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Triple Crown 2003 >>
 

  index
  Belmont Stakes
Preakness Stakes
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1000 & 2000 Guineas
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Top 30 Ky / zarada
Ky Hot 10 18.april
Lexington Stakes
Pred Derby...


 

 

 


    Najstarija od tri trke za triplu krunu je prvi put istr�ana 19.juna 1868na hipodromu Jerome Park (�udnog oblika za ameri�ke prilike, sa tri krivine). Pobednica je bila omica Ruthless koja je odnela prvu nagradu od $1.850, nadma�iv�i DeCourcey za glavu. Jedini prekid kada nije tr�an Belmont Stakes je bio u periodu 1911-1912. Smatra se za najve�i ispit trogodaca, kako distanca 2.400m nije tipi�na za SAD.
    Nekada je tr�ana i na du�oj distanci: 2.600m do 1873. Od 1890 varira od 1.800m do 2.200m. Kona�no, 1926. se ustanovljava na 2.400m kada je pobedio Cruisader (sin legendarnog Man o' War-a koji je dao osvaja�a triple krune War Admiral-a
>>) u vremenu 2:32.2.
     Belmont se smatra mestom finalne predstave i odluke ulaska grla u istoriju (can make or break a Triple Crown champion) i taj renome je opravdao tokom godina: 1943. Count Fleet
>> do nogu tu�e rivae sa 25 du�ina; 1973. Secretariat posle 25 godina upisuje ime novog osvaja�a triple krune neprevazi�enom pobedom od 31 du�ine i u rekornom vremenu, koji opstaje do danas; 1978. poslednji do danas osvaja� triple krune Affirmed>> u ve� epskoj borbi i tr�anjem glava-glava poslednju milju sa Alydar-om uvodi u istoriju i sebe i svog arhi-rivala.

On the road with Smarty Jones
By Bill Finley

8:57: The mini-mob of fans, television and print reporters, not to mention the four helicopters hovering overhead, has assembled outside the backstretch gates at Philadelphia Park and is ready to spring into action. Any minute now, the great horse will leave the building known reverently as "The Pha" and I, armed with a notebook, tape recorder and a full tank of gas that cost $38 freaking dollars, am primed for action.

9:24: The van carrying the great horse exits the gates, which means it's time for a dead sprint to my car. No more interviewing John Q. Public/Racing Fan, I must follow that horse.

9:26: The line following the four-footed equine royalty is quite long, but I am not discouraged. I cut brazenly in front of another car and secure a spot just two cars behind the van carrying this wonderful being. Just one problem...I have cut off a cop.

9:27: The single most menacing human being I have ever seen in my life--bald guy, ugly, 18-inch scar across the top of his head--steps out of his car, glares and pulls me over. "Mister, you just cut off a cop," he snarls. "I'll make sure you don't follow that horse now." This guy makes murderers want their mommies.

9:29: My head is swirling. Three minutes into the assignment and I am doomed. What do I tell the office? How can I explain such failure? Wait, Smarty, wait. Then again, what about the menacing cop? What exactly is the penal system in Bensalem, Pennsylvania?

Inmate 156673346: What are you in for?

Me: Obstructing a police officer during the transportation of a horse.

Inmate 156673346: You disgust me.

9:31: Menacing cop gets tired of playing with me and let's me go. Probably has some serious criminals to go slap around. Driver, follow that horse.

9:35: Unbelievable. I have caught the magnificent beast, thanks in large part to the slowest police escort in recorded history. Led by three motorcycle cops, the procession heads up Route 1 and on to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. They are going 40 miles per hour and have blocked off the left lane so that nobody dare pass the esteemed thoroughbred. Keep this up and traffic will be backed up to North Carolina.

9:45: The four helicopters are still hovering over head, capturing every thrilling moment of a white horse van inching its way east on the Pa. Pike. We have just passed a billboard reading, "Look out New York, Smarty's Coming." The sirens are blaring. Five car loads of reporters, myself included, are following every move. The readers have a right to know: if they stop for lunch, will it be McDonald's Or Burger King?...will stable foreman Bill Foster require a restroom break?...does the van take regular or high test?

Then again, does anyone realize he is, dare I say it, just a horse? Blasphemous as this may sound, is this or is this not a little silly.

9:50: Who says New Jersey isn't a great place? The Bensalem cops hand the chestnut god off to two New Jersey State Police patrol cars who will take him the bulk of the journey up the Jersey Turnpike, the world's smelliest road. They actually go the speed limit of 65 and let cars pass on the left. We might get to Belmont before Friday just yet.

9:54: Things have settled down. There's just one helicopter over head. Channel 104 has the exclusive: Smarty Jones has made it to the Garden State.

11:02: Blood-Horse writer Steve Haskin, gallantly keeping up the chase himself, breaks down. No kidding. He comes to a sudden halt in the left lane, with me right behind him. It was just like a horse race. I had to check, take up sharply and alter course. With Daily Racing Form photographer Mike Marten riding shotgun, Haskin veers his SUV across three lanes over into the breakdown lane as dozens of irate motorists say awful things about his mother. Should I stop to help him or continue the chase?

11:03: Steve who?

11:15: Jay Hovdey from the Racing Form is an animal. Hovdey was the only guy not smart enough to bring along an EZ Pass (yes, Smarty uses EZ Pass). That means he can either run the tolls and keep up with the fleet-footed one or wait in interminable toll lines and risk losing him. Heading off the Jersey Turnpike on the way to the George Washington Bridge, Hovdey runs his eighth toll of the trip.

11:22: New Jersey's finest hand Pegasus off to two New York State Troopers and a NYPD patrol car on the George Washington Bridge. They elect to go straight and stay on the Cross Bronx Expressway. Are they mad? The Cross Bronx hasn't been clear of traffic since 1985. Yet, there's not an obstruction in his sight. He flies across the Cross Bronx in no time. This horse is truly blessed.

11:40: After exiting on Hillside, the van takes a right on Springfield. I don't make the light. One hundred miles into the trip, I can't be stopped now. Oh, fudge. No red light will stop me.

11:42: Having committed still another crime in order to follow a small van carrying an animal for 105 miles for reasons I still don't fully understand, I have rejoined the procession.

11:44: A left on Hempstead. Belmont is just ahead.

11:48: Smarty Jones has arrived safe and sound at Belmont Park, with this reporter just three car lengths behind. Hallelujah.

Odbijen je zahtev Valenzuele za dozvolu jahanja u Belmont Stakes. Najverovatnije Alex Solis u sedlu Rock Hard Ten (dobio sa  Pleasantly Perfect "Breeders' Cup Classic" i "Dubai World Cup").

Workouts (1.000m):
Eddington 0:59.0 / Royal Assault 1.01.2
Rock Hard Ten 0:59.0 / Purge 1.01.6

Trenutna cena otkupa Smarty Jones-a za priplod je oko $30M, uz klauzulu da �e tr�ati i kao �etvorogodac

Smary Jones i predstoje�a trka u o�ima onih koji su osvojili tri poslednje triple krune...

1973. >> Secretariat
Penny Chenery, vlasnica

    "The world loves a winner, I want to be at Belmont. Everybody wants to be there to see if he can do it. It's an electric atmosphere all day with the build up. For non-racing people, it's a happening; for horse racing people, it's the second coming. It's a time when we want to feel good about something. He's (Smarty Jones) very appealing; he's easy to love. I had a red horse in blue and white colors and their horse is a red horse in blue and white colors." In comparing Smarty Jones to the other 11 winners of the Triple Crown, if he wins the Belmont, and wins it with style, then he deserves to be named with any of them"
    "It changes you forever because you instantly become associated with your horse," Chenery said. "It is something special for you, but also for other people. You have to be prepared to share that moment with everybody."
John Turcotte, jaha�
    "I look for him to just gallop. I think he's 25 lengths better than the other 3-year-olds. He has a tremendous advantage. He has a trainer who is committed. The only thing that can stop him is that if he hurts himself or he's unable to get in the clear. I would give Stewart Elliott the same advice that (trainer) Lucien Lauren gave me in the paddock. Get up there and do your best. I rode Secretariat in most of his races and knew him well. Elliott has done the same thing. I'd tell him to play it by ear"

1977. >> Seattle Slew
Mickey Taylor, vlasnik

    "But the mystique of Smarty Jones is that he's undefeated. That adds a little extra pizzazz." While Seattle Slew is the only undefeated winner of the Triple Crown, Taylor said he wouldn't mind amending that statement to "first undefeated winner of the Triple Crown."
Karen Taylor, vlasnica
    "Smarty Jones has a cute name, and he loves to run and has speed. Because of the Internet, it makes more exciting for the fans, especially the kids.""It's important during the Triple Crown to have fun, but you have to take care of your horse and realize what a special animal you have."
Jean Cruget, jaha�
   
"All you have to do is guide him, Smarty Jones is quick to get into the race. It looks like it only takes him two or three jumps to get into the race. He has a similar running style to Seattle Slew.  "You only ride (the Belmont distance of) 1 1/2 miles maybe once a year, and it can be tough. If they go (a half) in :49 early, he can be OK, but if he goes in :47, then it's going to be a long way around there."

1978. >> Affirmed
Steve Cauthen, jaha
   
"I can see him blowing the field away, I feel good about the Smarty Jones team. It takes a great team. You need to have confidence in each other going into that last race. Apparently they're gelling together and are on the same page."
   
"The most important factor is to get the horse settled in the first half-mile or five-eighths of a mile. After that, they'll be no excuses. If he can get Smarty Jones to relax, at any point in the race, then they're (opponents) in trouble.
    "After the Arkansas Derby (gr. II), when I watched the race again, I thought to myself that if I could ride any horse in this year's Derby, it'd be Smarty Jones.
    "From what I've seen, Smarty Jones is a push-button horse. When he broke from the gate in the Preakness, it looked like he was going to go six furlongs. He reminded me of Affirmed, pricking his ears all the way down the stretch...but Affirmed had Alydar breathing down his neck.
    "I've been impressed with how Elliott and (trainer John) Servis have handled the situation, working as a team."
    "In a funny sort of way, you have to ride these three races like they are just any other races, The Belmont is tough. Once you get on the horse in the paddock, you can focus and go out and get the job done."

...

"We'll give the next $5 million to make Smarty Jones the most award-winning Thoroughbred in the history of the industry," Carl Pascarella, predsednik Visa "This is not just about Visa and the Visa Triple Crown. It's about Thoroughbred racing. I think it's about America. It's just such a great time to be part of this right now. I think this is the real deal. I think this is the time to really write the check. It's one payment Visa really, really wants to make."

Ho�e li kona�no biti dodeljen VISA trofej (na slici ispod) uz koji sledi i bonus od $5M? Smarty Jones ima priliku da bude tek dvanaesto grlo koje bi osvojilo triplu krunu, jedini posle Seattle Slew-a>> koji je to u�inio nepora�en, a i dospeo bi na vrh liste zarade svih vremena i to sa devet tr�anja. Koliko je te�ko dobiti tre�u trku na najdu�oj stazi u SAD govori duga�ka lista slavnih imena koja je poklekla u samoj zavr�nici...

1,2... ne i 3

 Kentucky Derby &
 Preakness Stakes
Belmont Stakes
(plasman) pobednik
2003 Funny Cide (3) Empire Maker
2002 War Emblem (8) Sarava
1999 Charismatic (3) Lemon Drop Kid
1998 Real Quiet (2)  Victory Gallop
1997 Silver Charm (2) Touch Gold
1989 Sunday Silence (2) Easy Goer
1987 Alysheba (4) Bet Twice
1981 Pleasant Colony (3) Summing
1979 Spectacular Bid (3) Coastal
1971 Canonero II (4) Pass Catcher
1969 Majestic Prince (2) Arts and Letters
1968 Forward Pass* (2) Stage Door Johnny
1966 Kauai King (4) Amberoid
1964 Northern Dancer (3) Quadrangle
1961 Carry Back (7) Sherluck
1958 Tim Tam (2) Cavan
1944 Pensive (2) Bounding Home
1936 Bold Venture (-) Granville
1932 Burgoo King (-) Faireno

* Forward Pass je dobio Kentucky Derby diskvalifikacijom
(-) grla Bold Venture i Burgoo King nisu startovala u Belmontu   

Smarty Jones

2004:    6 6-0-0 $7,333,535
karijera: 8 8-0-0 $7,383,155

2004

15.05 Preakness (Pimlico Race Course) (1.900m)    1:55.40      111/2
      Smarty Jones - Rock Hard Ten - Eddington

 01.05 Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs) (2.000m)    2:04.06       2 3/4
      Smarty Jones - Lion Heart - Imperialism

 10.04 Arkansas Derby (Oaklawn Park) (1.800m)       1:49.41       1 1/2
      Smarty Jones - Borrego - Pro Prado

 20.03 Rebel Stakes (Oaklawn Park) (1.700m)        1:42.07       3 1/4
      Smarty Jones - Purge - Pro Prado

 28.02 The Southwest (Oaklawn Park) (1 milja)            1:37.57         3/4
      Smarty Jones - Two Down Automatic - Pro Prado

 03.01 Count Fleet Stakes (Aqueduct) (1 mile, 70 yds)   1:41.42           5
      Smarty Jones - Risky Trick - Mr. Spock


2003

 22.11 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes (Philadelphia Park) (1.400m)
      Smarty Jones - Salty Punch - Isle of Mirth       1:21.88          15

 09.11 Maiden Race (Philadelphia Park) (1.200m)     1:11.00       7 3/4
      Smarty Jones - Deputy Rummy - Speedwell Beau

Chapman, vlasnik �tale "Someday Farm" �iji pulen Smarty Jones je u centru pa�nje, ina�e i zastupnik Forda, najavljuje da je mogu�e da �e modeli "Ford Mustang" koji budu u njegovoj prodaji kao za�titni znak umesto mustanga imati lik "Pametnjakovi�a"...

Quite frankly, I think we already did (win the championship)," John Servis "When we won the Derby, to me that's the championship, and the Triple Crown is icing on the cake. If we get that done, then that's an added dimension. Just the fact that we won the Kentucky Derby, that was the main goal since early January. That was the big race for us."

Svi osvaja�i triple krune>> do sada su imali bar jedan start na Belmontu pre odlu�uju�e trke. Devet od njih jedanaest je pobedilo, dok su samo Gallant Fox i Omaha bili drugoplasirani u prethodnom tr�anju na ovoj stazi. Ne i Smarty Jones. On nikada ranije nije tr�ao na ovoj brzoj ovalnoj stazi. Legendarni trener Woody Stephens koji ima pet uzastopnih pobeda u ovoj trci ima obi�aj da ka�e: "Oni soliteri umeju biti prokleto visoki kada pre�ete reku Hudson". Ali mnogi ne misle tako...

Bob Baffert "Smarty Jones is a "freak of nature" who does not know how to lose. I feel like I won the Triple Crown with Real Quiet, I just didn't get paid for it. Having a race over the track has nothing to do with it. You just need a really good horse, a lot of luck, and for the competition to slacken."

Jerry Bailey "That's interesting, but I don't buy into it at all. There are far more important factors that would have a play. What kind of condition is he in after the first two? And in my mind, the distance is always an obstacle. But Smarty Jones has already overcome that. He's outrun his pedigree, and who in there can beat him? The only horse I can think of who looked as unbeatable as Smarty Jones [going for the sweep] was Spectacular Bid. If Smarty Jones runs like he's been running, nobody beats him. He's run over all kinds of surfaces. He's not a horse that needs to take his track with him."

Bobby Frankel "Seattle Slew used to get hot if somebody got too close to him. This colt, nothing bothers him. Secretariat, he didn't like an off track, he got beat a couple of times on an off track. The horse he reminds me the most of is Spectacular Bid, because Spectacular Bid was like that: he'd rate, he'd go to the lead, he'd handle any surface."

Cigar $9,999,815 / Skip Away $9,616,360 / Silver Charm $6,944,369 Smarty Jones ima �ansu da do�e na vrh liste po zaradi svih vremena u smo devet startova...

     Ukoliko Smarty Jones dobije Belmont Stakes, glavna ulica pokraj hipodroma u Filadelfiji �e biti preimenovana u "Smarty Jones Boulevard"...

Belmont Park subota 22.maj
$200,000 "Peter Pan Stakes" 1.800m
(priprema za Belmont Stakes)
1.Purge (R.Velasquez) 1:47.89 63/4d 3.4
2.Swing for the Fences (S.Bridgmohan) 13/4d  3.Master David (A.Solis)   4.Pies Prospect (J.Castellano)
5.Intimidator 6.Zakocity 7.FriendsLake 8.SinisterG 9.Consecrate 10.WildWadi
dubl po redu 19.1 / triling po redu 52.0
Purge je u prethodna dva starta sa Smarty-jem bio 2.(Rebel Stakes) i 5.(Arkansas Derby). ``We thought we had a good chance today,'' trener Todd Pletcher``Part of the key was that we weren't being chased by Smarty Jones. We didn't really plan on running in the Belmont, so we'll play it by ear. I would say that anything is a possibility.''

Kako su dobijali i gubili...

Funny Cide (2003) >>
Trener: Barclay Tagg
7.jun Belmont Stakes -- Samo 5 protivnika, me�u kojima i Empire Maker(KyDerby - 2) koji je i dobio trku.Funny Cide je stigao tre�i. Empire Maker je propustio Preakness posle drugog mesta u derbiju i kasnije se potvrdilo ozledom kopita koja je i bila uzrok povla�enja iz trka na kraju sezone.
Workouts June 3 Bel 5f :57 4/5 --- May 28 Bel 5f :59 2/5

War Emblem (2002)
Trener: Bob Baffert
8.jun Belmont Stakes -- Sarava, pobednik "Sir Barton Stakes" na dan Preakness-a, iznenadio pobedom i kvotom 70-1 sve na Belmont-u.  War Emblem se spotakao na startu i tek osmi, �to je najlo�iji plasman svih pobednika Derby/Preakness u Belmont Stakes.
Workouts June 4 CD 5f 1:01 --- May 29 CD 5f 1:00 3/5

Charismatic (1999)
Trener: D. Wayne Lukas
5.jun Belmont Stakes -- Charismatic tek tre�i,pobednik je bio Lemon Drop Kid. Pokojni Chris Antley je po prolasku u cilj sko�io iz sedla i podigav�i nogu spasio Charismatic-a. Faktura obe kosti prednje leve noge je bila tajna naglog popu�tanja u pravcu nesu�enog osvaja�a triple krune.
Workouts June 1 CD 5f 1:00 2/5 --- May 25 CD 6f 1:16 2/5

Real Quiet (1998)
Trener: Bob Baffert
6.jun Belmont Stakes -- Iako je imao prednost od 4 du�ine na ulasku u pravac, Real Quiet je izgubio za nju�ku od upornog  i drugoplasiranog  u prethodne dve trke Derby/Preakness, Victory Gallop-a (CAN).
>>
Workouts June 2 CD 5f 1:01 --- May 28 CD 5f :59 4/5

Silver Charm (1997)
Trener: Bob Baffert
7.jun Belmont Stakes -- Touch Gold, koji je imao o�ajan start u Preakness-u, bio je za 3/4d bolji od Silver Charm-a. Ina�e, ovaj zekan koji je umalo dobio triplu krunu je ve�inu trka dobijao ili gubio sa jako malim marginama.
Workouts June 3 CD 5f 1:01 --- May 28 CD 6f 1:14 4/5

Sunday Silence (1989)
Trener: Charlie Whittingham
10.jun Belmont Stakes -- Sunday Silence ni�ta nije mogao protiv drugoplasiranog u Derby/Preakness, Easy Goer -a.
Workouts June 6 Bel 3f :37 --- June 3 Bel 8f 1:39 3/5 --- May 26 Bel 3f :37 2/5

Alysheba (1987)
Trener: Jack Van Berg
6.jun Belmont Stakes -- Bet Twice, drugoplasiranu Derby/Preakness, nadmo�no sa 14ddobija trku,  Alysheba (4).
Workouts May 31 Bel 8f 1:44 --- May 25 Bel 8f 1:41 3/5

Pleasant Colony (1981) >>
Trener: John Campo
6. Belmont Stakes -- Pleasant Colony rtre�i iza Summing-a, koji je potvrdio da je njegovo vreme u radu na milju od 1:37.9 za respekt te nedelje na Belmontu.
Workouts June 3 Bel 4f :46 1/5 --- May 30 Bel 8f 1:39 2/5 --- May 24 Bel 5f :59 4/5

Spectacular Bid (1979)
>>
Trener: Bud Delp
9.jun Belmont Stakes -- Spectacular Bid, koga su misteriozna �ioda u kopitu pre trke, kao i o�ajno jahanje u samoj trci omeli da dobije i Belmont, bio je tek tre�i. Pobednik Coastal, je bio impresivan u pobedi od 13d u "Peter Pan Stakes" pre ove trke.
Workouts June 8 Bel 3f :34 1/5 --- June 4 Bel 8f 1:39 --- May 31 Pim 7f 1:26

Affirmed (1978) Triple Crown Winner >>
Trener: Lazaro Barrera
10.jun Belmont Stakes -- Trka u kojoj je Affirmed bio za nju�ku bolji od Derby/Preakness drugoplasiranog Alydar-a smatra se najboljom trkom u istoriji Belmont Stakes-a.
Workouts June 7 Bel 5f 1:01 --- June 1 Bel 8f 1:40 1/5

Seattle Slew (1977) Triple Crown Winner >>
Trener: Billy Turner
11.jun Belmont Stakes -- Prvi nepora�en osvaja� triple krune je ovom pobedom od 4 du�ine do�ao do broja devet.
Workouts
June 10 Bel 3f :35 4/5
June 7 Bel 6f 1:11 3/5
June 2 Bel 8f 1:38 2/5

Secretariat (1973) Triple Crown Winner >>
Trener: Lucien Laurin
9.jun Belmont Stakes -- Durbin je bio od pomo�i kada je Secretariat dobio Belmont sa 31 du�inom u rekordnom vremenu 2:24 koje je i danas rekord distance. On je ujedno i prvi osvaja� triple krune posle 1948. kada je to uspelo Citation-u.
Workouts June 6 Bel 4f :46 3/5 --- June 1 Bel 8f 1:34 4/5 --- May 27 Bel 6f 1:12 1/5

Canonero II (1971) >>
Trener: Juan Arias
5.jun Belmont Stakes -- Canonero je rano poveo, ali je na kraju bio tek �etvrti. Pobednik autsajder Pass Catcher.
Workouts June 2 Bel 5f 1:04 --- May 26 Bel 4f :53 2/5

Majestic Prince (1969) >>
Trener John Longden
>>
7.jun Belmont Stakes -- Majestic Prince nije izdr�ao pritisak drugoplasiranog u Derby/Preakness, Arts and Letters, koji je imao dovoljno snage da dobije i "Metropolitan Handicap" izme�u Preakness-a i Belmont-a.
Workouts June 5 Bel 4f :45 4/5 --- June 1 Bel 9f 1:51 4/5 --- May 27 Bel 5f :58 2/5

    Svi osvaja�i triple krune>> do sada su imali bar jedan start na Belmontu pre odlu�uju�e trke. Devet od njih jedanaest je pobedilo, dok su samo Gallant Fox i Omaha bili drugoplasirani u prethodnom tr�anju na ovoj stazi. Ne i Smarty Jones. On nikada ranije nije tr�ao na ovoj brzoj ovalnoj stazi. Legendarni trener Woody Stephens koji ima pet uzastopnih pobeda u ovoj trci ima obi�aj da ka�e: "Oni soliteri umeju biti prokleto visoki kada pre�ete reku Hudson". Ali mnogi ne misle tako...

    Bob Baffert "Smarty Jones is a "freak of nature" who does not know how to lose. I feel like I won the Triple Crown with Real Quiet, I just didn't get paid for it. Having a race over the track has nothing to do with it. You just need a really good horse, a lot of luck, and for the competition to slacken."

    Jerry Bailey "That's interesting, but I don't buy into it at all. There are far more important factors that would have a play. What kind of condition is he in after the first two? And in my mind, the distance is always an obstacle. But Smarty Jones has already overcome that. He's outrun his pedigree, and who in there can beat him? The only horse I can think of who looked as unbeatable as Smarty Jones [going for the sweep] was Spectacular Bid. If Smarty Jones runs like he's been running, nobody beats him. He's run over all kinds of surfaces. He's not a horse that needs to take his track with him."

    Bobby Frankel "Seattle Slew used to get hot if somebody got too close to him. This colt, nothing bothers him. Secretariat, he didn't like an off track, he got beat a couple of times on an off track. The horse he reminds me the most of is Spectacular Bid, because Spectacular Bid was like that: he'd rate, he'd go to the lead, he'd handle any surface."

     "He looked like a superstar," Bobby Frankel, trener Empire Maker-a koji je pro�le godine osujetio Funny Cide u osvajanju triple krune "He looks like a cinch in the Belmont unless something goes wrong. He likes an off track. He likes a fast track. He's always in the race and doesn't need anyone to set the pace for him. He's a complete horse."

      "The more he races, the more he seems to be turning into a champion," Steve Cauthen, d�okej koji je sa Affirmed-om 1978 osvojio poslednju triplu krunu "He takes it all in, and is improving mentally and physically with each race. There's no rhyme or reason to why they are so special. All the great horses, they are a gift from above. You still need good fortune, but Smarty Jones is looking like he could be the horse."

      "The intriguing part of Smarty Jones is we don't feel like we've seen the bottom of him," Penny Chenery, vlasnica Secretariat-a koji je 1973 osvojio triplu krunu rekordnom pobedom u Belmonu od 31 du�ine "He seems to have limitless ability."

Smarty Jones je posle Spectacular Bid-a 1979 koji je dobio KyDerby i Preakness kao favorit. Uz to je i nadma�io najve�u marginu od 10d u cilju koju je do sada dr�ao Survivor jo� od 1873. U poslednjih osam godina, �est grla je dobilo prve dve trke za triplu krunu (Silver Charm 97, Real Quiet 98, Charismatic 99, War Emblem 02, Funny Cide 03, Smarty Jones 04) ali je Smarty imao najmanju kvotu (1.7) na kladionici od svih. Ide Belmont...

     Hipodrom Pimlico, Baltimore je otvoren 1870 na inicijativu guvernera Merilenda Oden Bowiea kada je i nastupio Preakness, prvo veliko ime tada�njeg galopa SAD koje je potr�alo na ovoj stazi. Preakness Stakes je ustanovljen 1873, dve godine pre nego je Lewis M.Clark postavio Kentucky Derby u trka�ki kalendar i prvobitna distanca je bila 2.400m. Potom je smanjena na 1.800m da bi od 1920 zadr�ana na 1.900m. Neko vreme je tr�an na Gravesend hipodromu, Brooklyn (15 godina). 1909 trka je vra�ena u Pimlico. Tako�e, 20-tih i po�etkom 30-ih godina 20.veka, Preakness se tr�ao pre KyDerby-ja, a zatim se tr�ao samo nedelju dana posle trke ru�a. sada�nji raspored na dve nedelje datira od po�etka 40-ih godina.

$1,000,000 "Preakness Stakes" 1.900m

1. Smarty Jones (S.Elliott) 1:55.59 111/2d 1.7
2. Rock Hard Ten (G.Stevens)
3. Eddington (J.Bailey)
4. Lion Heart (M.Smith)
5.
Imperialism 6.SirShackleton 7.Borrego 8.LittleMatthMan 9.SongoftheSword 10.WaterCannon
dubl po redu 12.3 / triling po redu 88.6
hipo kare po redu
115.3

Preakness 129 Field
Purse: $1,000,000 added; 1 3/16 miles
Post Horse Jockey Trainer M/L Odds
  1. Lion Heart M. Smith P. Biancone  3-1
  2. Borrego V. Espinoza B. Greely  15-1
  3. Little Matth Man R. Migliore M. Ciresa  50-1
  4. The Cliff's Edge S. Sellers N. Zito  8-1
  5. Song of the Sword J. Chavez J. Pedersen  30-1
  6. Sir Shackleton R. Bejarano N. Zito  30-1
  7. Smarty Jones S. Elliott J. Servis  8-5
  8. Imperialism K. Desormeaux K. Mulhall  5-1
  9. Eddington J. Bailey M. Hennig  8-1
10. Rock Hard Ten G. Stevens J. Orman  6-1
11. Water Cannon R. Fogelsonger L. Albert  30-1

st.b   pobeda   poslednji pobednik
----     -------     -----------
  1         9         1994 - Tabasco Cat
  2        11        1986 - Snow Chief
  3        11        1993 - Prairie Bayou
  4        12        2000 - Red Bullet
  5        10        1976 - Elocutionist
  6        14        1999 - Charismatic
  7        11        1997 - Silver Charm
  8         9         2002 - War Emblem
  9         3         2003 - Funny Cide
 10        2         1998 - Real Quiet
 11        2         2001 - Point Given
 12        2         1981 - Pleasant Colony

*  1918. Preakness je imao dva tr�anja

   Sude�i po treneru Servisu, nismo uzalud kao najve�e favorite uz prva tri iz derbija predstavili upravo grla Eddington i Rock Hard Ten...

    ``When my horse goes to make his move, I think Rock Hard Ten and Eddington will move, too,'' trener  Smarty Jones-a, John Servis  ``Instead of one horse, Lion Heart will have three or four chasing him.'The last thing I want is for my horse to go too soon,''

    ``We play to win, obviously,'' trener Lion Heart-a, Biancone ``I know it's going to be very difficult to beat Smarty Jones, but we are going to try. If we do it, well done. If we cannot, we cannot. You cannot punish your horse because another one is better than him.''

    ``When my horse goes to make his move, I think Rock Hard Ten and Eddington will move, too,'' trener  Smarty Jones-a, John Servis  ``Instead of one horse, Lion Heart will have three or four chasing him.'The last thing I want is for my horse to go too soon,''

    We've had a lot of luck with number seven," trener  Smarty Jones-a, John Servis  Otac Smarty-ja, Elusive Quality je sa iste startne pozicije dobio u svoje vreme Rebel Stakes, a i Smarty je do sada nanizao sedam pobeda...

    "We may surprise some people," trener Lion Heart-a, Biancone"I took post one because we want to be on the inside. We're happy with the draw. If we had gone first we still would have taken Post 1."

    "We're ready for Saturday," trener Eddington-a, Mark Henning"He's been anxious. He was ready to run two weeks ago, and since then we've tried to keep him on an even keel. We opened his blinkers just a touch for this race.

Preakness workouts
sreda
Song of the Sword
1:01.8 1.000m
ponedeljak
Little Matth Man
0:46.8 800m / 0:59.4 1.000m
Rock Hard Ten
1:01.0 1.000m
Borrego
0:46.0 800m / 0:59.2 1.000m
nedelja
Sir Shackleton
0:59.2 1.000m
subota
The Cliff's Edge 0:48.4 800m

Imperialism (Langfuhr--Bodhavista/Pass the Tab) je u fini�u San Rafael Stakes osetio slast pobede nad Lion Heart-om u poslednjim metrima. U derbiju je kasno "uhvatio tlo pod nogama" na te�koj stazi i sa 17. do�ao na tre�e mesto. Ovoga puta �e biti manja gu�va na stazi, a i startuje tik uz prvog favorita Smarty-ja. Jak, borac u fini�u, ima jednu veliku trku vi�e kao iskustvo. Tu je i veliki d�okej Kent Desormeaux. InBreeding 3x4  Northern Dancer, 4x4x5 Nearctic, 4x5 Natalma, 5x5 Nearco, 5x5 *Lady Angela Dosage 3.00
2003 2.--Mecke S. 3.--Foolish Pleasure S.
2004 1.--San Rafael S. (G2) 1.--San Vicente S. (G2) 2.--Santa Anita Derby (G1) 3.--Kentucky Derby (G1)

  st I II III zarada
2003 11 3 3 1 $74,605
2004 5 2 1 1 $448,000

 

Lion Heart (Tale of the Cat - Satin Sunrise / Mr.Leader) veoma brz, mo�da i najbr�i od svih trogodaca koji su konkurisali za KyDerby. Na�e podse�anje da ga "hvataju" u poslednjim metrima na distancama od 1.800m se potvrdilo i u derbiju na 2.000m. Ipak, sr�anog borca konstantna forma i malo kra�a staza ovoga puta 1.900m dr�i u vrhu favorita za Preakness. Ono malo �to nedostaje kada je najte�e mo�da kona�no prona�e 15.maja. InBreeding  3x5  Hail to Reason // Dosage 3.00
2003 1.--Hollywood Futurity (G1) 1.--Hollywood Prevue S. (G3)
2004 2.--Kentucky Derby (G1) 2.--Blue Grass S. (G1) 2.--San Rafael S. (G2)

  st I II III zarada
2003 3 3 0 0 $310,800
2004 3 0 2 0 $360,000

Eddington(Unbridled-FashionStar/Chief'sCrown) sin Unbridled-a (KyDerby 1990) plasiran u svih 6 startova sti�e u Pimlico. U sedlu �e biti Jerry Bailey koji ima dve pobede u Preakness-u (Hansel 1991, Red Bullet 2000) i �iji je prvi izbor za trku ru�a bio upravo Eddington (poslednji plasman "Wood Memorial" III mesto; za 1/2d ispred su bili Tapit i Master David).  �Everything with the horse is okay, he is definitely doing well,� trener Mark Hennig. �He will do his usual routine today (Tuesday) and go out for a mile and three-quarters gallop.�  InBreeding 5x5  Aspidistra, 5x5  Somethingroyal // Dosage 1.92 

 

st

I II III zarada
2003 1 0 1 0 $9,200
2004 5 2 1 3 $140,360

Rock Hard Ten(Kris S.-Tersa/Mr.Prospector) jedan je od najinteresantnijih u�esnika. Privukao je pa�nju istr�av�i 101 u svom prvom startu u Santa Aniti. Formu je ponovio sa 99 i u drugom startu i pobedi. U tre�em startu bio je drugi iza Castledale u "Santa Anita Derby"-ju ali je distanciran na tre�e mesto zbog ometanja Imperialism-a. Ovo se pokazalo fatalnim za ulazak u prvih 20 za derbi. U sedlu �e biti Gary Stevens koji ga je jahao u prve dve pobede i koji posebno za ovu priliku dolazi iz Francuske gde ja�e ove sezone. InBreeding  3x4  Hail to Reason, 4x5  *Turn-to, 4x5  Nothirdchance, 4x4  Nashua, 5x5 to *Nasrullah // Dosage  2.11

  st I II III zarada
2004 2 2 0 1 $147,600

Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality-I'll Get Along/Smile)  InBreeding  5x5x5 to Bold Ruler  // Dosage  3.4

  st I I II III zarada
2004 5 5 0 0 $6,713,535
2003 2 2 0 0 $49,620

    Smarty Jones je istr�ao istu formu (107) kao i u pripremnim trkama "Rebel Stakes" i "Arkansas Derby", Read the Footnotes("Fountain of Youth" 113) i The Cliff's Edge i Lion Heart("Blue Grass Hand."111) su tr�ali bolje ove godine, dok je Pollard's Vision istr�ao istu formu 107 dobiv�i "Illinois Derby". Ve�ina je u derbiju podbacila:
Borrego (Kentucky Derby-83; Arkansas Derby 105)
Castledale (Kentucky Derby-70; Santa Anita Derby 103)
Friends Lake (Kentucky Derby-54; Florida Derby 92)
Master David (Kentucky Derby 80-Wood Memorial 97)
Minister Eric (Kentucky Derby 53-Keeneland allow. 100)
Pollard's Vision (Kentucky Derby 48; Illinois Derby 107)
Pro Prado (Kentucky Derby 78; Arkansas Derby 102)
Song of the Sword (Kentucky Derby 82; Lexington 97)
Tapit (Kentucky Derby 84; Wood Memorial 98)
The Cliff's Edge (Kentucky Derby 89; Blue Grass 111)
    Jedino grlo koje "nije osetilo" te�ku stazu u fini�u je Imperialism koji je sa 17.mesta do�ao tre�i. Grla retko imaju pad forme od 20-30 pa i 50, ne bez razloga. Ovoga puta jednostavno se ve�ina nije sna�la po veoma te�koj stazi, a slu�aj je hteo da derbi bude jedna od onih trka koje su imale te�ke uslove.
  
Smarty je istr�ao konstantno dobru formu. Njegova pobeda nije bila slu�aj, niti da to ne mo�e ponoviti za dve nedelje. Prate�i vremena u brzom radu pred derbi, S
marty je imao najbolje vreme. To nije bilo razmetanje. Uz napomenu da ovoga puta startuju i Eddington(prvi izbor Bailey-a) i Rock Hard Ten, samo malo nedostaje da Smarty Jones "napravi siguran posao".

      Guverner Pensilvanije Ed Rendell posetio Smarty Jones-a povodom progla�enja 15.maja za  Smarty Jones Day u Pensilvaniji.
     Smarty Jones prvi put na Philadelphia Park-u na javnom treningu posle derbija pred velikim brojem gledalaca. Smarty je poslednji put trenirao na doma�oj stazi jo� prve nedelje januara, kada ga je bolje poznavala tek nekolicina.
      Stewart Elliott dobio licencu za Preakness Stakes!!!
     Eddington i Jerry Bailey �e kona�no biti u prilici da poka�u da im je bilo mesta me�u 20 na Churchill Downs. O�ekuje se njihov siguran nastup u Preakness Stakes 15.maja
     Dan pre
Preakness Stakes u $500,000 "Pimlico Special" Gr-1 o�ekuje se start: Funny Cide(dobio Preakness pro�le godine sa 93/4d), Midway Road, Dynever, Southern Image i Evening Attire. Tip bgturf-a je Southern Image...
     
Smarty Jones ipak siguran putnik za Baltimor. O�ekivani starteri su jo� i derbisti LionHeart, TheCliff'sEdge, Imperialism, Borrego uz "novajlije" RockHardTen, Eddington i WaterCannon. "He's doing great," trener Smarty-ja, John Servis "I see no reason why we wouldn't be heading to the Preakness. This story is great for our industry."
   Rock Hard Ten i Eddington najavljeni za Preakness Stakes. U poslednjih 50 godina samo �est grla je dobilo Preakness, a da nisu prethodno startovala u derbiju: GreekMoney (1962), BeeBeeBee (1972), Aloma'sRuler (1982), DeputedTestamony(1983) i RedBullet (2000). Najpoznatiji pobednik Preakness-a  bez starta u derbiju je Man o' War(1920).


$500,000 "Pimlico Special" 1.900m
1.Southern Image (V.Espinoza) 1:55.89 2.9
2. Midway Road (R.Albarado) 11/4d
3. Bowman's Band (R.Dominguez)
4. Evening Attire (E.Prado)
5. Dynever (C.Nakatani)
6. Ole Faunty (P.Day)
Funny Cide nije startovao (fav 1.5 uz Dynever)
dubl po redu 17.0 / triling po redu 125.4
hipo kare po redu 168.4
�esta pobeda u sedam startova za Southern Image, lak�e nego �to govori margina od 11/4d. Da podsetimo da je Southern Image bio i na� tip za ovu trku
, iako su svi o�ekivali revan� Funny Cide i Midway Road iz pro�logodi�njeg Preakness Stakes, kao i Dynever-a koji tokom �itave trke nije bio "u igri".
``That was quite a stretch duel,'' d�okej Espinoza ``I didn't know when we would go by, but I had confidence we would. I thought I had the best horse and that's why I didn't want to move too soon.''

Ultimatebet.com 1,000 Guineas Stakes
Newmarket Gr-1 1.609m
1 Attraction (K Darley) 11-2
2 Sundrop (K McEvoy) 16-1
3 Hathrah (R Hills) 6-1
16 grla ½l, ½l.

Ultimatebet.com 2,000 Guineas Stakes  
Newmarket Gr-1 1.609m
1 Haafhd (R Hills) 11-2
2 Snow Ridge (L Dettori) 8-1
3 Azamour (M Kinane) 25-1
14 grla Dist: 1¾l, 1l.

Kentucky Oaks $572,000 Gr-1 1.800m 3g.
1. Ashado  (R.Velasquez) 1:50.8 3.3
2. Island Sand (T.J.Thompson)
3. Madcap Escapade (J.Bailey)
4.VictoryU.S.A. 5.HollywoodStory 6.A.P.Adventure 7.StellarJayne 8.HouseofFortune 9.LastSong 10.SilentSighs 11.ClassAbove

Kentucky Derby $1,000,000 Gr-1 2.000m 3g.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.Smarty Jones (S.Elliott) 2:04.6 5.1
 trener: John Servis / Someday Farm
 
2.Lion Heart (M.Smith) 23/4d
 
3.Imperialism (K.Desormeux) 1d
 4.Limehouse (J.Santos)
5.TheCliff'sEdge 6.ActionThisDay 7.ReadtheFootnotes 8.Birdstone 9.Tapit 10.Borrego 11.SongoftheSword 12.MasterDavid 13.ProPrado 14.Castledale 15.FriendsLake 16.Minister Eric 17.Pollard'sVision 18.Quinton'sGoldRush
dubl po redu 32.5 triling po redu 493.8
hipo kare po redu 20
690.1

Smarty Jones
(Elusive Quality - I'll Get Along / Smile)

startovi/pobede
2003 2/2
2004 5/5

Posle Fusaichi Pegasus-a 2000, Smarty Jones je jedini favorit na kladionici u 25 godina koji je i dobio Kentucky Derby, a posle Lil E.T. jedino grlo odgojeno u Pensilvaniji. Poslednji put debitanti na derbiju su odneli pobedu pre 25 godina.Tada su Grover "Buddy" Delp (trener), Ronnie Franklin (d�okej) i Spectacular Bid dobili ne samo Ky Derby, ve� i Preakness. Ipak, triplu krunu je poslednji put osvojio prethodne 1978. Affirmed.

"We bunched up a bit on the first turn but things turned out great," d�okej Elliott "It was good trip."

Prvih 1.600m vodio je Lion Heart, dok je poslednjih 400m pripalo nepora�enom Smarty Jones-u koji sada sa bonusom od $5M (Rebel - ArkansasDerby - KyDerby) ima ukupnu zaradu od $6,733,000. Posle Seattle Slew-a, Smarty Jones (7-7) je jedini nepora�eni pobednik trke ru�a. To be continued?

KENTUCKY DERBY 130 UNOFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH

1 Horse Owner Trainer Jockey
1 SMARTY JONES Someday Farm John Servis Stewart Elliott
2 LION HEART Michael Tabor &
Derrick Smith
Patrick Biancone Mike Smith
3 IMPERIALISM Steve Taub Kristin Mulhall Kent Desormeaux
4 LIMEHOUSE Dogwood Stable Todd Pletcher Jose Santos
5 THE CLIFF'S EDGE Robert V. La Penta Nick Zito Shane Sellers
6 ACTION THIS DAY B. Wayne Hughes Richard Mandella David Flores
7 READ THE FOOTNOTES Klaravich Stables Richard Violette Robby Albarado
8 BIRDSTONE Mary Lou Whitney Nick  Zito Edgar Prado
9 TAPIT Winchell Thoroughbreds Michael Dickinson Ramon Dominguez
10 BORREGO Jon Kelly, Ralls & Foster, LLC, Brad Scott, Et Al Beau Greely Victor Espinoza
11 SONG OF THE SWORD Ernie Paragallo Jennifer Pederson Norberto Arroyo Jr
12 MASTER DAVID Georgica Stable Bobby Frankel Alex Solis
13 PRO PRADO Mrs. James A. Winn Bob Holthus John McKee
14 CASTLEDALE Frank Lyons & Greg Knee Jeff Mullins Jose Valdivia Jr
15 FRIENDS LAKE Chester Broman John Kimmel Richard Migliore
16 MINISTER ERIC Diamond A Racing Corporation Richard Mandella Pat Day
17 POLLARD'S VISION Edgewood Farms Todd Pletcher John Velazquez
18 QUINTONS GOLD RUSH Padua Stables &
Jay Manoogian
Steve Asmussen Corey Nakatani

 

workouts / vremena na 1.000m
utorak
Master David 1:00.8
Minister Eric 0:50.1
800m
ponedeljak
The Cliff's Edge 0:47.5 800m
Read the Footnotes 0:47.6
800m
Lion Heart 0:47.8
800m /Lion Heart proveo 30' na Churchill Downs i vra�en na Lexington
Rock Hard Ten 0:59.4
/Rock Hard Ten impresivan u treningu, ali jo� nije kvalifikovan za Derby (22)
The Cliff's Edge 1:01.0
Quinton's Gold Rush 1:01.4
nedelja / te�ka staza
Wimbledon 0:59.4 Friends Lake 1:00.3
Borrego 1:03.6
subota
Smarty Jones 0:58.0 Birdstone 0:58.4

Louisville, Ky (if you speak)
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U 28 graded stakes trka ove godine pobedu je odnelo 25 grla, samo tri su dva puta trijumfovala. Od ta tri, dva startuju u trci ru�a. Ko �e prvi pro�i kroz cilj na Churchill Downs u subotu? Hmmm...

Wimbledon obrisan zbog otkrivene povrede potkolenice, a St.Averil povreenog kopita. �teta je da su dva grla sa ozbiljnim �ansama Eddington i Rock Hard Ten izostala iz trke kao 21. i 22. grlo. Posebno ako se uzme u obzir da je Jerry Bailey prvo izabrao da ja�e Eddingtona, pa je kao drugi izbor u obzir uzeo Wimbledona.

Poslednji put debitanti na derbiju su odneli pobedu pre 25 godina.Tada su Grover "Buddy" Delp (trener), Ronnie Franklin (d�okej) i Spectacular Bid dobili ne samo Ky Derby, ve� i Preakness. Ipak, triplu krunu je poslednji put osvojio prethodne 1978. Affirmed. U subotu rookie ekipu ima Smarty Jones.

Pobednici po startnim mestima (od 1900)

st.b.   pobednika   poslednji
----     -------   ---------
 1         12      1986 (Ferdinand)
 2          9      1978 (Affirmed)
 3          8      1998 (Real Quiet)
 4         10     1977 (Seattle Slew)
 5         12     2003 (Funny Cide)
 6          7      1993 (Sea Hero)
 7          7      1981 (Sea Colony)
 8          8      1994 (Go For Gin)
 9          4      1972 (Riva Ridge)
10         9      1992 (Lil E. Tee)
11         3      1988 (Winning Colors)
12         3      1971 (Cannonero II)
13         3      1968 (Forward Pass)
14         2      1961 (Carry Back)
15         3      2000 (Fusaichi Pegasus)
16         3      2001 (Monarchos)
17         0      -
18         1      1982 (Gato Del Sol)
19         0      -
20         1      1929 (Clyde Van Dusen)
21         0      -
22         0      -
23         0      -

 

Plasman favorita (od 1980)
god.   favorit                        u cilju
----   --------                               ----
2003   Empire Maker                 2
2002   Harlan's Holiday              7
2001   Point Given                     5
2000   Fusaichi Pegasus           1
1999   Excellent Meeting
*         5
       General Challenge
*          11
1998   Indian Charlie                  3
1997   Captain Bodgit                2
1996   Unbridled Song               5
1995   Serena's Song              16
1994   Holy Bull                      12
1993   Prairie Bayou                 2
1992   Arazi                             8
1991   Hansel                         10
1990   Mister Frisky                  8
1989   Easy Goer                     2
1988   Private Terms                 9
1987   Demons Begone        odustao
1986   Snow Chief                   11
1985   Chief's Crown                 3
1984   Life's Magic                    8
1983   Marfa                             5
1982   Air Forbes Won              7
1981   Proud Appeal               18
1980   Rockhill Native               5

* podjednaki favoriti

 

"Put a bridle on another dream and saddle up the wind," stihovi pesme Shane Sellers-a koji je jedno vreme karijeru d�okeja zapostavio radi muzike snimiv�i album "Back to Riding Rainbows" sa 11 pesama. Ipak, evo njega u sedlu favorita (ako uop�te ima takvog) The Cliff's Edge (4-1).

Eddington i Rock Hard Ten nisu u�li u 20 i bi�e pisani za Preakness Stakes 15.maja. Prvi put od 1984 kada je uvedeno ograni�enje na 20 start ma�ina je puna. Postoji mogu�nost da tako ne�e ostati ako se ipune upozorenja nekih jaha�a da �e bojkovati trke ako im se ne dozvoli da na pantalonama nose reklamne oznake. Churchill Downs poput Wimbledona(London:) ima strogi kodeks obla�enja.

Michael Dickinson ima prvog startera u 17 godina. To je gromoglasno najavljivani pobednik "Laurel Futurity" kupljen za $625,000, potom usled povrede gotovo otpisani Tapit. Posle dve pobede kao dvogodac, povredio je obe potkolenice, a zatim je nai�la i plu�na infekcija. Ovaj svetli zekan je sve iznenadio odli�nim tr�anjem u "Wood-u" kada je dobio trku ispred Master Davida i Eddingtona. Ve�ina trenera trenira grla na stazi. Ne i Dickinson "The Mad Scientist". Izgradio je 1998. Tapeta Farm na oko 200 jutara zemlje. Tu su tri travnate staze, jedna peskovita otporna na razli�ite vremenske uslove, kao i 40 ultra-modernih boksova za grla u treningu. Otpo�eo je karijeru kao trener u Steeple Chase, da bi u galop u�ao 1986. kod pokojnog Sangstera,koji ga je otpustio posle �est meseci.  Poznat je po tome �to je posle dve godine odsustva sa staze usled povre�ene potkolenice, Da Hoss, pobednik Breeders' Cup Mile 96 pod njegovim staranjem uz samo jednu pripremnu trku dobio ponovo Breeders' Cup Mile 98. Poslednje grlo koje je uz samo 4 prethodna starta dobilo KyDerby je Exterminator 1918. ``Mi jo� nismo videli Tapita u najboljem izdanju, tako da ne mo�emo znati kolike su mu mogu�nosti'' ka�e Dickinson.

Kristin Mulhall(21) ima �anse da postane najmla�i trener koji je dobio KyDerby. Do danas rekord dr�i James Rowe Sr (!!!) koji je imao 24 godine kada je 1881. doveo Hindoo do pobede. Samo je devet �ena do sada sedlalo grla u trci ru�a; najbli�a pobedi je bila Shelley Riley 1992. kada je Casual Lies bio drugi. Kristin je trenersku licencu dobila tek pre dve godine. U treningu ima oko 40 grla od kojih je 14 u vlasni�tvu Steve Taub-a me�u kojima je i Imperialism. Njen otac Richard je bio trener u Thoroughbred Corp u vlasni�tvu pokojnog princa Ahmed bin Salman-a koji je i njen kum, ali nije trenirao pobednika iz 2002 - War Emblem.

The Cliff's Edge (Gulch - Zigember / Danzig) (0:47.5 800m u ponedeljak) pobednik "Blue Grass Stakes", koga smo i mi prognozirali (kao i Lion Heart(2) i Limehouse(3) :). Iako ve� vi�e od �etvrt veka pobednik ove trke nije dobio KyDerby, ovoga puta mora se ozbiljno uzeti njegov nastup. Tek tre�i izbor trenera Nick Zita (Eurosilver - infekcija i odustajanje, Birdstone - povreda, duga pauza), izbio je u prvi plan. Pro�le nedelje u radu 59.6 na 1.000m. Neumoljiv u zavr�nici trke (punom snagom tr�i tek poslednje tri osmine distance). Veliki, jak, bez mnogo oscilacija.

Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality - I'll Get Along / Smile) je na velika vrata u�ao zaobilaznim putem. Jedinu zaradu u stakes 3g. trkama je zabele�io u svom �estom startu pobedom u $1M "Arkansas Derby-ju". Jedini nepora�eni u�esnik. Ukoliko dobije Kentucky, sleduje mu bonus od $5M za "Rebel","Arkanas Deby" i "Kentucky", a ako dobije i "Preakness" i "Belmont" tu je odavno obe�ani i jo� nedodeljeni VISA bonus od jo $5M. Jaha�e ga kao i do sada nepoznati Stewart Elliott(38) koji je svojih 3000 pobeda sakupio na manjim hipodromima. No� pre starta u "Arkansas Derby-ju", Elliott nije mogao da spava i iznajmio je film"Poslednji samuraj" koji ga je uspavao. Za no� pred derbi ka�e:"I probably won't sleep that good, I'll try to get into a movie or something. Keep my mind off it. You might have 20 horses; he's got to go a mile and a quarter. Just try to save him, slow him up a little; not to get cooked, that's the biggest thing." Da se pri�a o Pepeljuzi zaokru�i, "Pametnjakovi�" je kao jarling do�iveo te�ku frakturu lobanje i povredu levog oka udariv�i u ogradu, tako da se i danas pla�i pri ulasku u start ma�inu.

Kristin Mulhall, trener grla Imperialism, sa 21 godinom je najmla�i trener koji je imao start u KyDerby-ju. Tokom jutarnjeg treninga je imao i nezvanu go��u, kada je Azeri (horse of the year 2002) iza�la na stazu. "On bolje radi u dru�tvu nego sam" rekla je potom Kristin Mulhall. Dobio San Felipe Stakes i drugi u Santa Anita Derby. U sedlu �e biti Kent Desormeaux.

Pedesetogodi�njicu pobede, penzionisani d�okej Ray York(70) koji je 1954. sa Determine dobio KyDerby, proslavi�e u Las Vegasu gde �e sa prijateljima i rodbinom gledati prenos trke. York je jedini pre�iveli od svih koji su na bilo koji na�in bili bili povezani sa Determine. Ovo grlo je ina�e prvi zekan koji je dobio trku ru�a. Malo pitanje: ko je poslednji zekan koji je dobio Kentucky Derby?

Bobby Frankel (0-6) �e poku�ati jo� jednom da dobije trku ru�a. Pro�le godine je umalo uspeo u tome: Empire Maker(2), Peace Rules(3). Ovoga puta ime favorita iz senke je Master David! "I like being in that position, to be honest with you," trener Master Davida, Bobby Frankel "You'd always like to have the best horse in the race, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way."

Top 30 za Kentucky Derby 2004
- kriterijum za start je zarada u stakes trkama za trogoda grla -

1. The Cliff's Edge $793,258
2. Action This Day $780,000
3. Friends Lake $611,000
4. Smarty Jones $600,000
5. Tapit $530,000
6. Castledale $510,000
7. Limehouse $478,405
8. Lion Heart $475,600
9. Read the Footnotes $397,860
10. Wimbledon $375,000
11. Pollard's Vision $366,000
12. Imperialism $363,000
13. Minister Eric $350,000
14. Birdstone $327,000
15. Borrego $320,000
16. Sinister G $302,500
17. Quintons Gold Rush $258,500
18. Value Plus $252,500
19. St Averil $215,200
20. Master David $208,000


21. Preachinatthebar $159,000
22. Saratoga County $156,500
23. Fire Slam $143,000
24. Song of the Sword $132,500
25. Pro Prado $105,685
26. Tricky Taboo $100,000
27. Pomeroy $ 96,250
28. Eddington $ 95,000
29. Rock Hard Ten $ 90,000
30. Mustanfar $ 87,500
31. Skipaslew $ 70,000

Top 10 by Richard Rosenblatt, AP

1. Master David (Bobby Frankel, trainer; Alex Solis, jockey) -- Never-give-up colt may be ready for perfect trip that would give Frankel his first Derby win. ... Derby future wager odds (pool 3): 12-1.

2. Smarty Jones (John Servis, Stewart Elliott) -- Pennsylvania-bred horse training at Keeneland before moving to Churchill Downs early next week. ... Arkansas Derby winner, 6-for-6, will be 18th undefeated horse to run in Derby -- four have won. ... Odds: 10-1.

3. The Cliff's Edge (Nick Zito, Shane Sellers) -- Likely Derby morning-line favorite off impressive Blue Grass win. ... 2-for-2 at Churchill Downs. ... Odds: 16-1.

4. Friends Lake (John Kimmel, Richard Migliore) -- Worked five furlongs in very slow 1:03 at Payson Park in Florida on Saturday. ... Florida Derby winner headed to Louisville in next few days. ... Odds: 22-1.

5. Tapit (Michael Dickinson, Ramon Dominguez) -- Wood win looking even more impressive as days go by. ... Well-bred gray has overcome sore shins and lung infection to win three of four career starts. ... Odds: 23-1.

6. Borrego (Beau Greely, Victor Espinoza) -- Comes into Derby off three runner-up finishes -- to Smarty Jones (Arkansas Derby), Wimbledon (Louisiana Derby) and Master David (Sham). ... Odds: 16-1.

7. Imperialism (Kristin Mulhall, Kent Desormeaux) -- San Rafael winner worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 at Hollywood Park last week. ... Desormeaux replaces Espinoza. ... Odds 15-1.

8. Read the Footnotes (Rick Violette Jr., Jerry Bailey) -- Fountain of Youth winner worked a mile in 1:40 at Palm Meadows in Florida last week. ... Heads to Churchill Downs later this week. ... Hasn't raced since finishing fourth in Florida Derby.  Odds: 17-1.

9. Quintons Gold Rush (Steve Asmussen, Bailey) -- Asmussen replaced Mike Mitchell before Lexington win. ... Bailey has a choice to make. ... Odds: 76-1.

10. Lion Heart (Patrick Biancone, Mike Smith) -- Lion Heart was 3-for-3 last year and has two runner-up finishes this year (in the Blue Grass and San Rafael). ... Odds: 16-1.

Keep in mind: Birdstone, Eddington, Minister Eric, Pollard's Vision, Wimbledon.

Keeneland $325,000 "Lexington Stakes" 1.700m 3g.
1.Quinton's Gold Rush  (J.Bailey) 1:43.82 6.7
2.Fire Slam (P.Day) 23/4d
3.Song of the Sword (N.Arroyo Jr)
4.Pomeroy
5.DashboardDrummer 6.ElPradoRob 7.SaratogaCounty 8.TotallyPlatinum 9.TigerHeart 10.Gamblin 11.Bride'sBestBoy 12.Suave 13.RaceforGlory 14.Boomzeeboom
Dubl po redu 41.9 / bez reda 17.0
Triling po redu 142.7
Hipo Kare po redu 942.4
Pred
rekordnih 31,028 gledalaca, Quinton's Gold Rush je obezbedio mesto me�u 20 za KyDerby 1.maja. Ovo mu je druga pobeda u pet startova i prva od kako je u treningu kod Steve Asmussen-a.

Pred Kentucky Derby... Sve su prilike da �e biti puna start ma�ina za trku ru�a. U tom slu�aju �e statovati prvih 20 po zaradi u trogoda�koj sezoni. Poslednji put to se dogodilo 2002 (usled kasnog brisanja startovalo je 18), a pre toga jo� 1994. Mo�da kao nikada do sada nema tako jasnih favorita, veliki broj grla ima realnih �ansi.  The Cliff's Edge je i pored 14 du�ina zaostatka u fini�u dobio "Blue Grass" i to solidnim vremenom(24.6 / 12.4) u poslednjih 600m. Kent Desormeaux �e jahati Imperialism.  Victor Espinoza sa Imperialism prelazi u sedlo Borrego za derbi. Read the Footnotes ima veliku pauzu. Smarty Jones je sme�ten na Lexington-u umesto na Churchill Downs zbog buke usled radova na rekonstrukciji tribina; pobedu u "Arkansas Derby" je priveo kraju odli�nim vremenom(12.6) u poslednjih 200m po toga dana o�ajno sporoj stazi. Tre�eplasirani u istoj trci, Pro Prado, bi�e ne�e biti zvezda 1.maja pre trke, a imao je odli�na vremena po frakcijama (22.6,24.2,24.8,25.2 i 12.6). Wimbledon i Preachatthebar menjaju jaha�a, Baffert nezadovoljan �injenicom da Javier Santiago ima poslednja dva poraza sa njima. Ovaj drugi ima �ansi da u�e me�u 20 jer se o�ekuje da �e Value Plus i St.Averil biti pisani za neku drugu trku na dan derbija. Quinton's Gold Rush je dobio Lexington samo dve nedelje pred derbi i samo dve nedelje posle Santa Anita Derby-ja, te �e imati tri te�ke trke u �etiri nedelje. Tapit po re�ima vlasnika je mnogo vredniji zdrav nego da tr�i ukoliko se odista nije oporavio, uprkos trijumfu u "Wood Memorial" (�to svakako pozdravljamo). Omaleni Master David je �vrst u fini�u, bez obzira je li u pitanju veliki alati Borrego ili jo� ve�i alati Eddington; oba puta se iznutra provukao pored nih i bio bolji, a njegov niz drugih mesta prati �ablon velikih derbi pobednika (Funny Cide, Monarchos, Real Quiet, Silver Charm, Grindstone, Go for Gin). Ukoliko Eddington ne u�e u derbi, koliko �e biti velikih tih par centimetara zaostatka u cilju iza Master Davida ("Wood" Tapit-Master-Eddington u pola du�ine)? Lion Heart je izgubio poslednje dve trke za vrat u poslednjim metrima na 1.800m, ima li �ansi u duga�kom pravcu Churchill Downs-a na 2.000m? Toliko jo� pitanja, ali odgovora nema...