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THOROUGHBRED BEAT MARCH 16, 2006 by James Scully Two turns -- STRONG CONTENDER (Maria's Mon), KEYED ENTRY (Honour and Glory) and SHOWING UP (Strategic Mission) are all impressive winners in Florida this year being pointed toward the Kentucky Derby (G1). Strong Contender earned a 108 BRIS Speed rating last time, Keyed Entry a 112 and Showing Up a 107. All three may stretch out successfully, but it's the middle of March and none of them have been two turns yet. Gulfstream doesn't provide an opportunity for lightly raced three-year-olds to try a mile or 8 1/2 furlongs around two turns anymore, so they've been limited to one-turn events. And all three will ship out of the Sunshine State for their first true route test -- Strong Contender to Turfway for the Lane's End S. (G2), Keyed Entry to Aqueduct for Saturday's Gotham S. (G3) and Showing Up to Aqueduct for the Wood Memorial (G1). The Kentucky Derby is seven weeks from Saturday, and these talented colts could all have a serious impact upon the Triple Crown. They each have the potential to get a classic distance this spring based on pedigree, but we're waiting to see them try two turns first. Turf -- A couple of grass performances stood out last weekend at Gulfstream. On Saturday, ENGLISH CHANNEL (Smart Strike) captured his seasonal debut in the Canadian Turf H. The Todd Pletcher trainee defeated a solid group of rivals in good fashion, earning century-topping BRIS Speed and Late Pace numbers, and he appears set for a strong four-year-old campaign. English Channel reeled off four straight wins before finishing second in the Secretariat S. (G1) last August. Following a brief freshening, he returned with an excellent second in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1), beaten only a head with eventual Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) runner-up Ace (Ire) (Danehill) behind him in third. English Channel was the best U.S.-based horse in the Breeders' Cup Turf, finishing fifth behind four Europeans, and we can look forward to some great match-ups with Shakespeare (Theatrical [Ire]) this year. On Sunday, GO BETWEEN (Point Given) established himself as a top three-year-old turf runner with a game win in the Palm Beach S. (G3). Like many from sire Point Given's first crop, the Bill Mott-trained colt has really flourished at three following a non-descript juvenile campaign. After opening this year with a maiden special weight victory in mid-February, Go Between jumped right into the stakes company on Saturday against much more seasoned opponents. He surged to the lead in upper stretch, but faced a serious late challenge from the favored Up an Octave (Brahms). Go Between would not allow his stakes-winning rival to go past, and it's easy to envision him continuing to get better. Grand showdown -- Seldom does a well-hyped match-up live up to the billing, but Saturday's Azeri Breeders' Cup S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park delivered. Grade 1 winners ROUND POND (Awesome Again) and HAPPY TICKET (Anet) hooked up entering the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile contest, and little separated them the rest of the way. Round Pond surged in the final yards to nip her rival by a short head, but these classy distaffers looked like they could take turns beating each other -- and anybody else who showed up -- the rest of the year. The Azeri set the stage for a fantastic edition of the Apple Blossom H. (G1) on April 8. Fortune 6 -- Nobody picked six on Wednesday at Beulah Park, leading to a Fortune 6 carryover of more than $89,000 entering Friday's program. That means the pool will be well over $100,000, and it will really climb over the weekend if it continues to carry. There hasn't been a perfect ticket sold for the Grove City, Ohio, track since February 18, and there should be plenty of interest from across the country on Friday. The fields are big at Beulah, with at least eight entries in every race of the Fortune 6 except one.
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