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THOROUGHBRED BEAT JANUARY 11, 2006 by James Scully Dazzling -- A pair of three-year-olds put on a show Saturday at the Big A. In the 6TH race, SWEETNORTHERNSAINT (Sweetsouthernsaint) smoked his opposition from the start, increasing his advantage at every call en route to a 7 3/4-length decision in a six-furlong maiden special weight. From the same female family of Grade 1 winner Snow Ridge and Grade 2 hero Eye of the Tiger, the Michael Trombetta-trained gelding was making his third career start after being disqualified from a 16-length win over $40,000 maiden claimers at Laurel Park in mid-December. Sweetnorthernsaint earned a huge 107 BRIS Speed rating. Two races later, ACHILLES OF TROY (Notebook) ran away with the one-mile-and-70-yard Count Fleet S. in spectacular fashion, quickly drawing clear on the far turn and powering through the stretch to a 14-length blowout. Trained by Jennifer Pedersen, Achilles of Troy was exiting a 4 1/2-length maiden win going six furlongs at Aqueduct on December 29, his first start with Lasix. The gray not only easily handled his two-turn debut and received a 109 Speed figure, he established himself as a legitimate Kentucky Derby (G1) contender. Riggers' favorite -- GAFF (Maria's Mon), who showed class on the turf in Europe when finishing second to classic winner Footstepsinthesand (Giant's Causeway) in a 2004 listed event, recorded his third straight U.S. win and first graded victory when taking Saturday's six-furlong Mr. Prospector H. (G2) at Gulfstream Park. After making his first four starts last year in Ireland, the bay colt was sent to trainer Steve Asmussen's shedrow and made his dirt debut in September at Belmont Park. Gaff has improved in each start since and earned a terrific113 BRIS Speed rating in the Mr. Prospector. He could be one of the best sprinters this year. Still rooting for -- The downside to Saturday's Mr. Prospector was FUNNY CIDE's (Distorted Humor) dreadful performance. Unraced since early July, the six-year-old didn't figure to win going six furlongs, but an encouraging effort wasn't too much to ask for. Instead, Funny Cide raced at or near the back of the pack throughout in an extremely dull showing. Some geldings get better with age, but that hasn't been the case with Funny Cide. He did record a prestigious win at four in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), but the New York-bred has performed below expectations in nearly every start since winning the 2003 Preakness (G1) by 9 3/4 lengths. There's still a chance that Funny Cide can get back to the same level as trainer Barclay Tagg tries to turn things around, but it doesn't look good for him. Jinx? -- No favorite won the Kentucky Derby (G1) for two decades, 20 years of futility, from 1980-99. Some called it the "Kentucky Derby favorite jinx." No Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) has won the Kentucky Derby since its inception in 1984, 22 years and counting. Three horses (Alysheba, Spend a Buck and Sea Hero) have lost in the Juvenile before capturing the Run for the Roses, but the "Breeders' Cup Juvenile jinx" has held strong for winners. It's completely bogus, pure coincidence. But I guess it does lend itself to a little more value at some point in the future. The same bettors who figured, "I won't bet Fusaichi Pegasus in the 2000 Kentucky Derby because he's the favorite and favorites can't win the Kentucky Derby," will stay away from Stevie Wonderboy (Stephen Got Even) and future Juvenile winners (if Stevie Wonderboy doesn't win) until the phony "jinx" is broken. New calling -- Referee Steve Javie missed it during Sunday's New Jersey Nets-Toronto Raptors game. Vince Carter and Morris Peterson, who are good buddies, gave each other friendly taps, but Javie didn't see Carter's and tagged Peterson with a technical. There was no ill will, they weren't hitting each other, but Peterson (who had gotten an earlier technical for arguing a call) wound up being ejected from the game. Carter and others tried to explain the situation to Javie, but he would listen to none of it. As a result, New Jersey was able to eke out a narrow win on a last-second shot from, fittingly, Carter. That call reminded me of when Bob and John (Seeking the Gold) got disqualified in the Real Quiet S.; Sarafan's (Lear Fan) DQ in the Escondido; the bizarre ruling in the Clement L. Hirsch H. (G2); and a few more controversial decisions at Del Mar and Hollywood Park last year. If Javie ever gets the boot from the NBA, the stewards' booth in Southern California would be a good fit.
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