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Saturday, April 03, 1999
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Derby picture coming in focus
By Richard Eng
Review-Journal
HIALEAH, Fla. -- The Road to the Kentucky Derby finally ends for Florida and California today.
One prep race should have a major impact on the May 1 Derby field; the other will not. Both will be run at 1 1/8 miles, but that's where the similarity ends.
The $250,000 Flamingo Stakes will be on ABC (Channel 13) from 12:30-1 p.m., and the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby will be on Fox (Channel 5) from 2-3.
The Flamingo at Hialeah Park was formerly a race as prestigious as the Santa Anita Derby. Now only the ornate Spanish architecture reminds fans of the former greatness in these hallowed Hialeah hallways.
Prime Directive, trained by Patrick Byrne, is a 2-1 favorite in the Flamingo, but with Pat Day aboard, probably will go off at a much shorter price. He faces seven horses in quest of a $150,000 first prize.
"I had eyed the Flamingo because you don't get many spots this soft for that kind of money, " trainer Mike Gorham said in the most candid racing quote of the week.
His colt Shut Out Time was made 15-1, the longest odds in the field.
At Santa Anita Park, another eight-pack squares off for a $450,000 first prize in the Santa Anita Derby. Desert Hero is the starting 5-2 morning-line favorite, and Honest Lady is the 4-1 fourth choice.
Honest Lady's trainer, Bobby Frankel, must have read Carl Nafzger's book about pre-race instructions. Nafzger told Shane Sellers to ride his own race on Vicar in the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby, both wins.
Frankel's instructions to the filly's rider, Kent Desormeaux, were, "I'm going to let Kent decide what he wants to do once they come out of there."
She was trapped in a vicious speed duel in the San Rafael and ran a remarkable race to lose by one length to Desert Hero.
Trainer Bob Baffert would like nothing better than for history to repeat itself in the Santa Anita Derby. He finished one-two last year with Indian Charlie and Real Quiet. In the Kentucky Derby, Real Quiet upset his stablemate, who finished third as a beaten favorite.
Today, Baffert starts General Challenge and Prime Timber.
"It's possible they could finish one-two," Baffert said. "But Desert Hero might be a good horse and Bobby's (Frankel) really high on Honest Lady. Overall, this is one of the toughest years I've seen for 3-year-olds. It's hard to predict what's going to happen."
General Challenge, owned by John and Betty Mabee's Golden Eagle Farm, put on blinkers in morning workouts and blazed six furlongs in 1:10 on Monday and five furlongs in 57 3/5 March 23. He appears ready, to say the least.
The mid-week jockey squabble over who would ride General Challenge ended with Gary Stevens regaining the mount as Chris McCarron shifted to John Shirreffs' High Wire Act.
Owner Aaron U. Jones is dead game, if nothing else. He reported Friday he turned down a $6 million offer for Prime Timber from Sheik Mohammed.
"They kept raising the ante," Jones said. "But I'm not about to sell him, not even for $20 million. I finally told them to stop calling."
Prime Timber is the 7-2 morning-line third choice, according to Santa Anita oddsmaker Jeff Tufts, this off an impressive upset victory in the March 13 San Felipe over retired stablemate Exploit and High Wire Act.
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