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Buck Pond Releases 2008 Stallion Fees

Buck Pond Farm, near Versailles, Ky., has lowered the stud fees on three of its 11 stallions. Breeding fees have been dropped for State City, Seattle Fitz, and Colonial Colony.

Hero's Tribute Ready For Stallion Duty

Grade II winner Hero's Tribute, who missed the first part of the breeding season at Douglas Arnold's Buck Pond Farm near Versailles, Ky., because of surgery, is ready to begin breeding.

Hero's Tribute to Buck Pond

Hero's Tribute, a 6-year-old son of Sea Hero--Eastern Dawn, by Damascus, has been retired from racing and will stand the 2005 breeding season at Doug Arnold's Buck Pond Farm near Versailles, Ky. The three-time stakes winner, who arrived at the farm Sept. 11, will stand for a fee of $5,000.

Saratoga Notebook: Saratoga Wired; 43 in Row for Johnson; Sky Mesa's Near Miss

Racing was held as scheduled at Saratoga Friday, with only a few changes necessitated by the power outage Thursday that affected an estimated 50 million people in the United States and Canada.

Ward Horses, Dynever Work at Belmont

Hero's Tribute, Sky Mesa, Dynever, and three of Christophe Clement's fillies turned in recent works at Belmont Park.

Mineshaft Wins Pimlico Special

Neil Howard may saddle a longshot Saturday in the Preakness (gr. I), but he sent out a favorite to win the $600,000 Pimlico Special (gr. I) Friday. Mineshaft and Robby Albarado won the Pimlico Special over Western Pride and longshot Judge's Case.

Mineshaft Out to Prove He's Special

Mineshaft, a winner of five of six starts since moving stateside, is the 121 topweight and 8-5 morning-line favorite for Friday's Pimlico Special (gr. I).

Nine Probable for Pimlico Special

Even though the weights won't be released until Friday, a field of nine is probable for the Pimlico Special (gr. I). Returning after a year's hiatus, Maryland's premier race for older horses will be run on Friday, May 16, the day before the Preakness Stakes (gr. I).

Hero's Tribute Solves Distance in Florida Win

With handicap division leader Harlan's Holiday several thousand miles away in Dubai, John Oxley's favored Hero's Tribute took full advantage to tally an easy victory in Saturday's $300,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II).

Hero's Tribute Leads Balanced Field in Gulfstream Handicap

John Oxley's Grade II winner Hero's Tribute has been installed as the lukewarm 5-to-2 morning-line favorite in a wide-open field of nine older horses set to go 1 1/4 miles in the $300,000 Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park Saturday.

Harlan's Holiday Cruises in Donn

The conditions were perfect for Starlight Stable's favored Harlan's Holiday in Saturday's $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I), and the world's most famous Ohio-bred responded with a resounding victory.

Harlan's Holiday Rates Donn's Star Billing

Starlight Stable's Harlan's Holiday, who won last year's Florida Derby (gr. I), tries to complete a unique parlay at Gulfstream Park Saturday in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I).

Sky Mesa Works at Palm Beach

Sky Mesa had his third work toward the Florida Derby; Todd Pletcher counts Bham, Lion Tamer, and Indy Dancer among his charges; plus other workout notes from Florida.

Gulfstream Race Report: Castle Rocks

Windsor Castle gets back in the winning groove taking the Hal's Hope Handicap. Owners Melnyk and Gill off to fast start at Gulfstream Park.

Dream Run Stretching Out in Hal's Hope

While there's questions surrounding Saturday's $100,000 Hal's Hope Handicap (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park, the biggest one is which horse will come out of the race with the best chance to make some noise in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (gr. I) on Feb. 22.

Churchill Downs Race Report: Lido Shuffle

Five-year-old Lido Palace adds the Clark Handicap to his impressive array of stakes victories.

Booklet Bounces Out of Prep Race; Florida Next

After a sparkling victory on Tuesday at Churchill Downs in his return from a six-month break, John C. Oxley's Booklet was reported to be doing well in trainer John Ward, Jr.'s barn in Lexington.

Kentucky Cup Report: Treasure Hunt

Pure Prize lands the Classic amid shallow handicap competition; Vindication moves forward on Kentucky Cup program.

Kentucky Derby Winner Monarchos Ships to Gulfstream Next Week

Trainer John Ward said Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos will ship down to Gulfstream Park a few days after Thanksgiving to begin preparation for his 4-year-old campaign. "God, he looks good," Ward said. "His rear end has really filled out and his coat looks like shining silver. He's come back with gusto."

Express Tour Romps in Jerome Handicap

Godolphin's Express Tour alternately pressed and set the early pace en route to winning Saturday's $150,000 Jerome Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park. Under John Velazquez, Express Tour completed the one-mile race in 1:34.57 on a fast track.

Air Embargo Keeps Ward Duo Out of Belmont Races

The shutdown of New York airports will keep Beautiful Pleasure and Hero's Tribute out of important graded stakes races at Belmont Park on Saturday.

Short Jerome Field Looks Wide Open

The six-horse field for the $150,000 Jerome Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park looks wide open with Burning Roma, Scorpion, and Hero's Tribute all looking to add to their win column.

Point Given at Monmouth for Haskell Date

Classic winner Point Given, the favorite for Sunday's Haskell Invitational (gr. I), arrived at Monmouth Park's Barn 15 at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday after being vanned from Newark Airport.

E Dubai Earns First Graded Stakes Win in Dwyer

Godolphin's E Dubai avenged his second-place finish to Hero's Tribute in the Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) with an impressive 5 3/4-length victory in Sunday's $150,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park. The winning time marks the fastest running of the Dwyer since the race was switched to its present distance in 1994.

Belmont Park Race Report (Cont.)

Continued from part 1

Millennium Wind on Track for Swaps Stakes

Trainer David Hofmans said Monday that Millennium Wind is recovering well from injuries sustained in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and remains pointed toward the $500,000 Swaps Stakes (gr. I).

Monarchos Breezes Half for Belmont Stakes

Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos breezed a half-mile in :49 around the dogs at Belmont Park Sunday morning, galloping out five furlongs in 1:02, with exercise rider Bryan Beccia aboard. The son of Maria's Mon went his first quarter over the sloppy track in :25 1/5, then came home his final quarter in :23 4/5. Trainer John Ward said the colt may have one more work, at six furlongs, before the Belmont Stakes.

Hero's Tribute Splashes Home With First Stakes Win in Peter Pan

Hero's Tribute outlasted E Dubai through a protracted speed duel to earn his first career stakes win in Saturday's $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont Park. The 3-year-old son of Sea Hero completed the one-turn, 1 1/8-mile race in 1:47.47 on a sloppy track in earning his first win in a race longer than seven furlongs.

E Dubai Heads Peter Pan Field

Six 3-year-olds will line up to test impressive allowance winner E Dubai in Saturday's grade II Peter Pan at nine furlongs at Belmont Park.

Distilled Injured in Gallop; Out of Preakness

Dogwood Stable's Distilled, winner of the Illinois Derby, will not run in the 126th Preakness Stakes after suffering a small tear in the suspensory ligament in his left front ankle while galloping at Belmont Park Friday morning. In other news, Monarchos' stablemate Hero's Tribute, who was pointing for the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard, popped a quarter crack during a jog at Pimlico this morning, and will now wait for the Peter Pan Stakes.

Derby Winner Monarchos Departs Churchill Downs

John C. Oxley's Monarchos, winner of the 127th running of the Kentucky Derby, left Churchill Downs late Wednesday morning on a journey that will take him to Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course and the Preakness, the second jewel in the Visa Triple Crown.

Trainers Gearing Up For Big Stakes; Godolphin Pair Arrives at Churchill

Top trainers from New York to Kentucky to Arkansas are gearing up for this weekend's three big Kentucky Derby preps, after which we should have a good idea who will provide the main challenges to Santa Anita Derby winner Point Given. On the foreign front, the two Godolphin invaders, Street Cry and Express Tour, arrived safe and sound at Churchill Downs today at approximately 1 p.m. after clearing quarantine at Keeneland.

Steve Haskin's Derby Top 20: Point Given Moves to Head of the Class

Steve Haskin, the award-winning turf writer and senior correspondent for The Blood-Horse, updates his top Kentucky Derby contenders weekly. During his 29 years with the Daily Racing Form, Haskin became known for his insightful coverage of the Triple Crown races. Haskin won the Red Smith Award for Kentucky Derby writing in 1997, 1999, and 2000.and received the David Woods Award for best Preakness story in 1997. In 1999, he co-authored "Baffert: Dirt Road to the Derby" with trainer Bob Baffert and wrote the book, "Dr. Fager" for Eclipse Press' "Thoroughbred Legends" series in 2000.

A P Valentine Works Five Furlongs In Final Blue Grass Tune-up

Ol' Memorial Stable and Michael Tabor's A P Valentine turned in his final tune-up for Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) when he worked five furlongs in 1:00 at Keeneland on Monday. The A. P. Indy colt, who was on the track shortly before the maintenance break, worked in company with the older Inca Slew.

Ward-Trained Pair, Dollar Bill Work at Churchill Downs

Three major contenders for Kentucky Derby 127 - John C. Oxley's Monarchos and Hero's Tribute and Mary and Gary West's Dollar Bill - turned in strong five furlong works at Churchill Downs Sunday as the colts prepared for their final prep races for the "Run for the Roses" at the Louisville track on May 5. All three horses breezed five furlongs over a "fast" surface on a warm, breezy morning just after the regular break for track maintenance.

Steve Haskin's Third Pool Future Wager Analysis

In this analysis, we're going to add Thoro-Graph speed figure patterns on occasion to see, from that perspective, just who is likely to come into the Derby sitting on a peak performance. Thoro-Graph's Jerry Brown stated emphatically that this is "by far the best 3-year-old crop in history." Brown added, "The numbers so far have been insane, and it's probably going to take around a 2 1/2 to win the Derby," which is the same number Fusaichi Pegasus ran last year.

Oxley's Triple Crown Contenders to Race for Equine Research

John C. Oxley, who with wife Debby has a pair of Triple Crown candidates in Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Monarchos and graded stakes-placed Hero's Tribute, announced that 1% of money either colt wins through victories in grade I races through the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) will be earmarked for the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. The donations are retroactive to the Florida Derby, in which Monarchos earned $600,000 (which provided $6,000 to the foundation).

Haskin's Derby Top 20 (April 2): A P Valentine Still on Top

Steve Haskin, the award-winning turf writer and senior correspondent for The Blood-Horse, updates his top Kentucky Derby contenders weekly. During his 29 years with the Daily Racing Form, Haskin became known for his insightful coverage of the Triple Crown races. Haskin won the Red Smith Award for Kentucky Derby writing in 1997, 1999, and 2000.and received the David Woods Award for best Preakness story in 1997. In 1999, he co-authored "Baffert: Dirt Road to the Derby" with trainer Bob Baffert and wrote the book, "Dr. Fager" for Eclipse Press' "Thoroughbred Legends" series in 2000.

Haskin's Derby Report April 1-- Part 2: Ommadon Back on Derby Trail With Comeback Score

Continued from part 1

Monarchos, Dollar Bill, and Hero's Tribute Work at Churchill

Three of the leading Triple Crown hopefuls –- Monarchos, Dollar Bill, and Hero's Tribute -- worked over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs Sunday, with Hero's Tribute earning a bullet for his five furlong work. Hero's Tribute completed his five furlongs in 1:01 1/5, the co-fastest of nine works at the distance.

Monarchos, Hero's Tribute Arrive at Churchill

Trainer John Ward's two Kentucky Derby 127 contenders, John Oxley's Monarchos and Hero's Tribute, arrived on the grounds at Churchill Downs at approximately 10:40 a.m. (EST) Monday.

Steve Haskin's Kentucky Derby Top 20: March 26 Update

Steve Haskin, the award-winning turf writer and senior correspondent for The Blood-Horse, updates his top Kentucky Derby contenders weekly. During his 29 years with the Daily Racing Form, Haskin became known for his insightful coverage of the Triple Crown races. Haskin won the Red Smith Award for Kentucky Derby writing in 1997, 1999, and 2000.and received the David Woods Award for best Preakness story in 1997. In 1999, he co-authored "Baffert: Dirt Road to the Derby" with trainer Bob Baffert and wrote the book, "Dr. Fager" for Eclipse Press' "Thoroughbred Legends" series in 2000.

Top Derby Pedigrees Updated

Steve Haskin, the award-winning turf writer and senior correspondent for The Blood-Horse, analyzes the top pedigrees for this year's Kentucky Derby candidates. During his 29 years with the Daily Racing Form, Haskin became known for his insightful coverage of the Triple Crown races. Haskin won the Red Smith Award for Kentucky Derby writing in 1997, 1999, and 2000 and received the David Woods Award for best Preakness story in 1997.

Road to Louisville: Who's Going Where

The road to Louisville right now is like something out of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," where everyone is scurrying frantically about in different directions trying to get to a single destination. Many trainers are still confused as to where to send their steeds, whether they're trying to avoid the big guns, like Monarchos and Point Given, or looking for the best possible spot for their horse. Derby winners usually have set plans and stick to it, so it's almost time for those trainers who are still vacillating to make up their minds.

Steve Haskin's Derby Top 20 -- March 19

Steve Haskin, the award-winning turf writer and senior correspondent for The Blood-Horse, updates his top Kentucky Derby contenders weekly. During his 29 years with the Daily Racing Form, Haskin became known for his insightful coverage of the Triple Crown races. Haskin won the Red Smith Award for Kentucky Derby writing in 1997, 1999, and 2000.and received the David Woods Award for best Preakness story in 1997. In 1999, he co-authored "Baffert: Dirt Road to the Derby" with trainer Bob Baffert and wrote the book, "Dr. Fager" for Eclipse Press'"Thoroughbred Legends" series in 2000.

Haskin's Kentucky Derby Top Contenders--March 12 Update

Ranked in preference order, with horse/ trainer/breeding

Click on horse's name to access Contender Page

Steve Haskin's Derby Report (Cont.)

Continued from part 1

Fair Grounds Report: Fifty Stars Shines in Louisiana Derby

It took a giant leap of faith to see Fifty Stars as a contender in the $750,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II), much less the $43 winner. Looking down the barrel at Dollar Bill, Millennium Wind, and Hero's Tribute, the late running son of Quiet American was in deep water. Fifty Stars had not made a lasting impression in his two previous races. His late run in the Jan. 27 LeComte was good for fourth place, but three weeks later he took a step backward in the Risen Star with a dull fifth-place finish.

Nine Entered for Louisiana Derby

A field of nine 3-year-olds was entered Friday at Fair Grounds for the track's Louisiana Derby. The 11/6-mile race will be run Sunday and has a 4:10 post time (Central time).

Millennium Wind, Dollar Bill Top Louisiana Derby

Grade II winners Dollar Bill and Millennium Wind are expected to vie for favoritism when entries are taken Friday for Sunday's $750,000, grade II Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.