Admire Daytona
Colt by Drefong – Ice Pastel, by Shackleford
Bred in Japan by Northern Racing ($480,276 JRHA select weanling purchase by Junko Kondo)
If Japanese-bred Admire Daytona claims the automatic Kentucky Derby berth he earned by winning the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby – the finale of the European/Mideast Road to the Derby – the late nominee to the Triple Crown will bring in a pedigree full of names familiar to America.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Burnham Square looks like an overgrown greyhound – long legs and a narrow barrel topped by a surprisingly large head, a gelding who’d never catch the eye in a crowd of exercising animals.
East Avenue is a Godolphin homebred of royal lineage. He’s like a Zeus of Thoroughbreds, taller even than the tall Burnham Square but cut like a god, a magnificent route horse with the speed of a sprinter.
Admire Daytona and Heart of Honor, the one-two finishers from last Saturday’s U.A.E. Derby at Meydan, head the list of five 3-year-olds who were made late nominees to the Triple Crown by their connections, it was announced Tuesday.
Also nominated by Monday’s second deadline, at a cost of $6,000, were Colloquial, winner of Monday’s Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland; Brereton’s Baytown, fifth in the Arkansas Derby; and Just a Fair Shake, recent winner of a first-level allowance race at Laurel.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trainer Mark Casse was looking around for wood to knock on in the Keeneland winner’s circle after La Cara won the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes Monday to move on to the Kentucky Oaks. The win came a little more than a week after the Casse-trained Sandman won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby to punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby.
“The Arkansas Derby last week, the Ashland this week – pinch me,” Casse said. “I never take anything for granted. I love it, and this has been my life. It’s just great.”
Coal Battle has wasted no time getting acquainted with Churchill Downs. Some 36 hours after arriving in Louisville, the colt turned in his first local breeze toward the Kentucky Derby, going a half-mile in 48.40 seconds on Tuesday morning beneath the twin spires.
With trainer Lonnie Briley’s assistant, Bethany Taylor, aboard, Coal Battle clicked off an opening quarter-mile in 24 seconds and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.40, according to Churchill clocker Adam Wallace.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Partially due to the excitement of winning the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby hours earlier on Journalism, and partially because of late-night viewing of the Japanese Grand Prix, jockey Umberto Rispoli had trouble sleeping on Saturday night.
Getting settled was not easy. There was a lot to review from Saturday’s program at Santa Anita, notably his winning ride on Journalism in the $500,000 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - On a weekend of mixed results with his 3-year-olds, trainer Bob Baffert may have found his top Kentucky Derby candidate in Rodriguez, the dominant front-running winner of Saturday’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
Baffert shipped Rodriguez cross-country hoping to find a quieter environment for the 3-year-old who got a bit wound up prior to last month’s San Felipe at Santa Anita, where he finished 11 1/4 lengths behind Journalism.
Journalism, the almost-certain favorite for the May 3 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, closed as the 5-1 favorite in the final Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool just hours before significantly boosting his credentials with a troubled-trip win in the Santa Anita Derby later on Saturday.
Journalism won his fourth consecutive race in the Santa Anita Derby, and paid $4 to win on Saturday. He also closed as the 5-1 favorite in the prior Future Wager pool, and he will likely be a solid favorite in the Kentucky Derby as long as he makes the race.
Flood Zone, who will start favored in Saturday’s Group 2 United Arab Emirates Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, has been a colt on the go this year.
After winning his second start in a maiden race for Florida-breds by 5 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 5, Flood Zone was purchased privately by Wathnan Racing of Qatar and transferred to Brad Cox. In the first start for his new connections, Flood Zone recorded a 17-1 upset in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at a mile at Aqueduct on March 1. Flood Zone disputed the early pace before pulling clear by 3 1/4 lengths.
WHO’S HOT
Tappan Street and Sandman won Grade 1 races March 29; their Derby Watch odds subsequently dropped. Tappan Street won the Florida Derby in just his third career start; Sandman took advantage of a blistering pace to win the Arkansas Derby. Tappan Street drops to 10-1, co-third choice. Sandman was lowered to 12-1 by Daily Racing Form linemaker David Aragona.
