer Michael Matz looks poised to make another run for the roses. But unlike 2006 when he was extremely confident in Barbaro, Matz isn't quite sure how good a Derby prospect he has in Visionaire, the winner of Saturday's Grade 3 Gotham Stakes in the slop and fog of Aqueduct.