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.