Tagg, Pletcher Colts Shine
Tale of Ekati, Monba Bump War Pass, Pyro
Barclay Tagg's Tale of Ekati and Todd Pletcher's Monba and Cowboy Cal all helped bump War Pass and Pyro from a possible 1-2 Kentucky Derby favorites positioning.
For the second straight year, a Barclay Tagg schooled colt made a powerful noise in the 1-1/8 miles, $750,000 Wood Memorial, and scolded highly touted War Pass, while a pair of Todd Pletcher nominees helped bump 2008 Kentucky Derby favorite, Pyro, who had just inherted the top spot from his nemesis, War Pass.
Pyro, War Pass Now Question Marks
Pyro suffered the same fate as War Pass, finishing well back (10th) in the 1-1/8 miles, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes last Saturday at the Polytrack Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. War Pass finished last in the 1-1/16 miles Tampa Bay Derby in March after reigning undefeated since last fall. He then rebounded in this month's Wood Memorial, won by Tale of Ekati in the final strides, with a second place showing.
Pyro's trainer, Steve Asmussen, seemed as puzzled as Nick Zito was after his War Pass flopped in the March Tampa Bay Derby. Asmussen said his colt didn't look comfortable to him at any point in his Blue Grass run. And the question now for War Pass, after he appeared gassed in the finish of the Wood, is can he last in the long distance runs of the Triple Crown races?
Tagg's Big Wood Memorial Colts
In 2007, Tagg's heralded Triple Crown hopeful Nobiz Like Shobiz, disappointing in the early season, came on like a freight train in the Wood to power into the Kentucky Derby picture and menace the likes of Any Given Saturday, Street Sense, and Hard Spun.
With War Pass's effort in the Wood (a weak ending, but a good rebound), Tale of Ekati's win there, and Monba and Cowboy Cal racing 1-2 in the Blue Grass, the Derby placements are again shuffled.
Monba and Cowboy Cal are now Derby qualified. Monba, injured in the February Fountain of Youth Stakes, made a strong dash past pace setting Cowboy Cal in the Blue Grass in a comeback that puts him in line for Derby contention. Cowboy Cal is a versatile grass-dirt-Polytrack performer and likes to front run.
In addition, on the season, Bennie Stutts, Jr.'s Smooth Air won the Hutcheson Stakes and ran runner-up to Big Brown in the 1-1/8 miles Florida Derby at the end of March.
Big Brown Emerging
Big Brown, claimed to be possibly the best he's ever ridden by jockey Kent Desormeaux, won from the outside post (No.12) and became the first Thoroughbred to capture the Florida Derby with just two previous starts on his resume.
Through the first six furlongs, Big Brown blitzed a time of 1:12.79. He hiked his unblemished record to 3-0. The son of Boundary, trained by Richard Dutrow, has suffered from quarter cracks in both front hoofs, limiting his season to a brief schedule.
Big Brown's victories include a 11-1/4 lengths turf win Sept. 3, a 12-3/4 lengths title in a March allowance race, and his Florida Derby 7 lengths blow-out, with only Smooth Air anywhere near him.
All Headed for Derby Entry
Their trainers say Pyro, Monba, Cowboy Cal, Tale of Ekati, War Pass, Smooth Air, and Big Brown will all vie for Derby entry.
