Notes from the Derby Trail

There is nothing to be learned from Saturday’s Hutcheson Stakes for three-year-olds at Gulfstream Park other than what might be drawn from any race run over sloppy, apparently tiring ground that developed a suicidal early pace, fell apart late and ended 1:23.21 seven furlongs after it began with one longshot, Smooth Air, beating another longshot, Silver Edition, to the post.

If anything, the Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct was the better race, having provided a far more useful framework in which to consider the result.

Having stepped into open company for a fourth victory in the mile-and-70-yard Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct, there is no doubt that the undefeated Giant Moon is a three-year-old moving in the right direction. Still, it is difficult and perhaps too early to assess his potential to stay 10 furlongs in decidedly better company than he faced on Saturday.

The apparently quirky Giant Moon battled through the stretch with fellow state-bred Spanky Fischbein, who would be in Florida if trainer Todd Pletcher considered him Triple Crown material and the Darley-owned Barrier Reef, who showed nothing, would be in Dubai for the winter were his connections harboring Derby aspirations. Roman Emperor, the other in the field considered a possible candidate to hit the Derby trail, was under a drive at the three-eighths pole and failed to menace the first two. It is unlikely that the Derby winner was present in Queens on Saturday but no doubt Giant Moon, who was always in close attendance to the pace in the Count Fleet, is a colt with an extremely promising future.

Jockey Ramon Dominguez: “It wasn’t as physically as demanding as the Damon Runyon, but it was still tough. He’s very unique; as big as he is, he does as little as he has to. He is very responsive, though, when you ask him to go. He’ll give you one big stride and then turn himself off. It’s great that he is still undefeated. It was a great race.” (Note on pet peeve to Dominguez: There are no degrees of unique. Something is unique or it’s not.)

Trainer Rick Schosberg said the Whirlaway or Gotham Stakes will be next for Giant Moon.

Rained out

The card at Santa Anita was canceled on Saturday and weather forecasts suggest strongly that there will be a considerable gap before the meeting is again underway. The new synthetic surface does not drain properly – or at all.