ELBOW ROOM

BLOCKBUSTER CARD AT WOODBINE SATURDAY:

Champion 3yo colt ALEZZANDRO returns!
Owner EARLE MACK buys PLATE PROSPECT


More than 120 horses were entered for Saturday's 10-race card at Woodbine including champion and Prince of Wales Stakes winner ALEZZANDRO, who headlines the 8th race, an allowance/optional claimer at 7 furlongs.

(PHOTO up top is ALEZZANDRO and trainer KEVIN ATTARD and owner SALLY STAVRO, by www.horse-races.net)


Alezzandro, THE 3YO CHAMPION last year based on his Wales win, close Queen's Plate 2nd place finish and Ontario Derby runner-up placing, is by High Yield and is owned and bred by Knob Hill Stable
He has not raced since the Ontario Derby when 2nd to Artie Hot but has been training steadily, and quickly, at Payson Park in Florida and his last Woodbine work was a bullet on April 13 - 59 3/5 fir 5 furlongs.
Alezzandro is a good sprinter it says here - he won his career debut at 6 1/2 furlongs - but the race is a wild one.
The 13-horse field has also lured the fast improving DISFUNCTION (98 Beyer Figure 2 starts ago), a British Columbbia bred by Vying Victor, who won an allowanc erace at GUlfstream Park for Weila Ye and JMJs Stable and trainer Julia Carey.
Also in the field is stakes placed FUDGETHEBOTTOMLINE, ANGEL OF THE HOUSE and many more good sprinters including WOLLEMI PINE and AS EXPECTED.

The Woodbine Saturday matinee also includes the FIRST 2YO RACE of the year at 2 furlongs,no whips.
A huge field was entered - 16 - but only 10 will race.
Owner/breeder RON POTTS JR invades from Kentucky with WHY DON'T WE (WhyWhyWhy), who worked 2 furlongs in 22 flat, breezing on April 12 at a training centre.

Race 5 is an allowance for 3yo's featuring QUEEN'S PLATE hopefuls SEBASTIEN'S SONG (Cherokee Run), who won his debut last fall with a 74 Beyer Figure, and TOOK THE TIME (Greenwood Lake), who won his debut with a 75 Beyer Figure.

TOOK THE TIME, bred by Linda Mason, was raced by Sequel Racing last year but has been sold to EARLE MACK.

And the WOODSTOCK STAKES is also on the card, the smallest field and a race for 3yo's sprinting (last weeks ACHIEVEMENT STAKES surely put a dent in this event).
Steve Asmussen trainee CARSON'S LEGACY, winner of the Dixieland Stakes at Oaklawn, is 4 to 5 in the morning line in the 6-horse field.


YESTERDAY...

Canadian-bred first-time starter NIGHT FEVER (Pergiee Moon) finished a close third in a maiden allowance in her debut yesterday at Keeneland. The filly is owned by Morgan Firestone.

Pick Six Pays $18,342.20 at Keeneland
A fairly formful afternoon produced a Pick Six payoff of $18,342.20 to 41 ticket holders, 10 on track, Wednesday at Keeneland Race Course.

The Pick Six had not been hit for seven consecutive days, creating a track record carryover of $307,049. However, with three favorites and a second choice taking the first four races, it became apparent the Pick Six mystery would be solved Wednesday.

A total of $733,900 was bet Wednesday, creating a pool of $1,040,949.


Winners in races four through nine, respectively, were Holiday Cruise ($4.40), Teriffany ($7.40), Nistle’s Crunch ($5.40), Victorianna ($5.40), Alwajeeha ($11.80) and A.P. Fortune ($17).

Tickets selecting five of six winners netted a $113.80 return.



WHAAAAAAAAAT - 33 listed as Probables for Derby, so far

The LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL is THE source for Kentucky Derby news, views and fun features. There is a link to the Derby database at its site on the right.
Today, the paper writes about RECAPTURETHEGLORY, the white-faced winner of the Illinois Derby, and all the other possible horses who want to get into the May 3 Derby.

EDGAR PRADO chose ADRIANO to ride over TALE OF EKATI and MONBA yesterday in the Derby...hmmmmmmmmmmm.

(Photo at top right is CHARLES PRAVATA's cool shot of COLONEL JOHN and a cheeky COREY NAKATANI after the SANTA ANITA DERBY...see Charles' photos at alydar_1978 at www.flickr.com)



PROSPECTIVE KENTUCKY DERBY FIELD


Horse Trainer/jockey Sts 1-2-3 Graded $

1. War Pass Zito/Velasquez 7 5-1-0 $1,470,00
2. Pyro Asmussen/Bridgmohan 7 3-2-1 $1,020,000
3. Tale of Ekati Tagg/TBA 6 3-1-0 $738,000 4
4 Colonel John Harty/Nakatani 6 4-2-0 $720,000
5. Gayego Lobo/Smith 5 3-2-0 $640,000
6. Big Brown Dutrow/Desormeaux 3 3-0-0 $600,000
7. Z Humor Mott/Douglas 8 2-0-3 $579,000
8. Monba Pletcher/Prado 5 3-0-0 $515,000
9. Court Vision Mott/Gomez 6 3-1-2 $331,872
10. Z Fortune Asmussen/Albarado 6 3-2-0 $329,000
11. Adriano Motion/Prado 7 3-1-0 $310,000
12. Recapturetheglory Roussel/Baird 6 2-1-2 $300,000
13. Smooth Air Stutts/Cruz 7 3-2-2 $290,000
14. l-Salute the Sarge Guillot/M. Baze 7 4-2-0 $258,940
15. Cool Coal Man Zito/TBA 8 4-1-0 $212,767
16. Anak Nakal Zito/TBA 6 2-1-0 $212,216
17. f-Eight Belles Jones/Dominguez 9 5-2-1 $210,000
18. Cowboy Cal Pletcher/Velazquez 6 3-2-0 $207,660
19. Visionaire Matz/Lezcano 6 3-1-1 $202,500
20. Big Truck Tagg/Coa 8 3-1-1 $194,500
21. Bob Black Jack Kasparoff/Flores 7 3-2-1 $180,000
22. Denis of Cork Carroll/TBA 4 3-0-0 $165,000
23. Halo Najib Romans/TBA 8 2-2-1 $157,996
24. l-Tomcito Zanelli/Chavez 6 4-1-1 $151,292
25. My Pal Charlie Stall/Leparoux 7 2-1-0 $150,000
26. El Gato Malo C. Dollase/TBA 5 3-1-0 $145,000
27. Hey Byrn Plesa/Lopez 8 4-2-0 $140,000
28. l-Atoned Pletcher/Bravo 9 2-5-0 $130,000
29. Golden Spikes Wolfson/TBA 7 2-2-0 $118,000
30. Tres Borraches Greely/T. Baze 7 1-0-3 $118,000
31. l-Racecar Rhapsody McPeek/TBA 5 1-1-1 $90,871
32. Kentucky Bear Baker/Theriot 3 1-0-1 $75,000
33. Stevil Zito/Bejarano 6 1-1-1 $49,500

Note: Earnings are only those in graded-stakes races, those designated as the most important in the world. If more than 20 horses are entered for the Derby, preference is given to those with the greatest earnings in graded stakes.

l-Running in Saturday's $325,000, Grade II Coolmore Lexington.

f-filly



DANCEROFTHEREALM EYES FOURTH STRAIGHT IN GIANT’S CAUSEWAY

from www.keeneland.com

Canadian Richard Lister’s Danceroftherealm (GB) will put her three-race winning streak on the line Saturday when she faces eight rivals in the 12th running of the $100,000 Giant’s Causeway for fillies and mares three-years-old and up going 5 ½ furlongs over the Keeneland turf course.

Miguel Mena, who rode the daughter of King of Kings (IRE) to victory in those three starts at Fair Grounds, will have the mount Saturday and make up most of the 124-pound impost. Malcolm Pierce trains Danceroftherealm, who took the March 8 Bienville at 5 ½ furlongs in her most recent start.

Coming back to face Danceroftherealm from the Bienville are Jazzy (ARG), Kindling and Taletobetold, who finished second, third and ninth in that race, respectively.

The field for the Giant’s Causeway, from the hedge out, is as follows: Ben’s Grand Babe (J. Chavez, 118 pounds), Fanlight Fanny (E. Prado, 118), Danceroftherealm (GB) (M. Mena, 124), Tale of the Devil (P. Husbands, 118), Jazzy (ARG) (G. Gomez, 118), Kindling (K. Desormeaux, 118), Pola’s Place (T. Pompell, 118), Taletobetold (J. Leparoux, 118) and Just for Keeps (R. Albarado, 118).