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Caulfield on Moon Ballad HEADLINE p. 3 NEWS For information about TDN, DELIVERED EACH NIGHT call 732-747-8060. BY FAX AND INTERNET www.thoroughbreddailynews.com TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2003 BUDDY-COME-LATELY S O P H O M O R E S C E N E New faces on the “Road to the Roses” Buddy Gil P P (Eastern Echo) and New York Hero (Partner’s Hero) were among the eight late nominees for the 2003 Visa FINAL PREP FOR ATSWHATIMTALKNBOUT Triple Crown and $5-million Visa Triple Crown Chal- Atswhatimtalknbout (A.P. Indy) tuned up for the GI lenge. Late nominations closed at midnight, Saturday, Santa Anita Derby yesterday morning, going five fur- with the latest additions helping to push the number of longs in :58.80 over the Santa Anita main track. The nominees to a record-breaking move was second-fastest of 48 at the distance. If all 454. Buddy Gil put himself on goes well in Saturday’s $1 million event, the colt will be the Classic trail with a game on a plane for Kentucky Apr. 8. “He’s got a flight nose victory over booked,” trainer Ron Ellis said. “We’ll get there right Atswhatimtalknbout in the GII away and try to settle in and get him used to the track. San Felipe S. Mar. 16, while Most races, I ship in three or four days ahead, no mat- New York Hero staged a 14-1 ter where we’re going, but in a case like this, where it’s upset in the GII Lane’s End S. the Derby and my horse takes a little while to get used six days later. Defrere’s Vixen Buddy Gil Benoit photo to his surroundings, [I’ll ship early]. I want to school (Defrere), Mr. Decatur (Banker’s him plenty of times, because [Derby Day] is a day that Gold), During (Cherokee Run), Herculated (Louis Qua- he could get shook up. We’re just going to take him torze), Mr. Amano (Devil his Due) and Fund of Funds there and get him used to everything.” The dark bay (Saint Ballado) were the other late nominees. The previ- comes off a fast-closing second in the GII San Felipe S. ous record of 452 was set in 1986, the introductory year of the common-nomination program that allowed BAFFERT HOPEFULS TOP WORK TAB horsemen to nominate at one time and for one fee to Trainer Bob Baffert sent his trio of Santa Anita Derby the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont candidates out for their final preps yesterday morning, S. Officials indicated the number of nominations could and two of the three recorded bullet works. Domestic grow even higher through mail deliveries over the next Dispute (Unbridled’s Song), fifth in the Mar. 16 San few days. “We at Triple Crown Productions are ex- Felipe after winning the Jan. 18 GII Santa Catalina S., tremely excited about these record-breaking numbers,” went five furlongs in :58.60, while stablemate Indian said Thomas H. Meeker, president of Triple Crown Express (Indian Charlie) went three-quarters in 1:11.60. Productions, as well as president and chief executive Indian Express, a bargain $4,500 FTKOCT yearling, officer of Churchill Downs. “It reminds us once again started his career in Panama, where he was a perfect that horsemen around the world remain keenly aware of two-for-two. The bay made his U.S. bow in the Mar. 22 the importance of the Visa Triple Crown and the $5- San Pedro S. and finished fourth. He tries a distance million Visa Triple Crown Challenge. We look forward to beyond 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time Saturday. Also the coming excitement surrounding the running of the on Monday’s tab at Santa Anita was Kafwain (Chero- Kentucky Derby, Preakness S., and Belmont S., and the kee Run), who went five-eighths in :59.60. The dark new prospect for the first Triple Crown winner in 25 bay, who lost his runner-up finish in the GII Louisiana years.” A record 446 early-bird nominations, at $600 Derby due to a positive test for clenbuterol, is a perfect apiece, were received when that nomination period two-for-two at Santa Anita, taking the GII Norfolk S. closed Jan. 25. The fee to nominate late was $6,000. last October and the GII San Vicente S. Feb. 1. (Sophomore Scene cont. p4) TDN TODAY All horses in the TDN are bred in North America, Headline News .................... 4 pages unless otherwise indicated Keeneland’s April 15 Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale Recent graduates include leading 3-year-old fillies LADY TAK and ELLOLUV and CARSON HOLLOW, winner of Saturday’s Distaff Breeders’ Cup H. (GII). Make plans now to attend the preview sessions on Mondays, April 7 and 14. (800) 456-3412 www.keeneland.com The sale begins at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 15. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/1/03 • PAGE 2 of 4 (Mainichi Hai S. cont.) I R E S U L T S I Takara Shaadi, coming off a runner-up finish in the G3 Kyodo News Service Hai on Feb. 9, broke from the Sunday, Nakayama, Japan outside in the field of 13. Settled in mid-pack while MARCH S.-G3-JRA, ¥81,360,000, Nakayama, 3-30, racing wide, the colt overtook pacesetting Utopia in 4yo/up, 1800m, 1:52.0, ft. midstretch and won going away. “I couldn’t believe it 1--SMART BOY (JPN), 128, by Assatis when I saw his odds, because I knew he would improve 1st Dam: Unravel (Jpn), by No Lute (Fr) a lot from his last race,” said winning rider Tetsuzo 2nd Dam: Alert (Jpn), by Northern Dictator Sato. “I was able to settle him in a good position and 3rd Dam: Queen Grand (Jpn), by Only for Life (GB) he finished impressively.” According to trainer Shozo O-Grand Bokujo Co. Ltd.; B-Grand Stud; T-Keizo Ito; Sasaki, Takara Shaadi will skip the Satsuki Sho and aim J-N Ito; ¥42,602,000. Lifetime Record: 56-11-7-3. for the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai May 3 instead. 2--One More My Line (Jpn), 121, h, 5, Soccer Boy (Jpn)--Royal Time (Jpn), by Nagurski. O-Kazuzo Matsui; B-Shimokobe Farm; ¥17,172,000. P N E W S T O D A Y P 3--Koolinger (Jpn), 123, c, 4, Forty Niner--Kool Arrival, by Relaunch. O-S Hayashi; B-U Bokujo; ¥11,086,000. KONA TO ENJOY GOLDEN STATE After a third- Margins: 1/2, NO, 2 1/2. Odds: 7.50, 20.60, 18.30. place finish in Saturday’s GII Potrero Grande Breeders' Smart Boy, winner of two G3 Antares S. and two G3 Cup H. at Santa Anita, the nine-year-old Kona Gold Heian S., was seventh in last year’s G1 Japan Cup Dirt. (Java Gold) will be accorded a three-week vacation at The bay veteran went right to the lead, set all the frac- trainer Bruce Headley’s nearby farm. Headley indicated tions and held on to win by half length. “I knew that the gelding came out of the race in “fine” shape, but Koolinger was chasing us closely, but my horse re- that he’d be allowed “to enjoy the clover and sunshine” sponded gamely when I asked him,” said winning before gearing up for a summer campaign at Del Mar. jockey Naoto Ito. “He doesn’t like to settle behind horses, but if he gets the lead from the start like he did SUSPENSION WON’T AFFECT SMITH’S AZERI today, he gives a great performance.” MOUNT Despite a three-day suspension levied by Saturday, Hanshin, Japan Santa Anita stewards for his ride aboard a maiden MAINICHI HAI-G3-JRA, ¥81,210,000, Hanshin, 3-29, claimer over the weekend, jockey Mike Smith will be 3yo, 2000mT, 1:59.9, fm. allowed to ride last year’s Horse of the Year Azeri (Jade 1--@TAKARA SHAADI (JPN), 123, c, 3, by Shaadi Hunter) in Saturday’s $500,000 GI Apple Blossom H. at 1st Dam: Okura Dancer (Jpn), by Nice Dancer Oaklawn Park. “There’s no problem there,” Smith’s 2nd Dam: Okura Makoto (Jpn), by Moutiers (Fr) agent, Bob Meldahl, told Thoroughbred Times. “I’ve 3rd Dam: Mejiro Mangetsu (Jpn), by Solonaway (GB) already talked to the stewards, and they said it’d be no O-S. Ito; B-Koichi Sakai; T-Shozo Sasaki; J-Tetsuzo problem for [Smith] to take the days another time. He’ll Sato; ¥42,497,000. Lifetime Record (JRA): 3-2-1-0. be riding Azeri Saturday, and he’ll be riding at Santa 2--Utopia (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Forty Niner--Dream Vision Anita this week.” The suspension stemmed from an (Jpn), by Northern Taste. O-Makoto Kaneko; incident in last Saturday’s second race at Santa Anita, B-Northern Farm; ¥17,142,000. where Smith’s mount won by 1 1/4 lengths, but inter- 3--Suzuka Dream (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Sunday Silence-- fered with another horse after drifting out through the Wakia of Suzuka (Jpn), by Dance of Life. O-Keiji stretch under left-handed urging. Stewards ruled that Nagai; B-Inahara Bokujo; ¥11,071,000. Smith failed to make sufficient effort to maintain a Margins: 1 1/4, 3 1/2, 1. Odds: 22.80, 15.20, 7.30. straight course. www.coolmore.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/1/03 • PAGE 3 of 4 PEDIGREE INSIGHTS "One most likely explanation for Shaadi's drift in the betting at Royal Ascot was his pre-race demeanour," BY ANDREW CAULFIELD Timeform wrote.