Archarcharch, Nehro set for rematch at Churchill

All was positive at the barn of trainer Jinks Fires Sunday morning as the

winning connections of Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) gathered to

bask in the afterglow of the neck victory by ARCHARCHARCH (Arch).

Fires and assistant Pat Tanner reported the colt was in fine shape after

scoring his second stakes win in the Oaklawn Park three-year-old series and

would be headed to Louisville, Kentucky, Monday for a date in the May 7 Kentucky

Derby (G1).

"He's doing great," Tanner said. "He's like he was never in a horse race

yesterday."

For owner Bob Yagos, the euphoria had yet to wear off after watching his star

colt and jockey Jon Court close strongly to pass 4-5 favorite THE FACTOR (War

Front),

trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, and hold off a furious rally by NEHRO

(Mineshaft) at

the wire.

For the second straight race, Zayat Stable's Nehro had to settle for a runner-up

spot in a photo-finish of a major Kentucky Derby prep race. Fortunately for the

colt, he's picked the right time to lose. The neck loss matched a

similar result last month in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2).

"Those are $800,000 worth of inches there," said Darren Fleming, assistant to

trainer Steve Asmussen.

Fleming reported Nehro was "great" Sunday morning and would fly to Kentucky

and Churchill Downs Tuesday where he will prepare for a run in the Kentucky

Derby.

While the losses were costly for the up-and-coming Nehro, the fact that they

came in million-dollar graded stakes was opportune. He now has $400,000 in

graded stakes earnings, qualifying him safely for the Derby field even though he

has only one Oaklawn Park maiden-race victory to his credit from five starts.

It was a big day for the Asmussen team on Saturday's closing day card. They won

three times from nine starters with three second-place results including Nehro's

and Albergatti (Unbridled's Song) in the $100,000 Northern Spur S.

While Arkansas Derby winner Archarcharch and runner-up Nehro are guaranteed

spots in the Kentucky Derby based on their graded earnings, the Derby status is

not so certain for the third and fourth-place finishers DANCE CITY (City Zip) and

SWAY AWAY (Afleet Alex), who are 36th and 34th on the earnings list currently. The Kentucky Derby

is limited to the 20 runners with the most graded earnings.

Dance City, his stablemate BRETHREN (Distorted Humor), who finished 11th in the Arkansas Derby,

and Sway Away are all scheduled to leave Hot Springs, Arkansas, Tuesday on a flight to

Kentucky where they will wait and see how the actual Derby field develops.

"With Sway Away and the Derby we are going to lay back and see where it goes,"

said trainer Jeff Bonde, who had a very productive Racing Festival of the

South with Smiling Tiger (Hold That Tiger) winning the $200,000 Count Fleet

Sprint H. (G3)

Thursday and Road Ready (More Than Ready) winning the $75,000 Bachelor S. Friday.

Bonde was also sending Smiling Tiger to Kentucky, but his main objective was

going to be the Metropolitan H. (G1) -- the 'Met Mile' at Belmont Park May

30.