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Friesan Fire looks ahead to Louisiana Derby
The trainer's wife also commented on the disappointing Risen Star performance of IT HAPPENED AGAIN (Proud Citizen), who set the pace before retreating to 10th. "Concerning It Happened Again, Larry thinks that he may not have liked the surface here," she said. "Larry is almost always right about things like that, especially when they don't train that well over it. He said the same thing about Hard Spun at Oaklawn two years ago, and the same thing about Just Jenda (Menifee) at Delta Downs this winter, and he was right both times, so It Happened Again will be sent somewhere else for his next race. "As for Just Jenda (who finished third as the even-money favorite in Saturday's Silverbulletday S. [G3]), we're not sure what happened to her yesterday," said Cindy, who also owns the three-year-old filly. "We haven't figured that one out yet." In other postscripts from Saturday's Fair Grounds action, Ralph Nicks, conditioner of Risen Star runner-up FLYING PEGASUS (Fusaichi Pegasus), cheerfully accepted congratulations from Fair Grounds' assistant racing secretary Jon Anthony Martin Sunday morning and at the same time he allowed himself an opportunity for a gentle rib. "If you hadn't thrown me on the outside like that (referring his unfortunate draw of post 12 in the 13-horse field)," Nicks said with a wink at Martin, "we might have won the whole thing." Nicks was kidding, of course, but Flying Pegasus' excellent run Saturday after being away from competition since a second-place finish in Belmont's Futurity S. (G2) last September, left Fair Grounds with another solid candidate for the upcoming Louisiana Derby. Was that in the plans? "We'll let him tell us that," Nicks said. "We'll see what he says after a few days. That's one of the plans. He came back good." Virginia Tarra Trust's GIANT OAK (Giant's Causeway), who went off as the 2-1 favorite in the Risen Star, closed belatedly to get up for fifth after multiple traffic problems. "It appears he came out of the race all right," trainer Chris Block reported by telephone Sunday morning, "but he had a nightmare trip yesterday. It was just what I was afraid of with a big field like that." Giant Oak, who was forced five wide around the field in his previous start when second in Churchill's Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) last November 29, encountered more serious traffic problems Saturday. "We were just building momentum when they started coming back to us yesterday," Block said. "That's when we started having trouble. We ran into a logjam. It was frustrating. I don't feel bad for myself. I feel bad for the horse. But I'm proud of him. He finally got to run at about the eighth-pole or maybe inside of that, but he closed very well after that. "As for the Louisiana Derby," Block added, "I don't know right now. I love the surface here, but it's a narrow track, and with another large field we might run into the same kinds of problems. If there's a smaller field likely for the Louisiana Derby, it would help us make a decision to come back. I want to run right here." One Risen Star alumnus definitely not going on to the Louisiana Derby is seventh-place finisher INDYGO MOUNTAIN (A.P. Indy), who has been declared off the Triple Crown Trail. The Clarence Scharbauer Jr. colorbearer came out of the race well, but trainer Bret Calhoun has concluded that the colt needs more time to develop. "We have no excuses," Calhoun said Sunday morning. "We had a good trip yesterday. We just need to regroup with this horse. He had some problems earlier this winter and we need to take some time with him now. It doesn't look like he'll be ready for the big dance. He needs to freshen up a little bit. Luckily, Mr. Scharbauer has the other horse to keep his hopes alive this spring." Calhoun was referring to SILVER CITY (Unbridled's Song), a smashing winner of the Dixieland S. who will reappear in the February 16 Southwest S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park.
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