Woodford Reserve Turf Classic J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Ten horses will go postward in Saturday's $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf

Classic S. (G1) at Churchill Downs. Although BETTER TALK NOW (Talkin Man) and

EINSTEIN (Brz) (Spend a Buck) rate as top threats, we'll take a stab with the

Neil Howard-trained BRILLIANT (War Chant) at 12-1 on the morning line.

Brilliant is a classic horse for the course, boasting a three-for-three

record over the Churchill turf. Long highly regarded, the dark bay defeated

older horses to clear his first two allowance conditions here last spring, then

successfully made the transition to stakes company when scoring in the June 17

Jefferson Cup S. (G2), also at this 1 1/8-mile trip. Two starts later, Brilliant

captured the Kent Breeders' Cup S. (G3) by 6 1/2 lengths at Delaware Park,

relishing the soft ground while recording a career-best 108 BRIS Speed rating.

He was diagnosed with a lung infection after winding up an uncharacteristic

sixth in the Hawthorne Derby (G3) in October. Reappearing in a Keeneland

allowance on April 7, Brilliant finished third in what has turned out to be a

key race, with the winner Ascertain (Ire) (Intikhab) going on to land the

Elkhorn S. (G3) and the runner-up, Minister's Joy (Deputy Minister), missing by

inches in the Ben Ali S. (G3).  Howard has been targeting this race all

winter, and we wouldn't be surprised if Brilliant lights up the board. Mark

Guidry, who rode him to his super Kent score, will be aboard.

Better Talk Now was last seen rallying for a close second in the Breeders'

Cup Turf here in November. The Graham Motion charge is the class of the field,

routinely posts gaudy Speed figures, runs well fresh, has his rabbit in tow and

will love a bit of give in the ground. Our only qualm is that the veteran

gelding's biggest victories have come over distances much longer than nine

furlongs. Still, Better Talk Now could make us wish we'd put him on top.

Einstein finished fourth in this event last season, beaten a total of 1 1/4

lengths by English Channel (Smart Strike). The Southern Hemisphere-bred was

physically still three years old at that time, but he now has another year of

development in his favor. The handsome dark bay is coming off a wild win in the

Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2), in which he was floated out into the

middle of the course on the backstretch, yet recovered in time to take the

spoils. Einstein wasn't facing the toughest field in the world that day, and he

still has something to prove at this level, but he may do just that here. Note

that Robby Albarado has abandoned ship on Brilliant in order to stick with

Einstein.

SKY CONQUEROR (Sky Classic), Canada's champion turf horse of 2006, has upset

potential at 12-1, especially if the turf is soft. The chestnut has raced

primarily at Woodbine, where he garnered a pair of Grade 2 contests and placed a

solid third in the Canadian International S. (Can-G1). Sky Conqueror ran a

sneakily good fifth in his 2007 debut in the Maker's Mark Mile S. (G2) at

Keeneland, making up ground late while earning a 107 Late Pace rating. He'd

probably prefer to travel a bit longer in this type of company, but he is well

qualified to crack the top three. Javier Castellano picks up the mount.

Grade 2 winner GO BETWEEN (Point Given) is capable of a big effort on

occasion, and he ran very well at this venue when second in the Crown Royal

American Turf S. (G3) last year. On the other hand, he has at times been

unmasked by better company, and he's uncertain to handle turf softer than firm.

MILK IT MICK (GB) (Millkom [GB]) was a troubled third in last year's Woodford

Reserve, and if he can return to that form, he would be dangerous. There's the

rub, however, since he's exiting a dull seventh in the Arcadia H. (G2) at Santa

Anita. The bay will be making his third start off a lengthy layoff for Jim

Cassidy, so he's eligible to turn in a better effort, but questions remain.

The royally-bred DEFER (Danzig) hasn't tasted stakes success since his

juvenile days, and we think he'd prefer firm ground to produce his best. ICY

ATLANTIC (Stormy Atlantic) had a productive winter at Santa Anita, capped by his

tally in the Arcadia, but his Speed figures aren't competitive with the top rank

in this spot. Perhaps we're biased because we still think of him in his former

role as English Channel's pacemaker. Although the filly DANZON (Royal Academy)

deserves respect because of her high-percentage connections (trainer Patrick

Biancone and jockey Julien Leparoux), she hasn't done very much to suggest that

she'd be capable of handling the likes of these. The speedy SHAKE THE BANK

(Sandpit [Brz]) will do his duty for Better Talk Now before fading.