Searching for value in Derby futures

Regardless of what nugget of insight might be extracted from the weekend races for three-year-old prospective starters in the Kentucky Derby – we tend to expect more than we actually find in many of these -- there is the season’s first opportunity to evaluate two promising colts who will be making their first starts of the season in the Louisiana Derby. Steve Asmussen, who will send favored Pyro and J Be K, a promising if badly named new addition to his stable, into the main event at the Fair Grounds, will have an eye trained on the Barclay Tagg-trained Tale of Ekati and Majestic Warrior, who is trained by Bill Mott.

“Tale of Etaki is a very fast horse,” Asmussen said, “and if we get the Majestic Warrior we saw in the Hopeful, there’s no telling what he might be.”

Take of Ekati won the Futurity at Belmont Park last season before finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile won in the slop at Monmouth Park by the still undefeated Derby favorite, War Pass. Majestic Warrior followed his Grade I win in the Hopeful at Saratoga with a disappointing effort in the Champagne Stakes, also won by War Pass, after which he was sent to the sidelines. Both are obviously talented horses in good hands and may be worth a modest speculative investment in the Derby Future Pool, which was reopened yesterday for round two. Tale of Ekati opened at 30-1, Majestic Warrior at 20-1. Neither is likely to be 100 percent coming off their respective layoffs but merit close attention. Ideally, both would run well behind Pyro or J Be K. A positive race by either or both would merit a future wager at anything near the current price levels.

Yankee Bravo, another in the Louisiana Derby, is undefeated in three starts in California and is the first West Coast-based Derby candidate to depart the synthetic surface early enough to be tested on dirt before the first Saturday of May. He will also open at 30-1 in the future pool and may, if he handles the transition, merit a bit of speculative consideration.

Asmussen is looking for a bit more early focus from Pyro, whose late focus is not lacking but who offers no value in the future wager. J Be K, however, another at 30-1 at the moment, is, “a tremendously talented three-year-old who will answer a lot of questions in the Louisiana Derby,” Asmussen said. Pyro, meanwhile, “… is extreme talent without maturity. He’s obviously a fast horse but I’m hoping to see more rhythm in the middle of the race. With time and maturity, I hope to have a more focused horse.”

Gotham: Schosberg hopes for a richer (and dry)horse

Despite a perfect record after four starts Giant Moon faces the most important start of his young career in Saturday’s Gotham for three-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth over the inner track at Aqueduct.

With no graded stakes earnings, the New York-bred Giant Moon needs to accumulate money in that category if he is to make the Kentucky Derby. Any bad luck in the Gotham could severely impact his chances of making the Derby field, which is limited to 20 and often oversubscribed.

From Giant Moon’s four victories, there is little reason to believe that he will run a bad race Saturday. On or near the pace in every race so far, the son of Giant’s Causeway has fought hard to victories in the Sleepy Hollow, Damon Runyon and Count Fleet, with the latter his only try in open company.

Richard Schosberg, trainer of Giant Moon, elected to skip the February 2 Whirlaway to have a fresher horse for the run to the Derby.

“We haven’t missed a beat with him,” said Schosberg, who has gotten lucky with a fairly mild and dry winter in New York. “He looks terrific.”

Schosberg’s biggest concern Saturday is a forecast for heavy rain, which, depending on the time of the storm, could mean the Gotham might be run over a sloppy track. Giant Moon won the Sleepy Hollow over a “good” drying out track in October at Belmont Park.

“I’m hoping their predictions are slightly off,” Schosberg said. “If all that rain comes Saturday afternoon, it will be a much different track than the one he won over in the Sleepy Hollow.”

Giant Moon may have to go about things a bit differently than he has in his first four starts. With a number of stretch-out speed horses lined up for the Gotham, Giant Moon could be about four or five lengths back in the early stages of the race. To this point, he has never been farther back than a length early on.

“We were prepared for that scenario last time, but he inherited a clear stalking position off a moderate pace,” Schosberg said. “Somewhere along the way he’s going to be outrun early.”

Ramon Dominguez, aboard Giant Moon for the Damon Runyon and Count Fleet wins, will be entrusted by Schosberg to find the best spot for the colt.

“Horses have to deal with adversity,” Schosberg said when asked about his trainee coming from farther back and the potential for a wet track. “Any advantage we have is that he has proven himself around two turns over this track.”

Half of the 10 horses entered for the Gotham made their last start out of town. Of those five, the one coming in with the best credentials is Visionaire.

Visionaire is probably the only member of the Gotham field that one could consider is taking a drop in class. The Grand Slam colt was beaten just 2 ¾ lengths in his last start, the Grade 3 Risen Star, by Pyro and Z Fortune, two of the leading Kentucky Derby contenders.

Prior to his strong effort in the Risen Star, Visionaire impressively broke his maiden at Laurel in November and then took an entry-level allowance by 5 ½ lengths at Gulfstream in early January.

Michael Matz, who trained 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, has been conditioning Visionaire at the Palm Meadows training facility in Florida. He will use jockey Jose Lezcano in the Gotham. Lezcano was aboard for the Gulfstream allowance and Risen Star.

“I was very pleased with his race in the Risen Star,” Matz said. “It was his first time around two turns and he only got beat 2 ¾ lengths by some nice horses. Each time he’s run, he’s improved.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher will attack the Gotham with three starters in an attempt to get a better gauge on some of his three-year-olds.

After five sprint starts, Dogwood Stable’s Holidaze improved in his first race around two turns when he won an entry-level allowance going away at the end for Pletcher.

Texas Wildcatter comes into the Gotham off a decent third-place finish in the Whirlaway behind Barrier Reef and Roman Emperor. Southern Terminus ships up from Florida after finishing second as the 3-5 favorite behind Fierce Wind, who returned to win the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs. Southern Terminus may represent Pletcher’s best chance at a Gotham win.

West Point Stables’ Saratoga Russell is one of a few horses that should ensure a fast pace in the Gotham. The son of Trippi comes off runaway wins in an Aqueduct maiden race and a Florida-bred allowance at Gulfstream. He will make his first start beyond six furlongs in the Gotham.


Funny Cide still a star

An update on the retirement career of the popular Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide, shot at Gulfstream Park last month, is part of the HRTV "Inside Information," program that will air at 9 p.m. Sunday.

Few horses in recent years have captured the hearts and imagination of the racing community as did Funny Cide did in 2003, when he became the first New York bred to win the Kentucky Derby, and nearly ended the long Triple Crown drought before losing to Empire Maker in the Belmont Stakes.

Upon Funny Cide's retirement, Tagg suggested that the gelding remain on the backstretch as a stable pony. He now spends his days on the backstretch at Gulfstream Park and fans still check on Funny Cide, via e-mails. Some even sent Christmas presents.

"He spent his whole life on the racetrack, standing in deep straw, eating nice hay, being pampered," said Tagg. "Everybody says, 'Why don't you turn him out in a field and let him be a horse again?' It would be like if I wanted to retire and they told me to go and live in a cave and be a person again.

Aqueduct: March 7

No qualified play