ERMINE BLOOMS AT OAKLAWN HEADLINE p3 NEWS For information about TDN, DELIVERED EACH NIGHT BY FAX AND FREE BY E-MAIL TO SUBSCRIBERS OF call 732-747-8060. www.thoroughbreddailynews.com SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 2007 ALL BIZ-NESS IN THE WOOD TIAGO SCRIPTS SANTA ANITA UPSET As trainer Barclay Tagg explains it, he never lost His half-brother Giacomo could do no better than confidence in Nobiz Like Shobiz (Albert the Great), he fourth in the GI Santa Anita Derby of 2005 before “just wondered when he was going to show it.” The going on to bigger and better Elizabeth Valando homebred colt more than atoned for things four weeks down the his disappointing third- road. Suffice to say that place effort in the Mar. 3 Tiago (Pleasant Tap) is off to GII Fountain of Youth S., a much better start, after the posting a half-length vic- Moss homebred sprung a tory over the late-charging 29-1 upset over King of the Sightseeing (Pulpit) in yes- Roxy (Littleexpectations) in yesterday’s Kentucky Derby terday’s GI Wood Memo- Tiago Horsephotos rial S. at Aqueduct. “I al- prep at the Great Race Place ways wanted to win the outside of Los Angeles. Wood Memorial; I love the big races in New York,” CHICAGO’S HIS KINDA TOWN Nobiz Like Shobiz Horsephotos Trainer Todd Pletcher had his Derby hopefuls spread the winning conditioner out across the map Saturday afternoon and, although commented.” Four years ago, Tagg sent out Funny Cide Any Given Saturday couldn’t quite get the job done in to a runner-up effort behind Empire Maker in the Wood, the Big Apple, WinStar Farm before turning the tables on that rival in the GI Ken- and Gulf Coast Farm’s tucky Derby. Click for the brisnet.com chart or the free Cowtown Cat (Distorted Hu- brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored mor) made amends in the by Taylor Made. Windy City, leading his rivals Saturday, Aqueduct on a merry chase en route to WOOD MEMORIAL S.-GI, $750,000, AQU, 4-7, 3yo, a 2 1/4-length victory in Satur- 1 1/8m, 1:49 2/5, ft. day’s GII Illinois Derby. Cobalt Blue (Golden Missile), the 1--sNOBIZ LIKE SHOBIZ, 123, c, 3, by Albert the Great Cowtown Cat Four Footed Photos even-money choice off his win 1st Dam: Nightstorm, by Storm Cat in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 17, was never in it, finish- 2nd Dam: Halo's Daughter, by Halo ing a distant seventh. 3rd Dam: Lilt, by *Herbager O/B-Elizabeth J Valando (KY); T-Barclay Tagg; CHRISTMAS COMES LATE IN ASHLAND J-Cornelio H Velasquez; $450,000. Lifetime Record: Edward Evans’ homebred Christmas Kid (Lemon Drop 6-4-1-1, $804,900. Kid) skimmed the rail from just 2--Sightseeing, 123, c, 3, Pulpit--Resort, by Pleasant off the pace, got through in up- Colony. O-Phipps Stable; B-Ogden Mills Phipps (KY); per stretch and staved off a late T-Claude R McGaughey III; $150,000. bid from odds-on Octave (Unbri- 3--Any Given Saturday, 123, c, 3, Distorted Humor-- dled’s Song) to win yesterday’s Weekend in Indy, by A.P. Indy. ($1,100,000 yrl '05 GI Ashland S. at Keeneland. “I KEESEP). O-WinStar Farm & Padua Stables; know Todd Pletcher’s filly [Oc- B-Racehorse Management LLC (KY); T-Todd A tave] and she’s a nice filly,” said Christmas Kid (inside) Pletcher; $75,000. winning rider Rene Douglas. “She Bill Straus Margins: HF, 3 1/4, 4 3/4. Odds: 0.70, 18.00, 1.50. was coming, but my horse had Also Ran: Summer Doldrums, Reptilian Smarts, plenty left. I was very happy with the way she ran Flashstorm. Scratched: Cowtown Cat. today.” TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/8/07 • PAGE 2 of 13 Wood Memorial S. cont. Saturday, Santa Anita Promise From Day One... SANTA ANITA DERBY-GI, $750,000, SAX, 4-7, 3yo, From the time Nobiz Like Shobiz was just a foal, 1 1/8m, 1:49 2/5, ft. trainer Barclay Tagg told owner Elizabeth Valando that 1--#@TIAGO, 122, c, 3, by Pleasant Tap the colt was “the one.” Nobiz Like Shobiz did little to 1st Dam: Set Them Free (MSW, $173,275), by Stop the Music tarnish that high regard, winning his debut by 10 3/4 2nd Dam: Valseuse (Fr), by Tyrant lengths Sept. 9, then ran second to Scat Daddy in the 3rd Dam: Barbarossa (Fr), by Cambremont (Fr) GI Champagne S. Oct. 14. He ran off to take the GII O/B-Mr & Mrs J S Moss (KY); T-John A Shirreffs; Remsen S. by 6 1/2 lengths Nov. 25, leaving the im- J-Mike E Smith; $450,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, pression that his best was yet to come. $484,320. *1/2 to Sea Jewel (Sea Hero), MGSP, $196,825; and Giacomo (Holy Bull), GISW, An Unfinished Item... $2,537,316. Even as Tagg readied Nobiz Like Shobiz for his sopho- 2--King of the Roxy, 122, c, 3, Littleexpectations-- more campaign, he had some things to work on, Marrakesh, by Bold Forbes. ($8,000 yrl '05 KEESEP). namely his colt’s penchant for drifting and looking O-Team Valor Stables LLC; B-Deborah D Kopatz (OH); around in the latter portion of his races. He was classy T-Todd A Pletcher; $150,000. enough to overcome his greenness to take the GIII Holy 3--Sam P., 122, c, 3, Cat Thief--Affirmed Legacy, by Bull S. Feb. 3, but lost his focus late during the Foun- Affirmed. ($200,000 yrl '05 FTKJUL). O-Starlight tain of Youth and could not seal the deal, crossing the Stable & Donald J Lucarelli; B-Whisper Hill Farm (KY); line third, a half-length adrift of Scat Daddy. T-Todd A Pletcher; $90,000. Margins: HF, 2 3/4, 1. Odds: 29.30, 3.60, 2.40. In Search of Some Focus... Also Ran: Liquidity, Bwana Bull, Medici Code (GB), Tagg gave his charge five weeks to prepare for this Court the King, Black Seventeen, Boutrous, Level Red. race and made the decision to add a set of blinkers and Whereas Giacomo was Grade I placed at two, Tiago ear plugs in an effort to sharpen his focus. Drawn in the waited until there were five days remaining in 2006, inside barrier, Nobiz Like Shobiz was ridden for speed finishing a debut third over seven panels of this track and keenly contested the pace, tugging against jockey Dec. 26. He finished second, but was placed first in Cornelio Velasquez as second choice Any Given Satur- one of the strangest maiden events seen in some time day (Distorted Humor) stalked four wide through a half- Jan. 21, where he was forced seven deep into the mile in :47.26. The two chief protagonists had the race stretch and missed by a head. He was last seen finish- to themselves as they circled the far turn, but, when ing a distant seventh in the GII Robert B. Lewis S. Any Given Saturday began to weaken, Sightseeing Mar. 3, but was getting blinkers off and Mike Smith-- (Pulpit) was commencing his rally. The Phipps runner regular rider of Giacomo--for this test. Allowed to lope stayed on gamely and was making inches on the winner along near the back of the pack, Tiago advanced on the at the wire, but the result was never seriously in doubt. turn, came wide at midstretch and finished with a rush “My horse broke sharp. He really wanted to go,” the to catch King of the Roxy. “I thought there would be winning jockey explained. “I liked that he really finished plenty of pace and that they’d come back to us and good. I think he’s got a very good chance in the Ken- they did,” Smith said. “I did want to be sure to keep tucky Derby.” Tagg indicated he’d be inclined to ship in him focused, keep him moving forward. I tell you, at to Louisville on the late side. “I don’t like to go and the 1/8th pole, he hit another gear.” Click for the mess around with that crowd. It’s hard on the horses brisnet.com chart or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. to be chased around all day every day,” he said. Video, sponsored by Taylor Made. Our Best Wishes to Darley for the continued success of SCAT DADDY (current co-favorite for the Kentucky Derby) His Dam Love Style, was sold to Darley in 2006 by Oceanic Bloodstock. Michel Zerolo # Oceanic Bloodstock (305) 538-2080 cell: (305) 588-4643 [email protected] SCAT DADDY, G1 Florida Derby 2007 Good advice...good results TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/8/07 • PAGE 3 of 13 Saturday, Keeneland Saturday, Oaklawn Park ASHLAND S.-GI, $500,000, KEE, 4-7, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, APPLE BLOSSOM H.-GI, $500,000, OPX, 4-7, 4yo/up, 1:42 4/5, ft. f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:44, ft. 1--sCHRISTMAS KID, 121, f, 3, by Lemon Drop Kid 1--sERMINE, 116, f, 4, by Exchange Rate 1st Dam: Christmas Gift (MGSW, $387,176), by Green Desert 1st Dam: Red Mischief, by Thirty Six Red 2nd Dam: Christmas Bonus, by Key to the Mint 2nd Dam: Wajima Street, by Wajima 3rd Dam: Sugar Plum Time, by Bold Ruler 3rd Dam: Majestic Street, by Majestic Prince O/B-Edward P Evans (VA); T-James A Jerkens; ($30,000 wlng '03 OBSOCT; $45,000 yrl '04 J-Rene R Douglas; $310,000.