New Racers Prep for Kentucky Derby
Three Top Colts Lead Pack in Blitz toward 2007 Triple Crown Races
E Z Warrior, Nobiz Like Shobiz, and Notional won five races among them, placed once, and brought in one show in eight starts in 2006, their two-year-old seasons.
Three successful two-year-old colts currently lead the 2007 hopefuls toward this year's Triple Crown races that begin in the Kentucky Derby the first Saturday in May. As new three-year-olds, Notional, E Z Warrior, and Nobiz Like Shobiz are adding to their 2006 wins, and getting a head up on the field.
Notional and Doug O'Neill
Notional, a bay colt from In Excess-Truly Blessed by French Deputy, is a two-time winner already this spring. After winning the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita on January 13th, Notional's connections traveled east to enter the colt in the Risen Star Stakes. There, he got a firm grip on the longer run (1-1/16 miles) after doing well in the mile at Santa Anita.
In less than seven seconds, Notional covered the extra 1/16 mile to blitz past the pack from eighth position at the fair grounds. He left Imawildandcrazyguy and Zanjero in his wake and looked every bit a rising star as he claimed victory in the Risen Star Stakes. Of course, no trainer wants to get too excited about his Triple Crown prospects this soon in the season, but Notional's Doug O'Neill is looking for good things to come from this easy running bay.
E Z Warrior and Bob Baffert
Likewise, Bob Baffert, training E Z Warrior, is trying to hold down the early hype, but his colt cruised in the San Miguel Stakes at Santa Anita January 7th after a six months layoff. E Z Warrior picked up splendidly after resting due to sore shins. As a two-year-old, E Z Warrior was 2-0-0. His 1-3/4 length victory at Santa Anita in six furlongs was done in 1:08.82.
The colt hasn't run further than six furlongs yet, but jockey David Flores and trainer Baffert are convinced E Z Warrior is good for longer distances. Baffert is using the "freak of nature" terminology for the colt that Smarty Jones was pinned with in 2004. It's well known how well that last "freak" ran! Smarty Jones did everything possible to set the racing world on fire as he pounded first to the wire in race after race in the 2004 season.
Freakishness aside, E Z Warrior impressed in the San Miguel, gliding through the quarter fractions in 21.60, 44.10, 56.06. He carried high weight at 122 pounds, as well, and led the field to the finish.
Says Flores, "He's been working so easy in the mornings...He gives you so much more in the afternoon." How much better will it get?
Nobiz Like Shobiz and Barclay Tagg
The third colt in the mix in the early going is Nobiz Like Shobiz, trained by the low-key master of 2003's Funny Cide, Barclay Tagg. Nobiz Like Shobiz was 2-1-0 as a two-year-old and seems to be fit as a fiddle, asTagg opted to not run him in last fall's Breeder's Cup. Tagg said he just wanted to avoid the jinx of the Breeder's Cup for two-year-olds. The group is buried in the "jinx" that has failed to produce a three-year-old winner in Kentucky after a two-year-old triumph on Breeder's Cup day.
Tagg may have something, as Nobiz Like Shobiz ran easily to the wire in the Holy Bull Stakes February 3rd at Gulfstream Park. He finished in 1:35.47, beating Drums of Thunder and Scat Daddy. A dark bay, Nobiz Like Shobiz is a Storm Cat colt out of Nightstorm, and sired by Albert the Great.
Triple Crown Races
It's a long way to the roses in May, but these three colts are on a path to excite the thoroughbred world thus far. After the stunning upset of Smarty Jones in the 2004 Belmont Stakes, and the heroic save of Afleet Alex by Jeremy Rose in the 2005 Preakness Stakes, then the horrific outcome for Barbaro in last year's Preakness, racing fans are ready for a winning colt to challenge for the Triple Crown title.
The three races of the Triple Crown are: the Kentucky Derby at Churchill race track in Louisville, KY, the first Saturday in May, 1-1/4 miles; the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course two weeks later in Baltimore, MD, 1-3/16 miles; and the Belmont Stakes three weeks hence at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, 1-1/2 miles.
The last winner of all three races of the Triple Crown was Affirmed in 1978. In 2002, "Baby Huey" Seattle Slew died, leaving Thoroughbred racing without a living Triple Crown champion for the first time in history.
If there is a new champion to be crowned in 2007, he may emerge from the winning trio of E Z Warrior, Notional, and Nobiz Like Shobiz. But in the Sport of Kings anything can happen. Trainers plan their games, horses run their best, or worst at any given time, and Lady Luck can rule the day.
