Brother Derek Drills at Santa Anita HEADLINE p. 2 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 MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006 EL GATO GRANDE Surf Cat (Sir Cat) may have given some cause for concern with five lengths to make up while only a Triple furlong from the wire in yesterday’s GII Potrero Grande H. at Santa Anita, but he quickly dispelled any fears by Threats running past the front rank as if they were standing still en route Cause To Believe Likely For Illinois Derby... to an easy 2 1/4-length victory. Cause To Believe (Maria’s Mon), winner of the GIII El “He got the luck of the draw Camino Real Derby and the California Derby, is sched- and he got the luck of the uled to make his next start in the Apr. 8 GII Illinois break,” explained winning Derby. The three-year-old will trainer Bruce Headley. Was he ship from his home base at Surf Cat Benoit photo worried that his colt was too Golden Gate Fields Tuesday. He far back early? “No, because he likes to stalk,” Headley prepped for the $500,000 test said. “Alex [Solis] knows him very well and we weren’t before the first race at Golden concerned.” According to Headley, the four-year-old Gate Saturday, going five fur- will make his next start in 1 1/16-mile GII Mervin LeRoy longs in 1:01.62. “I talked to H. May 13 followed by the 1 1/8-mile GII Californian at [trainer Jerry Hollendorfer] and Hollywood June 17 and the 10-furlong GI Hollywood Cause to Believe Vassar Photo he told me it was perfect,” said Gold Cup July 8. cont. p2 co-owner Peter Abruzzo. “It was exactly what we Click for the brisnet.com chart or the free brisnet.com wanted.” Also possible for the Illinois Derby, Sweet- catalogue-style pedigree. northernsaint (Sweetsouthernsaint) went a half in a bullet :47 at Laurel Park Saturday morning. Trainer Sunday, Santa Anita Michael Trombetta called Hawthorne stakes coordinator POTRERO GRANDE BREEDERS' CUP H.-GII, $128,000, Debbie Lindsay after the move. “He said he was SAX, 4-2, 4yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:15, ft. pleased with the work and told me it was fairly certain 1--SURF CAT, 119, c, 4, by Sir Cat that they would run [at Hawthorne],” Lindsay said. 1st Dam: Trust Greta, by Centrust Entries for the eight-furlong race will be drawn Tuesday. 2nd Dam: Silver Greta, by Silver Buck 3rd Dam: What a Queen, by Majestic Prince ($25,000 yrl '03 FTKFEB). O-Aase Headley & Marsha Naify; B-William Taylor Nicholls & Gainsway Farm (KY); T-Bruce Headley; J-A Solis; $60,000. Lifetime Record: 10-6-3-0, $472,420. *1/2 to Rosie O'Greta (Fight Over), GSW, $132,544. 2--Grinding It Out, 116, h, 6, Grindstone--Crystal Goddess, by Dr. Fager. ($140,000 yrl '01 KEESEP). O-Montgomery Ormsby; B-Winsome Farm Inc (KY); T-Neil French; $40,000. www.taylormadefarm.com 3--Oceanus (Brz), 114, h, 7, Rainbow Corner (GB)--By Flower (Brz), by Blew By Em. O-L-Bo Racing & Paseta & Pyle; B-Haras Campestre (BRZ); T-A C Avila; $12,000. POTRERO GRANDE BC H.-GII Surf Cat (Sir Cat) Margins: 2 1/4, 1HF, HD. Odds: 0.20, 5.80, 28.30. comes from off the pace en route to win. Also Ran: Areyoutalkintome, Keep On Punching. www.overbrookfarm.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/3/06 • PAGE 2 of 3 No Doubt... Brother Derek Drills for Santa Anita Derby... Pounded down to 1-2 favoritism, Surf Cat settled Brother Derek (Benchmark) was given his final major well behind a crisp opening quarter mile in :21.69 and drill in advance of Saturday’s GI Santa Anita Derby. was content to let the trio of Areyoutalkintome Rolling through five panels in 1:00 1/5, the colt, who (Smokester), Keep on Punching (Silver Deputy) and was partnered by Alex Solis, Grinding it Out (Grindstone) slug it out through a half in recorded the ninth fastest of 50 :44.25. Ready to pounce a sixteenth from home, the moves at the distance yesterday. four-year-old powered past the fading leaders in deep “I got him in a minute and stretch and drew off to hand Grinding it Out a 2 1/4- change and [galloped] out in :12 length defeat. Oceanus (Brz) (Rainbow Corner {GB}), and change, just like I wanted,” who trailed the field early, passed tired rivals to fill the said trainer Dan Henricks. “Alex show spot. The victory gave trainer Bruce Headley his [Solis] was just sitting on him sixth in the Potrero Grande. His other winners are Brother Derek Horsephotos nice and relaxed. Alex never Kalookan Queen (2002), Kona Gold (2000-01), Son of a moved on him. Everything’s go- Pistol (1998) and Halo Folks (1986). ing to plan. He’s healthy, he’s happy and we’re ready to roll.” Also getting in a final work before Saturday’s Tale of a Cat.... Kentucky Derby prep, Point Determined (Point Given) Third time proved the charm when Surf Cat came covered five furlongs in a sharp :59.80. Ridden by home a 3 1/2-length winner over this track and trip last Victor Espinoza, the colt was the sixth fastest at the April and he looked even better when winning in a step distance yesterday. “He went very nice,” said trainer up to allowance company at Bob Baffert. “Victor [Espinoza] loved him.” Hollywood Park May 15. Just a neck short of winner Indian Flashy Bull Exits Florida Derby With Excuse... Ocean in his first foray past a Flashy Bull (Holy Bull), seventh as the second betting mile in the GIII Affirmed H. choice in Saturday’s GI Florida Derby, may have been June 18, the bay was easily compromised by an electrolyte imbalance known as the best, scoring by five easy ‘the thumps,’ according to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. lengths, in the nine-furlong GII “It was hot [Saturday], and usually the ‘thumps’ are Surf Cat winning the Swaps Breeders’ Cup H. July caused by heat and/or dehydration in the horse’s San Carlos Benoit Photo 9. In what would prove to be body,” McLaughlin explained. “The horse came out of his sole off-the-board finish, the race sound as he always was, but he ran a sub par Surf Cat pressed the early pace, but couldn’t sustain race and we may have found a legitimate excuse for his momentum, fading to sixth behind winner Borrego that performance.” As for treatment of the condition, in the 10-furlong GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar Aug. 21. McLaughlin added, “There are various things you can Sidelined for almost two months, the colt returned with do, such as an addition of calcium to the horse’s diet to an impressive victory in Santa Anita allowance com- prevent a recurrence of the condition, so as of right pany Oct. 10 and was shelved for the remainder of the now, we’re still pointing toward the Kentucky Derby year. In his only prior start this term, the $25,000 [May 6].” FTKFEB yearling continued to produce the goods, rolling to a 2 1/4-length victory in the seven-furlong GII San TDN TODAY Carlos H. over this track Feb. 18. Video, sponsored by Taylor Made. Headline News .................... 3 pages www.taylormadefarm.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 4/3/06 • PAGE 3 of 3 Triple Threats cont.. P R E S U L T S P High Blues To Arlington... Florida Derby sixth-place finisher High Blues (High Sunday, Hanshin, Japan Yield) will be given a brief vacation before heading to SANKEI OSAKA HAI-G2-JRA (Listed), ¥136,720,000, Arlington Park for a summer campaign. “He came back Hanshin, 4-2, 4yo/up, 2000mT, 2:04.50, yld. good,” said trainer David Paulus. “Cornelio [jockey 1--COMPANY (JPN), 125, h, 5, by Miracle Admire (Jpn) Velasquez] came by the barn and we were talking 1st Dam: Brilliant Very (Jpn), by Northern Taste about how we both thought there would be a little 2nd Dam: Crafty Wife, by Crafty Prospector more pace in the race. He said he let the horse drop 3rd Dam: Wife Mistress, by Secretariat about 10 lengths back, because he thought they’d be O-H Kondo; B-Northern Farm; T-H Otonashi; J-Y going a lot quicker up front.” Concerning the decision Fukunaga; ¥64,868,000. Lifetime Record: 14-5-3-0, to head to Arlington, Paulus said, “Sometimes you just ¥230,927,000. *1/2 to New Very (Jpn) (Fuji Kiseki have to take two steps back and punt. We’ll give him a {Jpn}), MSW-Jpn, $1,896,419; Leningrad (Jpn) little time and probably shoot for a three-year-old stakes (Tony Bin {Ire}), SW-Jpn, $1,305,376. at Arlington this summer.” 2--Macky Max (Jpn), 125, h, 6, Dance in the Dark (Jpn)--Clear Chance (Jpn), by Dictus (Fr). Keyed Entry and Showing Up Prep for Wood... O-T Makiura; B-S Yoshida; T-H Fujiwara. 3--Suzuka Mambo (Jpn), 130, h, 5, Sunday Silence-- Keyed Entry (Honour and Glory) and Showing Up Spring Mambo (GB), by Kingmambo. O-K Nagai; (Strategic Mission) had a final major preparatory work B-Grand Stud; T-M Hashida. in advance of Saturday’s GI Wood Memorial at Aque- Margins: 3/4, 1, HD.