Juvenile Diary

JUVENILE DIARY

OCTOBER 11, 2005

by James Scully

FIRST SAMURAI (Giant's Causeway) continued his brilliant ways in Saturday's

Champagne S. (G1), drawing off in deep stretch for a 2 3/4-length victory over

Belmont Park's sloppy track. Runner-up HENNY HUGHES (Hennessy) made a big name

for himself during the summer when easily winning the Saratoga Special S. (G2)

and Tremont S. and reportedly selling for more than $4 million to Darley Stable,

but the Frank Brother-trained First Samurai has taken away any aura of stardom

from his talented rival with two straight trouncings.

The undisputed king of the division appears ready for the bright lights, a

dominant winner of all four career starts with tremendous BRIS Speed ratings of

108 and 104 (twice) to his credit. First Samurai will be one of the headliners

on Breeders' Cup Day. He's not only gifted at shorter distances so far in his

career, but the sensational colt also owns a pedigree for the Kentucky Derby

(G1).

First Samurai faced a short field (five opponents) again in the Champagne, and

just like when he won the Hopeful S. (G1) by 4 1/4 lengths in his previous

start, Henny Hughes was the only foe of any merit. The runner-up was

about 10 lengths clear of third on Saturday, and the top two came home slowly

with a final quarter-mile in :27 3/5. The blistering early pace (:21 3/5 and :43

3/5) was the reason why, and First Samurai was never more than three lengths off

those fast fractions.

First Samurai is a very quick colt, winning his first three races on the

front end, but he proved he could rate by sitting farther off the pace in the

Champagne and behaved much more professionally. He looks extremely difficult to

beat in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

None of his current rivals on the West Coast have distinguished themselves,

and the Midwest-based two-year-olds will need to improve significantly to

challenge. In fact, Henny Hughes is probably the best two-year-old First Samurai

will face next time and doesn't appear likely to derail the favorite on October

29.

DAWN OF WAR (Catienus) upset his rivals at 36-1 in Saturday's Breeders'

Futurity (G1), sprinting clear early from his outside post and establishing

uncontested fractions of :23 4/5, :48 2/5 and 1:14 3/5 over a speed-friendly

Keeneland track. He was never threatened in the stretch, recording a 3

1/2-length win over 21-1 outsider CATCOMINATCHA (Tale of Cat), who took second by

3 1/4 lengths over the late-running STREAM CAT (Black Minnaloushe).

Favored LAITY (Pulpit) and 9-2 third choice HIGH COTTON (Dixie Union) both

failed to fire, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.

Dawn of War began his career in a maiden claiming event at Churchill Downs and

captured a River Downs allowance two starts prior to the Breeders' Futurity. He

earned a decent 97 Speed rating for his convincing win, but it's difficult to

envision him carrying his form forward in the Breeders' Cup. Catcominatcha

earned his first win in a maiden claiming race at Ellis Park and has improved in

his last two starts since being switched to a route by trainer Eddie Kenneally.

Stream Cat, a last-to-first winner of the Kentucky Cup Juvenile (G3) in his

previous start, raced in last down the backstretch on Saturday and didn't have a

chance over the speed-favoring strip. The Patrick Biancone-trained colt offers

some appeal for the exotics at long odds in the Breeders' Cup with his strong

late kick, but he doesn't look fast enough to seriously threaten with a

career-best 91 Speed rating.

The top two finishers from the October 2 Norfolk S. (G2), BROTHER DEREK

(Benchmark) and A.P. WARRIOR (A.P. Indy), are both probably Breeders' Cup bound

and both own room for improvement. Brother Derek earned his first stakes win in

wire-to-wire fashion, but the Dan Hendricks-trained Cal-bred probably isn't fast

enough to show the way next time. A.P. Warrior experienced a rough trip after

being restrained off the pace by jockey Pat Valenzuela and offered a good rally to

miss by three parts of lengths in his third career start for trainer Eoin Harty.

However, Brother Derek and A.P. Warrior came home slowly through the stretch,

receiving Speed figures of 89 and 88, and they'll face a whole new ballgame at

Belmont.