Sunday, Thoroughbred Daily News June 9, 2002 TDN For information, call (732) 747-8060. HEADLINE NEWS SARAVA DENIES WAR EMBLEM Promise in the Ring, Disappointment at the Track We don’t know if trainer Kenny McPeek is a Grateful Bred in Kentucky by Timber Bay Farm, Sarava was Dead fan, but their tune “What A Long Strange Trip It’s consigned to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Yearling Sale by Been” could serve as the theme for the conditioner’s Highclere Sales and was purchased by bloodstock 2002 Triple Crown campaign. Repent spent agent Buzz Chace for $190,000, the fourth much of the early spring as the pre-Derby highest price of the three-day sale. Given just favorite, but was sidelined by injury. That’s a bit of time to mature, the colt was entered when Harlan’s Holiday stepped to the fore, in Fasig-Tipton’s two-year-olds in training sale his victories in the GI Florida Derby and GI at Calder and was hammered down to British Toyota Blue Grass vaulting him to Derby Day trainer Brian Meehan on behalf of Newmarket favoritism. Seventh at Churchill Downs and International for a quarter million dollars. Sent an improved fourth in the Preakness, the immediately to his conditioner’s British base, McPeek team took their biggest hit of the Sarava made his debut in an Aug. 19 condi- spring when owner Jack Wolf decided to tions event at Sandown, finishing a midpack transfer that colt to a new barn. McPeek fourth before filling the same spot behind this took it in stride, at least on the outside, but year’s Italian and German 2000 Guineas hero had a chance to ease that pain with Sir Sarava (left) passes Dupont in a similar event at Lingfield 11 days Barton S. winner Sarava (Wild Again) in yes- Medaglia d’Oro as War hence. Given one more chance on the grass, terday’s GI Belmont S. Emblem fades he finished a dismal 13th in a Doncaster Horsephotos maiden, prompting the ownership to consider BELMONT S.-GI, $1,000,000, BEL, 6-8, returning the horse to the sales ring. Entered 3yo, 1 1/2m, 2:29 3/5, ft. for last year’s Tattersalls Autumn Sale in early Novem- 1--@sSARAVA, 126, c, 3, by Wild Again ber, the fateful decision was made to withdraw the colt 1st Dam: Rhythm of Life, by Deputy Minister and return him to his homeland. 2nd Dam: Nalee’s Rhythm, by Nalees Man 3rd Dam: Lady Rhythm, by Mister Jive Things Begin Looking Rosier ($190,000 yrl '00 FTMOCT; $250,000 2yo ‘01 Despite a pedigree well suited to the main track, FTFFEB). O-New Phoenix Stable & Mrs Susan Roy; Sarava went off at odds of 36-1 in his U.S. bow at B-Timber Bay Farm (KY); T-K G McPeek; J-E S Prado; Churchill Nov. 21, but rallied four wide to win by 2 1/4 $600,000. Lifetime Record: 9-3-3-0, $696,845. lengths and finished second in his two-year-old finale at 2--Medaglia d'Oro, 126, c, 3, El Prado (Ire)--Cappucino Turfway Dec. 9. Beset with a nasty quarter crack prob- Bay, by Bailjumper. O-Edmund A Gann; B-Albert & lem which cost the colt 25 percent of his hoof wall, Joyce Bell (KY); T-R Frankel; J-K Desormeaux; Sarava’s sophomore unveiling was delayed until Apr. $200,000. 14 when he ran second to Wiseman’s Ferry at 3--Sunday Break (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Forty Niner--Catequil, Keeneland in his first start for McPeek. That effort, and by Storm Cat. O-Koji Maeda; B-North Hills Mgmt the subsequent success of the the winner in the GIII (JPN); T-N Drysdale; J-G Stevens. $110,000. Lone Star Derby, earned Sarava his first stakes test, Margins: HF, 9HF, 1. Odds: 70.25, 16.00, 8.10. one he passed with flying colors when he unleashed a Also Ran: Magic Weisner, Proud Citizen, Essence of strong finishing kick to take the Sir Barton. He ran Dubai, Like a Hero, War Emblem, Wiseman's Ferry, about as fast as the Preakness winner the same after- Perfect Drift, Artax Too. noon. Could he play the role of Triple Crown spoiler? Scratched: Puzzlement. For the brisnet.com chart, click here FOR THE BELMONT PARK STAKES REPLAYS, CLICK HERE CHAPARRAL’s Derby - p3 ...HOLLOW Unbeatable- p4 ... PRIX DE DIANE Attracts Full Field - p9 TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 6/9/02 • PAGE 2 of 11 Belmont S. cont. Proud Citizen Suffers Injury War Emblem’s Crown Lost at the Start Fifth-place finisher Proud Citizen was vanned off the With the Triple Crown on the line for War Emblem track following the race and has been diagnosed with a (Our Emblem) and little margin for error, disaster struck cracked left shin, according to trainer D. Wayne Lukas. as soon as the field was sent on its mile-and-a-half “He’ll be out about 90-120 days,” the conditioner said. journey. The dark bay colt stumbled badly just out of I’m happy it isn’t more serious. I don’t know when it the gate and took a few strides before he got his feet happened. Maybe he caught the hoof of another horse. back underneath him, but had lost several lengths in He’s got no swelling in his ankle or knee. He’s comfort- the process. Wiseman’s Ferry (Hennessy) showed the able right now and is standing with full weight on it. I way into the first turn from Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado tell you, the Belmont has been great to me, but I’ve {Ire}) as War Emblem rushed up to try to get back into also had my bad luck in it.” Triple Crown aspirant Char- the race. As the field rounded into the backstretch, ismatic suffered a career-ending injury in the 1999 jockey Victor Espinoza his hands full aboard the Derby Belmont, but Lukas returned the following year to send and Preakness winner, who resisted his jockey’s out Commendable to win the 2000 renewal. urgings to relax, while tucked in just behind that one raced Sarava, who bided his time beneath Edgar Prado Perfect Drift Anything But Perfect in fifth while going smoothly. Angled to the inside Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Perfect Drift approaching the far turn, the 70-1 second longest shot (Dynaformer), sent off the second choice in the wager- in the field waited patiently while gaining on Medaglia ing at odds of 5-1, never fired and finished 10th, d’Oro at the quarter pole, knifed through an opening beaten over 50 lengths. It marks the first time the between that one and Proud Citizen (Gone West) (see gelding has finished outside of the top three in eight sidebar) in upper stretch and got the better of the career starts. “My horse didn’t run at all,” explained Bobby Frankel-trainee under right-handed encourage- jockey Eddie Delahoussaye. “He wasn’t the same horse ment. “I’m not totally surprised,” the winning trainer today. He went to switching leads before he should commented. “The colt has been doing great. I think the have. He just wasn’t right. Something’s bugging him.” distance was a non-issue. We didn’t know how good he was. He proved himself and I’m really proud of ev- Prince Ahmed Not In Attendance erybody involved.” Despite the possibility of a Triple Crown, Prince Ahmed bin Salman, whose nom de course is The Thor- “The Only Thing That Can Beat Us Is A Bad Break” oughbred Corporation, was unable to attend the Those words were part of a pre-race conversation Belmont. “He’s back in Riyadh right now. He had some between Bob Baffert, trainer of War Emblem, and his family obligations that he had to take care of,” his jockey Victor Espinoza. Little did Baffert know how that racing manager Richard Mulhall explained during an would come into play. “You know, I worried about this impromptu press conference. “He just took too much track,” he commented. “It was drying out. It looked like time with the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby, he lost his footing away from there, stumbled and got which he didn’t expect to do, and he couldn’t get out behind horses. When you have a front-running horse, I of his commitments.” It was uncertain as to whether knew that was going to be a problem. We just feel the Prince would have been able to view the race live. fortunate that we won the Derby and the Preakness, had some fun with him.” The loss marks the third time that the California-based trainer has missed a chance at Belmont Day Records the Triple Crown, following the tough-luck defeats of Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet in 1998. “They Attendance 103,222 (85,818--1999) were in it from the start and you knew you were in Handle good shape the whole way,” he said, referring to his On Track $12,045,114 ($10,581,093-2001) two previous candidates. “This horse...it was just gut Commingled $90,703,840 ($68,323,600-2001) wrenching to have to watch the whole race because All Sources $95,423,752 ($74,133,189-1999) the poor horse was trying so hard. I wanted to do it but Single Race $3,753,983 ($3,143,508-1999) it’s tough. Next time I win the Derby, I’m going home.” June 1st weekend victories for MC MAHON in the Precisionist H.