Caleb's Posse gets serious ahead of Arkansas Derby

Last updated: 4/1/11 7:05 PM

Caleb’s Posse could sneak in under the Arkansas Derby radar
(Will Kenser/Coady Photography)

CALEB’S POSSE (Posse) continues to quietly go about his business at
Oaklawn Park as the overachieving three-year-old colt who won the Smarty
Jones S. and finished second in the Rebel S. (G2) in his last start.
Although Friday, he served notice that he’s ready to make some noise in
the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 16 with a serious
five-furlong breeze.

Under regular jockey Eddie Razo Jr., the bay colt built momentum
around the turn before barreling through the stretch, hitting the wire
with a five-furlong time of 1:01 1/5 and galloping out strongly.

“I wanted him to do more down the lane and it seems like he really
looked good,” trainer Donnie Von Hemel explained. “He broke off nice and
comfortable and then I wanted him to let out a notch down the lane, and
he did that more than willingly. Eddie says he didn’t have to push him
at all.”

The workout was the third fastest of 31 drills at the distance on a
crisp morning. Razo continues to be impressed.

“When I turned the corner at the quarter-pole I could really feel him take
the bit,” Razo said. “He was even sharper than last time. Donnie told he wanted
a good work, and when I turned him loose, he really did that and galloped out
real strong.”

Despite winning the Smarty Jones in January, Caleb’s Posse was 7-1 when he
encountered a brutal trip in the Southwest S. (G3) on February 21. When he
chased home lone front runner The Factor (War Front) in the Rebel, he was a 24-1
outsider. Razo thinks his colt has the tools to continue to outrun his
expectations.

“Hopefully he can get the right trip because this horse is push-button,” Razo
said. “He can go inside. He can go outside. He can sit near the front. When you
have the kind of turn-of-foot as he does, it makes it easy. From the first time
I rode him, it’s just been a matter of figuring out what we wanted to do out
there.”

While he stops short of saying he’s ready to join the pace in a potential
rematch with The Factor in the Arkansas Derby, Razo is among several contenders
who are not intimidated by the high-cruising California invader.

“If somebody can go with him, it will make a lot of difference,” Razo said.
“I know he’s a nice horse and he ran really well, and especially up the
backside, that horse was just running along with his head up in the air and with
the way the track was playing to speed, but hopefully next time somebody can go
with him to at least make it a little tougher.”

Caleb’s Posse can blame some of his lack of respect on his stablemate, the
regally bred Alternation (Distorted Humor). After flipping in the starting gate
of the Rebel, necessitating a late scratch, the dark bay has repeatedly “gone to
school” with sessions at the starting gate and in the paddock. Von Hemel
indicated a workout that might help decide whether to take a chance on the
Arkansas Derby would likely come this weekend.