Handicap Diary

HANDICAP DIARY

FEBRUARY 18, 2005

by James Scully

Horse of the Year GHOSTZAPPER (Awesome Again) is the big dog in
the handicap division and has recorded three workouts at the Palm Meadows
Training Center in South Florida in preparation for his 2005 bow, which could
come in the the April 9 Oaklawn H. (G2). If the Bobby Frankel trainee bypasses a
trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas, Ghostzapper figures to make his first appearance
in the May 30 Met Mile (G1) at Belmont Park.

SAINT LIAM (Saint Ballado) has been the most impressive older
horse to race so far this year. An authoritative 3 3/4-length winner over
Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) runner-up ROSES IN MAY (Devil His Due) in the Donn H.
(G1), Saint Liam came on at the end of last year for trainer Richard Dutrow with
a close runner-up finish to Ghostzapper in the Woodward S. (G1) and a sharp
score in the Clark H. (G2) at Churchill Downs. He appears set for a much more
successful five-year-old campaign and is a possibility for the Dubai World Cup
(UAE-G1) on March 26.

Roses in May is definitely headed to Dubai and did not disgrace
himself in the Donn. The Dale Romans charge, who was a late-blooming
four-year-old like Ghostzapper and Saint Liam, exhibited plenty of class last
season and could be a major factor anywhere he runs this year. The Donn was just
a starting point. BADGE OF SILVER (Silver Deputy) is another handicap performer
of note based in Florida presently. Trained by Frankel, the five-year-old needs
to stay healthy, but he opened 2005 with a nice win in the 1 1/8-mile Hal’s Hope
H. (G3) and should relish one-turn stakes at Belmont.

ROCK HARD TEN (Kris S.) leads the handicap division on the West
Coast and will make his next start in the $1 million Santa Anita H. (G1) on
March 5. The near-black four-year-old captured the Malibu S. (G1) off a layoff
and then gamely posted a nose win in the Strub S. (G2) last out. It’s easy to
forget that Rock Hard Ten didn’t make his career debut until last February and
has only been racing for 12 months. He still owns plenty of room for
improvement. Richard Mandella trains both Rock Hard Ten and MINISTER ERIC (Old
Trieste). The latter looked sharp when recording his first stakes win in the San
Fernando Breeders’ Cup S. (G2) most recently and is also headed to the Big ‘Cap.
IMPERIALISM (Langfuhr) reeled off a couple of nice Grade 2 wins early last year,
but the gray hadn’t been a serious factor in a long time prior to his runner-up
finish in the Strub. He left a favorable impression there and now looks much
more formidable for the Big ‘Cap.

Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) hero FUNNY CIDE (Distorted Humor) is
expected to return to the races next month for trainer Barclay Tagg. DYNEVER (Dynaformer),
who finished second in the Hal’s Hope, merits respect wherever he appears.
Neither SOUTHERN IMAGE (Halo’s Image) nor PERFECT DRIFT (Dynaformer) have
recorded a workout in 2005 for their connections, but they’re a couple of Grade
1 winners to watch for later this year.