HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Edgar Prado is taking the long view. Even if he does not win the Florida Derby on Saturday aboard Harlan's Holiday, the fact Prado was hand-picked to ride the colt means very much to him.
"When people start thinking of you, out of so many good riders, that makes me feel very fortunate, very lucky," Prado said Tuesday, minutes after working Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream Park. "I want to step forward in my career, and this is a good step."
Eight additions and deletions have been made among the 23 individual betting interests in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens Thursday at racetracks and wagering outlets throughout the U.S.
The new horses are Blue Burner, Easy Grades, Essence of Dubai, Mayakovsky, Perfect Drift, Showmeitall, Sunday Break, and Yougottawanna. None is expected to rank among the Pool 2 favorites.
The Pool 1 horses who are not in the Pool 2 lineup are Cappuchino, Fonz's, Grey Beard, King's Consul, Maybry's Boy, Pelirojjo, Political Attack, and Stephentown.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Even if she wins - as the vast majority of horseplayers will be expecting her to do - the more demanding tests apparently will have to wait for Belterra, who will be an overwhelming favorite here Friday in the $250,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes.
Ms Brookski, upset winner of the Davona Dale Stakes in her last start, is the most accomplished rival set to face the unbeaten Belterra in the Grade 2 Bonnie Miss, the premier race for 3-year-old fillies each winter at Gulfstream.
JAMAICA, N.Y. ? The Gotham field gained two starters on Tuesday when the connections of Heir D' Twine and Two Shakes said their 3-year-olds would run in Sunday's Grade 3 at Aqueduct.
But the status of one of the previously confirmed starters, Whirlaway winner Saratoga Blues, changed on Tuesday. An Aqueduct press release, quoting Saratoga Blues's trainer, Tony Dutrow, said the colt is also under consideration for the $500,000 Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 23.
Dutrow told the press office he planned to work Saratoga Blues on Wednesday at Laurel.
ALBANY, Calif. - For a filly who won her maiden on her 16th try, Milicia has had unusual success against winners.
She will be looking for her second straight win for trainer Chuck Jenda in Thursday's co-feature, a 1 1/16-mile starter allowance turf race for older fillies and mares who have run for a $32,000 claiming tag.
NEW ORLEANS - Bettors deemed Mr. O'brien a standout in his career debut, sending him off as the favorite, but trainer Michael Dickinson is taking a more cautious approach.
"There's the old saying that they all look good breaking their maiden," Dickinson said. "But you can get good maidens and bad maidens."
The public will get another chance to hammer Mr. O'brien at the windows Thursday, and Dickinson can further assess the colt's quality when Mr. O'brien faces winners for the first time in a first-level turf allowance race at about one mile.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - This could be a memorable week for jockey James Lopez. Not only does he have a chance to sweep two major stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, but Lopez could also take back the lead in the rider standings over the sidelined Terry Thompson, who led the colony by three wins coming into Wednesday's card.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Mountain Rage may yet be a derby horse. It just won't be the one in Kentucky.
A 3-year-old who is strictly a turf specialist, Mountain Rage will forsake the Kentucky Derby meat grinder and focus instead on becoming a top 3-year-old on grass. Good move. Races such as the Del Mar and Hollywood derbies beckon, but not before Mountain Rage starts favored Thursday at Santa Anita in the $75,000 Academy Road Stakes.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The rapidly improving 3-year-old Sunday Break chose the wrong week for a growth spurt. He worked six furlongs in 1:15.80 Tuesday at Hollywood Park, but trainer Neil Drysdale said later that he is not a definite starter in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Less than two months ago, Nokoma was laboring over the Gulfstream Park racetrack during training hours. On Monday, he flew over the same ground, working five furlongs in 58.20 seconds in his final drill for Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby.
