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KENTUCKY DERBY REPORT FEBRUARY 18, 2010 by James Scully Bad weather continued to wreak havoc with the three-year-old stakes schedule, delaying the Southwest S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park five days from Monday, but there was still plenty to recap with the Sam F. Davis S. (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, and the Robert B. Lewis S. (G2) and San Vicente S. (G2) at Santa Anita. The stakes action will be in full swing this Saturday with five graded events. Sam Davis After facing pressure on the front end, RULE (Roman Ruler) accelerated clear from the competition in midstretch and made it look easy in the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis. The WinStar homebred extended his win streak to three, all in wire-to-wire fashion, and received a career-best 104 BRIS Speed rating for the three-length victory. Following a maiden score at Belmont Park last October, Rule shipped to Delta Downs for the November 6 Jean-Lafitte S., a one-mile prep for the lucrative Delta Jackpot S. (G3) on December 4. Todd Pletcher could've sent him to a stakes race at Churchill Downs or Belmont Park, but he elected to give the colt two starts over the bull-ring in Vinton, Louisiana. Rule posted a nine-length win in the Jean-Lafitte, but captured the 1 1/16-mile Jackpot by only a neck over an unheralded Uh Oh Bango (Top Hit). Despite always going better than his rival while doing just enough to win the Jackpot, his juvenile form came under some criticism, but it was premature to label him "not of Derby quality" based on those efforts. He returned to the races with an impressive showing on Saturday, registering a 102 BRIS Late Pace rating as jockey John Velazquez appeared to have plenty in reserve in deep stretch, and Rule is bred to handle 10 furlongs. The dark bay colt hails from the first crop of Roman Ruler, a son of 2000 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Fusaichi Pegasus, and while his sire may wind up being more proficient with middle-distance horses, dam Rockcide brings plenty of stamina to the equation. She's by Personal Flag, a Grade 1 winner at 1 1/4 miles, and counts 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide as a half-brother. Pletcher's top two Derby prospects at this point, Rule and SUPER SAVER (Maria's Mon), are both confirmed front runners. SCHOOLYARD DREAMS (Stephen Got Even) launched his bid four wide on the far turn to engage Rule at the top of the stretch but couldn't match strides with the winner and settled for second, one-length better than UPTOWNCHARLYBROWN (Limehouse). The runner-up is coming along nicely for trainer Derek Ryan. After breaking his maiden at Philadelphia Park in late November, Schoolyard Dreams opened his three-year-old season with an allowance win at Tampa on January 9. He trained forwardly for his stakes debut in the Sam Davis, recording a couple of bullet works, and garnered a career-best 100 BRIS Speed rating while adding blinkers. Ryan developed Musket Man (Yonaguska), who went on to finish third in both the Derby and Preakness S. (G1), into a top performer last season, and Schoolyard Dreams is eligible to keep improving off his first stakes attempt. All three of his career starts have come around two turns. Uptowncharlybrown was under a full drive leaving the far turn and appeared to be spinning his wheels after straightening into the lane of his two-turn debut. He offered a decent run to close the gap in deep stretch, but the race was over at that point. After packing a formidable late punch in his first two starts sprinting, the chestnut colt still needs to prove effective going two turns. Bob Lewis CARACORTADO (Cat Dreams) brought an unbeaten four-for-four mark into the Bob Lewis, but he was stepping up to face a couple of top Kentucky Derby prospects in the 1 1/16-mile event and left the starting gate as the fourth choice in a five-horse field. The smallish gelding dismissed any quality concerns at the top of the stretch, rallying smartly past his more well-regarded rivals to record a decisive 1 3/4-length triumph. "You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend," says Al Pacino's fictional character, Tony Montana, in the movie Scarface, which is tenuously relevant because Caracortado means scarface in Spanish. The three-year-old didn't get his moniker from the movie, though. He cut his face in a fence accident prior to arriving at trainer Michael Machowsky's barn last year. Bred and co-owned by Machowsky, the California-bred didn't appear headed toward graded success when winning his career debut, a $40,000 maiden claiming heat, at Fairplex Park last September. In his second start, Caracortado captured a six-furlong starter allowance at Hollywood Park in mid-November, and he followed it with an allowance score over state-bred foes in early December. The chestnut entered the Lewis off a 1 3/4-length triumph in the December 26 California Breeders' Champion S. at Santa Anita. Unheralded based on those past experiences, Caracortado proved legitimate in the Bob Lewis. With Paul Atkinson up, he rated patiently within striking range before launching his move, shifting course quickly from the rail to inhale both AMERICAN LION (Tiznow) and TIZ CHROME (Tiznow), and looked good striding out under the wire. Caracortado earned a career-best 96 BRIS Speed rating. He's out of Maria's Mon mare, which is a good source of stamina, and is by the relatively unknown Storm Cat sire Cat Dreams, who is out from the talented sprinter J J'sdream (Glitterman). Cat Dreams raced only once, winning a six-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs in 2003, prior to being retired, and he now stands in Indiana. Caracortado won't be taken so lightly next time in the March 13 San Felipe S. (G2), but he'll face another severe class hurdle if champion two-year-old LOOKIN AT LUCKY (Smart Strike) shows up as expected. Runner-up DAVE IN DIXIE (Dixie Union) will also be pointed toward the San Felipe, and the John Sadler trainee gained respect with his late rally on Saturday. After closing dynamically to win his career debut sprinting at Del Mar, the lightly-raced colt recorded a better-than-looked sixth in the Norfolk S. (G1), registering a whopping 115 BRIS Late Pace rating for his traffic-filled stretch run. He missed the remainder of his juvenile season and returned off a 132-day layoff in the Bob Lewis. Dave in Dixie finished with a flourish during the stretch run and figures to gain plenty of fitness from the tightener. American Lion is eligible to improve upon an encouraging third. Last seen winning the seven-furlong Hollywood Prevue S. (G3) on November 19, the bay colt prompted the pace throughout in his two-turn debut and eventually put away pacesetter Tiz Chrome, but he got a little tired in the final sixteenth of a mile. However, he never stopped trying and galloped out past the top two finishers after the wire. The WinStar runner still owns plenty of upside for trainer Eoin Harty, who will likely point the sophomore toward the San Felipe. Tiz Chrome threw in the towel, shortening stride noticeably in deep stretch as he backed out of it, and the formerly unbeaten colt suddenly looked drastically over-hyped. But it's only one race, and he's eligible to bounce back in style for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. We've seen many good three-year-olds throw in a clunker en route to the starting gate at Churchill, and Baffert could always point Tiz Chrome to a dirt race. The bay colt easily broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last fall and is bred to handle longer distances, so we'll give him another opportunity before dismissing his chances. San Vicente The seven-furlong San Vicente usually doesn't hold much significance as a Derby prep -- the filly Evita Argentina (Candy Ride [Arg]) captured the 2009 edition -- but SIDNEY'S CANDY (Candy Ride [Arg]) turned heads with his impressive victory on Monday. The maiden winner schooled a decent group on the front end of the seven-furlong test, cruising by an easy 4 1/4 lengths, and earned a commendable 95 BRIS Speed rating over the Pro-Ride at Santa Anita. Sadler will stretch him out to two turns and ship him east for his next start, with the March 6 Gotham S. (G3) at Aqueduct being the most likely probable target. After proving adaptable in his first three starts, rating just off the speed each time, Sidney's Candy looked like a front-running beast in the San Vicente. The improving chestnut is still a big question mark at longer distances, but he's a very interesting prospect Upcoming Gulfstream Park will host the Fountain of Youth S. (G2) and Hutcheson S. (G2) on Saturday, and Remsen S. (G2) hero BUDDY'S SAINT (Saint Liam) will make his three-year-old bow in the former. The Fountain of Youth serves as the main local prep for the March 20 Florida Derby (G1), and a solid field of 10 is set for the 1 1/8-mile event, including JACKSON BEND (Hear No Evil), ESKENDEREYA (Giant's Causeway) and AIKENITE (Yes It's True). The Hutcheson is a seven-furlong test that features Futurity S. (G2) and Saratoga Special S. (G2) winner D' FUNNYBONE (D'wildcat). Saturday's Risen Star S. (G2), which serves as a final tune-up for the March 27 Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds, attracted three contenders from South Florida -- DROSSELMEYER (Distorted Humor), DISCREETLY MINE (Mineshaft) and TEMPTED TO TAPIT (Tapit) -- to tackle a strong local contingent that includes Lecomte S. (G3) scorer RON THE GREEK (Full Mandate) and impressive allowance winner STAY PUT (Broken Vow). The bulk of the field is expected back for the rescheduled Southwest on Saturday at Oaklawn Park, and Golden Gate Fields will offer their biggest race for three-year-olds in the El Camino Real Derby (G3). It should be an exciting weekend!
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