KIP SHOWS UP IN MAKER’S MARK HEADLINE p8 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 SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2007 MEANS TO AN END CURLIN FOR DOLLARS In 1990, trainer Carl Nafzger saddled Unbridled to a The GII Arkansas Derby has been one of the most third-place finish in the Blue Grass S., then a Grade II, productive preps for the Kentucky Derby over recent before the strapping bay colt went on to wear the years, with Smarty Jones completing the double in blanket of roses on the first Saturday in May. Nafzger, 2004 and Afleet Alex just missing in Louisville after who is now semi-retired and airing in Hot Springs in maintains a string of just 13 2005. Stonestreet Stables, horses, is using the Keeneland Padua Stables and George centerpiece again to prep for Bolton’s Curlin (Smart the Derby, this time with reign- Strike) has been nothing ing two-year-old champion short of sensational in his Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}). two trips to the post thus And the $64,000 question is far. The chestnut drifted how tight will he be for the out during the stretch run nine-furlong event? The condi- Curlin Coady Photography of his Feb. 3 debut over tioner did a masterful job of seven furlongs at managing the Jim Tafel runner Gulfstream Park, but it didn’t much matter, as he Street Sense Horsephotos in 2006, using each appear- crossed the line a 12 3/4-length winner. Sold for a ance at the races as an educational tool towards bigger reported $3.5 million off that victory, Curlin was turned and better goals. Following his third-place finish in the over to trainer Steve Asmussen, who readied the colt one-mile GIII Arlington-Washington Breeders’ Cup Futu- for the GIII Rebel S. Mar. 17. Second choice that after- rity, Street Sense made his first local appearance in noon to Flying First Class (Perfect Mandate), he swept Keeneland’s GI Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity in Octo- four wide into the stretch and rolled to a 5 1/4-length ber. Trapped wide for most of that journey, he made a success over Officer Rocket (GB) (Officer). “Curlin has bold, sweeping move to lead into the stretch, but flat- had a lot of obstacles to overcome,” Asmussen said tened out a bit late to finish third to Great Hunter (Apti- this morning at Wednesday’s draw, “but talent isn’t tude) and Circular Quay. The plan all came together in one of them. He is a very talented colt. Curlin answered the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 4, when Street a lot of questions in the Rebel. He surprises me at Sense stormed home a 10-length winner, and it appears times.” Arkansas Derby cont. p3 he’s lost little at three. He outgunned Any Given Satur- day to take the GIII Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 17, has since returned to his base at Churchill and has trained sensationally since. Nafzger knows his colt is one of a kind. “He’s a patient horse,” the conditioner told Daily Racing Form. “He does what I like. He doesn’t make mistakes.” To be sure, there is little room for error if Great Hunter im- proves even a little off his seasonal debut, a career- best performance in the Mar. 3 GII Robert B. Lewis S. (ex Santa Catalina S.) at Santa Great Hunter Benoit photo Anita. Third, beaten over 12 lengths in the Juvenile, the Pennsylvania-bred colt finished willingly to best Sam P. by 1 1/4 lengths in the Lewis. Given his obvious affinity for synthetic surfaces- -he trains regularly over the Cushion Track at Holly- wood Park--the dark bay will take some beating this afternoon. For the Blue Grass program page, click here. Toyota Blue Grass S. cont. p2 www.coolmore.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/14/07 • PAGE 2 of 9 On the Fringes... Winchell Thoroughbred LLC’s Zanjero (Cherokee Run) Although the top two seem to be in a different class, failed to make it into the field for the Breeders’ Cup the rest of the field feature horses who could make Juvenile, but instead took in a Nov. 2 allowance at some noise later in the year. Silverton Hill LLC’s Domini- Churchill and won it by a length, with Dominican back can (El Corredor) was third to the sidelined Tiz Wonder- in fourth. The $700,000 Keeneland September yearling ful and Any Given Saturday in the GII Kentucky Jockey comes into this with thirds in the GIII Risen Star S. Club S. last November and returned from a five-month Feb. 10 and the GII Louisiana Derby Mar. 10. absence to post a resounding five-length success in the Teuflesberg (Johannesburg), upset winner two back of Mar. 24 Rushaway S. over the Turfway Polytrack. The the Southwest S. Feb. 19, looms the controlling speed chestnut was under consideration for today’s GII Arkan- this afternoon. Time Squared (Fusaichi Pegasus) topped sas Derby, but, drawing on his strong performance at last year’s Keeneland April Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Turfway, trainer Darrin Miller opted to take on the big Training at $1.05 million and just last Friday broke his boys in Lexington. maiden over the local Polytrack. Saturday, Keeneland, post time: 5:46 p.m. EDT TOYOTA BLUE GRASS S.-GI, $750,000, 3yo, 1 1/8m PP HORSE OWNER BREEDER TRAINER/JOCKEY ODDS 1 Zanjero Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC T Holmes & W Zent-KY Asmussen 8-1 (c, Cherokee Run--Checkered Flag, by A.P. Indy) Gomez 2 Dominican Silverton Hill LLC Barak Farm-KY Miller 10-1 (g, El Corredor--First Violin, by Dixieland Band) Bejarano 3 Love Dubai Equirace.com Foxfield-KY Peltz 30-1 (c, E Dubai--Omnia, by Green Dancer) Mena 4 Street Sense James B Tafel LLC James Tafel-KY Nafzger 4-5 (c, Street Cry {Ire}--Bedazzle, by Dixieland Band) Borel 5 Time Squared Fab Oak Stable/Giacopelli/Lakin Chester & Mary Broman-NY Biancone 30-1 (c, Fusaichi Pegasus--Indy Glory, by A.P. Indy) Leparoux 6 Teuflesberg Logsdon, Kelly & Sanders Richard Giacopelli-KY Sanders 10-1 (c, Johannesburg--St. Michele, by Devil's Bag) Prado 7 Great Hunter J Paul Reddam Ivy Dell Stud-PA O'Neill 9-5 (c, Aptitude--Zenith, by Roy) Nakatani All carry 123 pounds. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/14/07 • PAGE 3 of 9 Today’s Graded Stakes brought to you by Owner of SMOKEY STOVER (g, 4, Put It Back--Milady’s Halo, by Jolie’s Halo) Consigned by Bridlewood Farm Click for TV 4:05p Jenny Wiley S.-GII, Kee (brisnet.com PPs) TVG $140,000 2yo ‘05 FTMMAY 4:20p Comely S.-GII, Aqu (brisnet.com PPs) TVG Lifetime Record: 11-7-4-0, $459,725. 5:13p Commonwealth BC S.-GII, Kee (brisnet.com PPs) TVG 5:46p Toyota Blue Grass S.-GI, Kee (brisnet.com PPs) ESPN Harry Aleo became a household name in the racing world as his Lost of the Fog sprinted to championship honors in 2005. The 87-year-old is back 6:47p Arkansas Derby-GII, OP (brisnet.com PPs) HRTV on the sprint championship trail again this year with four-year-old Smokey All Post Times are Eastern Daylight Time. Stover, who captured his fourth straight victory in last Saturday’s GII Potrero Click here to download all brisnet.com PPs of today’s graded races. Grande Breeders’ Cup H. Aleo, with the help of trainer Greg Gilchrist, THE CLIFF’S EDGE won the G1 Blue Grass S. bought both speedsters as two-year-olds. First-crop yearlings in 2007. Smokey Stover was purchased for $140,000 at the 2005 FTMMAY auction, but Lost in the Fog was purchased privately after failing to meet his Click here for more... reserve at the 2004 OBSMAR sale. “We bid on Lost in the Fog [at OBS], but he went much higher,” Aleo P P R E V I E W S P explained. “We didn’t realize it, but the consignor bought him back. They called us a few weeks later and asked if we were still interested.” Saturday, Oaklawn Park, post time: 5:47 p.m. EDT “I buy yearlings every once in a while, I bought a couple at Ocala a few ARKANSAS DERBY-GII, $1,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/8m weeks ago,” Aleo said. “But I like the two-year-olds in training sales. You PP HORSE SIRE TRAINER ODDS can actually see the horses, how they move and how they run. You can’t do 1 Delightful Kiss Kissin Kris Anderson 10-1 that at the yearling sale, you can’t see them actually running.” As for his strategy for picking out two-year-olds, Aleo said, “ I leave that up 2 Curlin Smart Strike Asmussen 7-5 to my trainer--he knows a lot more about that than me. I can tell if they’re 3 Officer Rocket (GB) Officer Holthus 6-1 crooked and things like that, but I’m not the greatest at picking them out.” 4 Going Ballistic Lite the Fuse Von Hemel 12-1 Aleo has “about a half-dozen” horses in training and estimates that 90 5 Flying First Class Perfect Mandate Lukas 8-1 percent were bought as two-year-olds. 6 Storm in May Tiger Ridge Kaplan 15-1 The California native has been a racing fan most of his life.