Gulfstream Park Notebook

GULFSTREAM PARK NOTEBOOK

MARCH 11, 2005

by Dick Powell

One sure thing for 2005 is that trainer Nick Zito will be elected to the

National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. Trainer

of two Kentucky Derby (G1) winners, a Preakness (G1), a Belmont (G1) and

numerous other major races in America, Zito has always been strongest with his

sophomores and this year is no exception.

With two months to go to the Kentucky Derby, Zito is holding a strong hand of

four sophomore colts, three of whom are in this weekend's Kentucky Derby Future

Wager Pool 2. ANDROMEDA'S HERO (Fusaichi Pegasus), who is not listed as an

individual betting interest in Pool 2, won the Sam F. Davis Stakes last time out

at Tampa Bay Downs in his two-turn debut and SUN KING (Charismatic) was a very

impressive allowance winner here two weeks ago after placing in two Grade 1

events last year, one of which was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

On Saturday, Zito sent out two colts of great prominence. In the 8TH race,

NOBLE CAUSEWAY (Giant's Causeway) was the 8-5 favorite in a first-level

allowance race going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. An impressive maiden winner

in his last start while making his two-turn debut, he drew the rail and had a

new rider in Pat Day filling in for Edgar Prado, who was at Santa Anita.

Breaking alertly, Noble Causeway was able to secure a prominent position

going around the first turn and relax beautifully while racing in traffic. This

is something that cannot be emphasized enough as a positive factor since on

Derby Day, the entrants will be facing the largest field they will likely

ever see.

Despite being shuffled back to fifth going into the far turn, Day sat chilly

and let the early leaders Holy Ground (Saint Ballado) and Reverberate (Thunder

Gulch) duel through modest fractions. Around the three-eighths pole, Day

squeezed with his legs and suddenly Noble Causeway angled out to challenge for

the lead at the top of the stretch. The move was hard to see on the pan shot but

if you watched the head-on replay you had to be impressed. He took dead aim on

Reverberate and drew off to an easy 3 1/4-length win while covering the nine

furlongs in 1:50.89.

It may have only been against allowance foes but Noble Causeway answered many

questions affirmatively. He showed some tactical speed, an ability to relax

while racing in traffic, a sudden acceleration when asked and finished full of

run. He's now two-for-two going two turns and his last loss, going seven

furlongs earlier in the meet behind Bandini (Fusaichi Pegasus), is looking

better and better. It looks like Zito will send Noble Causeway to the Florida

Derby (G1) for his next start but we'll have to wait and see. He has no graded

stakes earnings and might need two starts between now and the first Saturday in

May.

Later on Saturday's tremendous card of racing, the Fountain of Youth (G2) was

run. A winner of his first three career starts, HIGH FLY (Atticus) lost in the

Holy Bull S. (G3) and was turned over to Zito by his owner, Charlotte Weber's

Live Oak Plantation. Zito shifted his training from Calder to Palm Meadows and

the chestnut colt came into Saturday off two strong workouts there.

Sent off as the even-money favorite, High Fly broke well and chased the

speedy B. B. Best (Yes It's True) through fractions of 23.35 and 46.94. New

rider Jerry Bailey was more worried about Bandini breathing down his neck and

wanted to wait as long as possible to make his move. With Bandini running a big

race for John Velazquez, Bailey could wait no more and went up after B. B. Best

turning for home. He was able to put that rival away inside the eighth pole, but

Bandini kept coming in a long, extended drive. Despite conceding his rival four

pounds, High Fly was able to hold off Bandini by three parts of a length. He

covered the nine furlongs in 1:49.70, faster than the Holy Bull S. and faster

than Noble Causeway's allowance win earlier on the card.

While a very professional performance and showing speed and courage, it still

remains to be seen whether High Fly has any more improvement left in him. There

is enough pedigree on both sides and perhaps Zito's mastery will get a few more

lengths out of him but for now I don't look for High Fly to be a classic

contender this year.

LOST IN THE FOG (Lost Soldier) continued his dominance of sophomore sprinters

with a handy win in the Swale S. (G2) going seven furlongs. He drew post 11 and

was actually outsprinted early by More Smoke (Smoke Glacken) but Russell Baze

had this race measured every step of the way. He stalked the pace of 22.07 and

44.67 and waited as long as he could to take over. More Smoke could not keep up

and Lost in the Fog surged to an insurmountable lead in the stretch that

increased to 4 3/4 lengths and obviously could have been more. His final time of

1:22.21 was very good for the new Gulfstream main track that played slow early

in the day but got quicker as more water was added during the day.

After the race, trainer Greg Gilchrist said that if he left him in Florida he

would run next in the Florida Derby. On Tuesday, Lost in the Fog got on a plane

and flew back to his home base at Golden Gate Fields so it doesn't look like

he'll pursue the Florida Derby despite being four for four.

Wednesday (3/2)

3RD - BELKNAP COUNTY (More Than Ready) has had many chances but ran well here

despite breaking poorly and being forced to stalk the pace three wide.

8TH - I'M BLOOMING (Hennessy) was a first time starter that gunned to the

front from an outside post and wound up down on the inside to the deep stretch

before weakening.

10TH - BRITISH BLUE (Storm Cat) returned to the races off a 263-day layoff

and wound up stuck down on the inside on the first turn of this turf event and

still was able to get second in good time.

Thursday (3/3)

3RD - IMPROBABLE DREAM (Appealing Skier) was compromised when a horse lost

its rider on the first turn and cut him off.

6TH - TIGER FEVER (Tiger Ridge) didn't clear the field as expected but

stalked the pace to the deep stretch before weakening.

8TH - COTTAGE (Arg) (Ibero [Arg]) had the typical inside turf trip here when

he ran into trouble when the running got serious on the far turn.

Friday (3/4)

7TH - SKAGWAY (Seeking the Gold) chased the speed from third place and was

gradually gaining ground through the lane going two turns on the dirt.

Saturday (3/5)

3RD - ASPEN TREE (Holy Bull) wound up taking the lead and being pressed by

two outside horses for most of this nine-furlong trip. When she was able to put

away those challengers, she was passed near the wire by two others who had the

race fall into their lap.

4TH - HONEST TRADER (Line In The Sand) was wiped out on the first turn not

once but twice. He still was able to catch up down the backside and rallied wide

to get third as much the best.

8TH - GUILLAUME TELL (Ire) (Rossini) was a good third in his main track debut

behind Noble Causeway despite having some traffic problems.

9TH - More Smoke actually outsprinted Lost in the Fog to the top of the

stretch and held on gamely in his first start against graded stakes foes.

11TH - PAPI CHULLO (Comeonmom) is still eligible for maidens but rallied

nicely after a poor break to get fourth.

12TH - GULF NEWS (Woodman) was full of run with nowhere to go on the far turn

and had to slam the breaks on at a critical juncture.

12TH - CHARISMATIC ROB (Charismatic) was stopped cold in the deep stretch and

should beat this claiming level with a clear trip next time out.

Sunday (3/6)

2ND - HONOUR OUR TROOPS (Honour and Glory) had a nightmare trip in his second

career start with first time Lasix so look for the expected improvement next

time out.

10TH - MUSTANFAR (Unbridled) flew home for third in a very wide trip to just

miss going three turns on the turf.

Monday (3/7)

1ST - STACKAM (Stack) finally broke his maiden in his 19th try two back and

was a good second in his first start against winners last out despite a poor

break and traffic on the turn.

3RD - STAR BRIGHTIA (With Approval) recovered well to get third after getting

clobbered at the start.

7TH - KRASNAYA (Red Ransom) wound up stalking the pace three wide going three

turns and still was beaten less than a length despite the ground loss.