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They came one right after the other; first Lion Heart, then The Cliff's Edge, then Rock Hard Ten, then Read the Footnotes. Three of the faces were familiar, but the chestnut wearing the figure-8 and martingale was a stranger in town. Just when everyone had gotten used to seeing Lion Heart, poof, he was gone.
Monday, April 26, 2004The week leading up to Saturday's Kentucky Derby (gr. I) got off to good start Monday, with four definite starters and one horse that is still knocking on the door breezing over a fast track at Churchill Downs.
Monday, April 26, 2004With scattered showers and predictions of heavy rains in the afternoon, what little activity there was on the track this morning came early. In addition to the arrival of Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Friends Lake at 9:40, there was a mini buzz about the possible addition of the top-class filly Ashado to the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) field.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004Edited notes from Churchill Downs tracking the daily activities of leading contenders for the May 1 Kentucky Derby (gr. I).
Tuesday, April 20, 2004Live from Churchill Downs, it's the countdown to the 130th Run for the Roses, which can best be described as Derby Daze. If you thought it was an adventure finding Nemo, good luck trying to find this year's Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner. After three months of confusion, the final leg of the journey starts today.
Monday, April 19, 2004Although the final time might have been a little faster than he would have preferred, trainer Nick Zito was pleased with Monday's workout by The Cliff's Edge as the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner continued to prepare for the May 1 Kentucky Derby (gr. I).
Monday, April 19, 2004Arkansas Derby (gr. II) winner Smarty Jones took up residence on the Keeneland backstretch Wednesday following a van ride from Oaklawn Park. Trainer John Servis said Smarty Jones will van over to Churchill Downs on April 23, and will remain there until the Kentucky Derby (gr. I).
Wednesday, April 14, 2004OK, so who's in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), and who's out? Who will be the favorite? Who really are the fast horses and who are the slow horses? Who's going to ride whom? Oh, yes, who's going to win? The answer to all these questions: Who knows?
Tuesday, April 13, 2004The Nick Zito-trained Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) winner The Cliff's Edge and Champagne (gr. I) winner Birdstone arrived Tuesday afternoon at Churchill Downs after a brief van ride from Keeneland.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004Previous to Saturday's Arkansas Derby (gr. II), Smarty Jones had the distinction of being the best horse who might not get to participate in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). Smarty Jones' $600,000 winners' purse in the Arkansas Derby moved him to fourth on the list of graded earnings for Derby contenders, meaning his chances of starting are all but assured.
Monday, April 12, 2004Never before has there been a long gray line of 3-year-olds like the one that is heading for Churchill Downs this year. The question is, is there some mysterious force being emitted from the Twin Spires that is drawing all these grays to Louisville? There just might be.
Friday, April 09, 2004Never before has there been a long gray line of 3-year-olds like the one that is heading for Churchill Downs this year. The question is, is there some mysterious force being emitted from the Twin Spires that is drawing all these grays to Louisville? There just might be.
Thursday, April 08, 2004Lion Heart was installed the 5-2 morning line favorite against eight other 3-year-olds for Saturday's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland and trainer Patrick Biancone agreed. "He's that good and I hope he gets to show it on the track," Biancone said.
Wednesday, April 07, 2004An unsettling wave of upsets in this year's prep races left fans without an individual favorite in the final pool of the 2004 Kentucky Derby Future Wager. They opted instead for the field at odds of 6-1 as wagering closed Sunday.
Sunday, April 04, 2004Undefeated Smarty Jones, the likely favorite for next Saturday's $1 million Arkansas Derby (gr. II), worked five furlongs Saturday in a bullet :58 3/5, almost two seconds quicker than the second fastest time (1:00 2/5) at the distance.
Saturday, April 03, 2004As Eurosilver, another major contender for Kentucky Derby 130 fell out of the picture, fans returned to the mutuel field as a mild favorite at the midpoint of the third and final pool of Churchill Downs' 2004 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Saturday, April 03, 2004Although we're fascinated with numbers at TheDowneyProfile.com, we are not into numerology. However, it doesn't take much imagination to conjure up a projected field of 13 in Kentucky Derby 130.
Thursday, March 25, 2004In February, it looked as if Fort Calder was about to unleash the most potent corps of Kentucky Derby contenders ever assembled there. But most of the big names are gone, and it's now down to a pair of unlikely heroes to carry on the Calder name on this year's Triple Crown trail.
Friday, March 19, 2004Trainer Nick Zito is beginning his assault on the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) by shipping three of his top contenders to Keeneland. The plane carrying Eurosilver, Birdstone, and The Cliff's Edge was expected to land in Central Kentucky today.
Thursday, March 18, 2004This is the first of a two-part column on this past weekend's races. The first will deal with Saturday's card at Gulfstream Park, featuring the Florida Derby (gr. I) and Swale Stakes (gr. II). The remainder of the Derby preps will be discussed in part two.
Monday, March 15, 2004A New York bred won the $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park Saturday for the first time, but it wasn't Read the Footnotes. As the even-money favorite faded out of the money, 37-1 Friends Lake stormed from well off the pace to defeat a game Value Plus.
Saturday, March 13, 2004By Dick Downey -- Six facts lead us to choose THE CLIFF'S EDGE in Saturday's Florida Derby.
Friday, March 12, 2004After this weekend's stakes gala, it's going to be much more difficult finding that one Derby horse who will pay off the mortgage and put the kids through college. But right now, that horse may still be out there in plain sight.
Friday, March 12, 2004Fountain of Youth (gr. II) winner Read the Footnotes heads a field of 10 in Saturday's $1 million Florida Derby (gr. I), with four horses entering the picture at the 11th hour following last week's defection of Master David.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004The lineup for the March 13 Florida Derby (gr. I) has gained another stakes-winning contender as Tapit's connections have announced they will enter the colt for the race.
Wednesday, March 03, 2004Robert V. Lapenta has a successful racing stable, and he also wa the owner of the Fusaichi Pegasus colt that bought a world record price of $4.5 million for a 2-year-old in training.
Friday, February 27, 2004Buckram Oak Farm's Silver Wagon, last year's Hopeful (gr. I) winner who had been scheduled to run in the Florida Derby (gr. I), likely will undergo surgery on both knees, which will keep him out of training for most of the year.
Thursday, February 26, 2004Robert LaPenta, the Connecticut communications company executive who campaigns Kentucky Derby (gr. I) contender The Cliff's Edge, went to $1,050,000 Monday to acquire a son of
Marylou Whitney's Birdstone, winner of his 3-year-old debut in allowance company, may skip the March 13 Florida Derby and run in the following week's $500,000 Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) at Turfway Park instead, trainer Nick Zito said Monday.
Monday, February 23, 2004Each year at this time, new stars are spotted in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) galaxy for the first time. But there is always a question whether they have come along too late to shine brightly on the first Saturday in May. Such is the case with Redskin Warrior, Odds On, Purge, Rock Hard Ten, and Quintons Gold Rush.
Sunday, February 22, 2004Kaufy Mate tallied a stunning upset at odds of 34-1 over grade II winner The Cliff's Edge in the $100,000 Sam F. Davis for 3-year-olds at Tampa Bay Downs Saturday.
Saturday, February 21, 2004Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) and Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) winner The Cliff's Edge drew the outside post position when a full field of a dozen 3-year-olds were entered Thursday for Saturday's $100,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida.
Thursday, February 19, 2004Second of June, a game runner-up in Saturday's Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) suffered a condylar fracture of the cannon bone, and was scheduled to undergo Sunday afternoon surgery at Dr. Stephen Selway's clinic near Gulfstream Park.
Monday, February 16, 2004The stars were out at Palm Meadows training center Tuesday morning following several days of bad weather, which forced the cancellation the Monday's Gulfstream card and most of Sunday's. Heading the 3-year-old workers was Read the Footnotes, who will make his debut in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. I).
Tuesday, February 03, 2004Trainer Bob Durso said he will start his undefeated Frisky Spider in either the Hutcheson or the Fountain of Youth, while Nick Zito is considering those races and allowances for Birdstone, Eurosilver, and The Cliff's Edge.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004This is the 10th in a series of early looks at next year's potential Derby horses. Several promising colts emerged from maiden races over the past week, while the two weekend stakes produced solid results.
Tuesday, December 02, 2003The Cliff's Edge won the Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) at Churchill Downs Saturday, after which trainer Nick Zito said he would still rank the colt behind two of his other juveniles, Eurosilver and Birdstone.
Saturday, November 29, 2003Trainer Nick Zito looks for another big effort by The Cliff's Edge, the odds-on favorite for Saturday's $200,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs
Friday, November 28, 2003An injury suffered in a Tuesday workout has knocked Walter "Buddy" New's Scat Sam Man out of Saturday's $200,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) for 2-year-olds.
Wednesday, November 26, 2003Doctors who have examined jockey Shane Sellers since he cracked his tailbone last week in a freak paddock mishap have advised him to rest from four to six weeks, but the 37-year-old rider has a more aggressive timetable in mind.
Wednesday, November 12, 2003This is the first in a series of early looks at next year's 3-year-olds and where they might stack up on the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) trail. Right now, it is Nick Zito, Richard Mandella, and Todd Pletcher who have the numbers.
Sunday, November 09, 2003Jockey Shane Sellers will miss at least the next few days at Churchill Downs as he recovers from a fractured tailbone suffered in a paddock mishap on Thursday.
Saturday, November 08, 2003Favored The Cliff's Edge took the lead at the top of the stretch under jockey Shane Sellers and steadily drew away for an easy victory in Sunday's $113,700 Iroquios (gr. III) for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs.
Sunday, November 02, 2003Nick Zito, who already trains Kentucky Derby hopefuls Birdstone and Eurosilver, seeks to add to his riches Sunday when he saddles The Cliff's Edge in the $100,000 Iroquois (gr. III) at Churchill Downs.
Friday, October 31, 2003A wide-open field of 11 passed the entry box for Saturday's Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (gr. II), the first of three stakes on day two of Keeneland's 17-day fall meeting. The race is a key prep for the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) as several of the 2-year-olds in the field will be testing two turns for the first time.
Thursday, October 02, 2003A pair of Nick Zito-trained 2-year-olds and Team Valor's Tiger Hunt are the probable favorites from among those likely to go in Saturday's Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (gr. II).
Wednesday, October 01, 2003A pair of Nick Zito-trained 2-year-olds and Team Valor's Tiger Hunt are the probable favorites from among those likely to go in Saturday's Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (gr. II).
Wednesday, October 01, 2003A pair of Nick Zito-trained 2-year-olds and Team Valor's Tiger Hunt are the likely favorites from among those likely to go in Saturday's Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (gr. II).
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