Ordinarily, this would be a red-letter Saturday for horses bound for the Triple Crown, but with a handful of sprinters assembled on the Santa Anita science project for the San Felipe and little apparent challenge to Z Fortune in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, the day’s focus is on War Pass.
A year after Street Sense launched his successful Kentucky Derby in the Tampa Bay Derby, trainer Nick Zito has chosen to ship undefeated War Pass to the west coast of Florida for his first stakes engagement of the season.
War Pass, the defending divisional champion and perfect in five starts after having debuted as a three-year-old in a mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park, which he won easily, will face a half-dozen at Tampa Bay Downs in the most significant of three Saturday stakes for prospective Kentucky Derby runners.
Of those facing War Pass, Big Truck is coming off a strong runner-up effort in the February 16 Sam F. Davis Stakes over the same track and 1 1/16-mile distance, in which after rallying in deep stretch he fell short by a half-length to War Pass’ stablemate, Fierce Wind, and the Todd Pletcher-trained Atoned makes his first start since finishing a troubled second to Court Vision in the Nov. 24 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct. Despite clipping heels and nearly going down on the first turn, he recovered well enough to get back into position, opened up by three lengths in midstretch, and was just collared late.
Aqueduct: March 15
No qualified play.
Friday, March 14, 2008
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