WHO'S HOT
Because of the defection from Derby consideration on Wednesday of the Florida Derby runner-up, Trust N Luck, Ten Most Wanted moves onto the top 25 for the first time. He is 40-1 on the future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form national handicapper. Atswhatimtalknbout, the morning-line favorite for Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, is down to 5-1 from last week's 6-1.
WHO'S NOT
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Trust N Luck, winner of the Grade 1 Fountain of Youth Stakes and second behind Empire Maker in the $1 million Florida Derby, will not start in the 2003 Kentucky Derby, trainer Ralph Ziadie said on Wednesday.
Trust N Luck missed several days of training shortly after the March 15 Florida Derby because of a cough. He returned to the track earlier this week and worked an easy three furlongs at Calder on Wednesday. It was his first official work since the Florida Derby.
Buddy Gil, the recent winner of two graded stakes in California, is one of eight late nominees to this year's Triple Crown, bringing the total number of nominees to a record 454.
The other late nominees are New York Hero, the recent winner of the Lane's End Stakes; During, who has earned two 100-plus Beyer Speed Figures; Mr. Decatur, the winner of two stakes races at Sunland Park; Defrere's Vixen, who has run in three graded stakes at Fair Grounds this year; Herculated, an undefeated winner of two races; and maiden winners Fund of Funds and Mr. Amano.
ARCADIA, Calif. - It's a long way from the Baldwin Stakes to the Santa Anita Derby. It's also a long way from tiny Hagerman, Idaho, to Southern California. But Buddy Gil knows the way.
The tough, unheralded 3-year-old gelding was overlooked when he won the Baldwin Stakes, a turf sprint, at 26-1 on Feb. 23. He was a 9-1 shot when he won the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes two weeks ago. And next week, he will try to punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby, when he goes for his third straight victory in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby.
WHO'S HOT
New York Hero and Eugene's Third Son, the top two finishers in last week's Lane's End Stakes, make their first appearance on the Derby Watch top 25, as does Logician, who most recently finished fourth in the San Felipe Stakes. New York Hero is 40-1 on the Kentucky Derby future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form national handicapper. Eugene's Third Son is 50-1, Logician 60-1.
WHO'S NOT
Last year, trainer Bob Baffert ran out of top 3-year-olds in the weeks preceding the Kentucky Derby. He went out and purchased War Emblem for The Thoroughbred Corp. following the colt's victory in the Illinois Derby, and one month later War Emblem wore the roses.
Baffert has prospects Kafwain, Domestic Dispute, and During this year, but he added to his arsenal on Monday by acquiring Senor Swinger in a private purchase for owners Bob and Beverly Lewis for approximately $1 million.
Jockey Victor Espinoza won his first Kentucky Derby last year, combining with trainer Bob Baffert, The Thoroughbred Corporation, and the colt War Emblem. On Wednesday, however, Baffert and The Thoroughbred Corporation bumped Espinoza from Kafwain, their main hope for this year's Derby.
Baffert was not happy with Espinoza's second-place ride aboard Kafwain in the Louisiana Derby, so he is making a switch for the Santa Anita Derby.
ARCADIA, Calif. - The talk began last fall at Belmont Park, when Empire Maker so dominated fellow 2-year-olds in his workouts that Bobby Frankel had to match him up with Travers Stakes winner Medaglia d'Oro just to give him some competition. By the time Empire Maker won a maiden race in his first start at Belmont, he was the next coming.
Two subsequent losses in stakes races took a bit of the shine off Empire Maker, but the colt continued to train so well, and perked up so significantly when he worked in blinkers, that Frankel believed a breakout performance was imminent.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Although racing fans remain collectively unsure about the May 3 Kentucky Derby, they were sufficiently impressed with the smashing Florida Derby victory by Empire Maker to make him a very close second choice, behind only the mutuel field, as Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager came to a close Sunday.
