JUVENILE DIARY
OCTOBER 11, 2005
by James Scully
FIRST SAMURAI (Giant’s Causeway) continued his brilliant ways in Saturday’s
Champagne S. (G1), drawing off in deep stretch for a 2 3/4-length victory over
Belmont Park’s sloppy track. Runner-up HENNY HUGHES (Hennessy) made a big name
for himself during the summer when easily winning the Saratoga Special S. (G2)
and Tremont S. and reportedly selling for more than $4 million to Darley Stable,
but the Frank Brother-trained First Samurai has taken away any aura of stardom
from his talented rival with two straight trouncings.
The undisputed king of the division appears ready for the bright lights, a
dominant winner of all four career starts with tremendous BRIS Speed ratings of
108 and 104 (twice) to his credit. First Samurai will be one of the headliners
on Breeders’ Cup Day. He’s not only gifted at shorter distances so far in his
career, but the sensational colt also owns a pedigree for the Kentucky Derby
(G1).
First Samurai faced a short field (five opponents) again in the Champagne, and
just like when he won the Hopeful S. (G1) by 4 1/4 lengths in his previous
start, Henny Hughes was the only foe of any merit. The runner-up was
about 10 lengths clear of third on Saturday, and the top two came home slowly
with a final quarter-mile in :27 3/5. The blistering early pace (:21 3/5 and :43
3/5) was the reason why, and First Samurai was never more than three lengths off
those fast fractions.
First Samurai is a very quick colt, winning his first three races on the
front end, but he proved he could rate by sitting farther off the pace in the
Champagne and behaved much more professionally. He looks extremely difficult to
beat in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).
None of his current rivals on the West Coast have distinguished themselves,
and the Midwest-based two-year-olds will need to improve significantly to
challenge. In fact, Henny Hughes is probably the best two-year-old First Samurai
will face next time and doesn’t appear likely to derail the favorite on October
29.
DAWN OF WAR (Catienus) upset his rivals at 36-1 in Saturday’s Breeders’
Futurity (G1), sprinting clear early from his outside post and establishing
uncontested fractions of :23 4/5, :48 2/5 and 1:14 3/5 over a speed-friendly
Keeneland track. He was never threatened in the stretch, recording a 3
1/2-length win over 21-1 outsider CATCOMINATCHA (Tale of Cat), who took second by
3 1/4 lengths over the late-running STREAM CAT (Black Minnaloushe).
Favored LAITY (Pulpit) and 9-2 third choice HIGH COTTON (Dixie Union) both
failed to fire, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.
Dawn of War began his career in a maiden claiming event at Churchill Downs and
captured a River Downs allowance two starts prior to the Breeders’ Futurity. He
earned a decent 97 Speed rating for his convincing win, but it’s difficult to
envision him carrying his form forward in the Breeders’ Cup. Catcominatcha
earned his first win in a maiden claiming race at Ellis Park and has improved in
his last two starts since being switched to a route by trainer Eddie Kenneally.
Stream Cat, a last-to-first winner of the Kentucky Cup Juvenile (G3) in his
previous start, raced in last down the backstretch on Saturday and didn’t have a
chance over the speed-favoring strip. The Patrick Biancone-trained colt offers
some appeal for the exotics at long odds in the Breeders’ Cup with his strong
late kick, but he doesn’t look fast enough to seriously threaten with a
career-best 91 Speed rating.
The top two finishers from the October 2 Norfolk S. (G2), BROTHER DEREK
(Benchmark) and A.P. WARRIOR (A.P. Indy), are both probably Breeders’ Cup bound
and both own room for improvement. Brother Derek earned his first stakes win in
wire-to-wire fashion, but the Dan Hendricks-trained Cal-bred probably isn’t fast
enough to show the way next time. A.P. Warrior experienced a rough trip after
being restrained off the pace by jockey Pat Valenzuela and offered a good rally to
miss by three parts of lengths in his third career start for trainer Eoin Harty.
However, Brother Derek and A.P. Warrior came home slowly through the stretch,
receiving Speed figures of 89 and 88, and they’ll face a whole new ballgame at
Belmont.