A P Valentine-Trainer Nick Zito confirmed today that a deal is close to being finalized that will allow the 2-year-old colt to run for Celtic Pride Stable through 2001, before being turned over to Coolmore, which will oversee his breeding. The deal is said to be worth in excess of $14 million. "He's going to run in Celtic Pride colors on Saturday, and if the deal is completed, he'll run in Celtic Pride colors next year," Zito said. "But I really don't know what the deal is. For me, it's one more thing to deal with; one more distraction. For A P Valentine, he doesn't know or care who owns him."Currently, A P Valentine is owned by Celtic Pride Stable, whose managing partner is Rick Pitino, coach and president of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. The deal is certain to bring even more attention to A P Valentine, who is scheduled to work 5 furlongs here at Churchill Downs on Tuesday. The son of 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy-Twenty Eight Carat, by Alydar lost his debut race on closing day at Saratoga by a length, then scored victories at Belmont, capped by a strong performance in the Champange on Oct. 14."When you are good, you don't have to say anything," said Zito, who has already dubbed A P Valentine the most talented horse he's ever trained. "All you have to do is look at what he's done. Here's a horse who runs on Labor Day and doesn't lose by much in his first start. Three weeks later, he goes seven furlongs again and he wins big. Then, three weeks after that, he goes in a Grade 1 race, the Champagne, and meets Hopeful winners (City Zip and Yonauska) and the Kentucky Juvenile winner (Point Given) and beats them. "Frankly, Saturday can't get here fast enough for me. I want to give this horse a chance to grow, develop and fill out over the winter because he is going to deliver some knockout punches next year."Jorge Chavez will ride A P Valentine in the Juvenile for Zito, who trained Kentucky Derby winners Strike The Gold (1991) and Go For Gin ('94).Arabian Light-One of three Bob Baffert-trained hopefuls for the Juvenile, Arabian Light is scheduled to arrive Tuesday at Churchill Downs with the rest of the Baffert contingent. Sunday at Santa Anita, Arabian Light went 5 furlongs in 1:01 3/5. Shane Sellers will ride.
Burning Roma-Burning Roma worked 5 furlongs in 1:01 1/5 in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Chip Dutrow, subbing for his brother, trainer Tony Dutrow, said Chris McCarron will ride the colt, replacing Rick Wilson. "He had a rough trip last time out," said Chip Dutrow, referring to his fourth-place finish in the Lane's End Breeders Futurity. I think he'll do well here."Zip-Carl Bowling's City Zip returned to the track for a one mile jog on
Monday one day after breezing 5 fur. in 1:00 4/5 in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. "He's doing great," said Eric Krogh, assistant to trainer Linda Rice. "He was very sharp today."
City Zip will resume galloping on Tuesday and will train right up to the
race. Rice, who observed the work, returned to New York on Monday, but was expected back on Friday. Dollar Bill-Gary and Mary West's Breeders' Cup Juvenile hopeful Dollar Bill remained under trainer Dallas Stewart's shedrow on Monday one day after a 5 furlongs workout in 1:00 4/5. Stewart said the 2-year-old Peaks and Valleys colt came out of the work well and would resume galloping on Tuesday. Jockey Richard Migliore has the mount in the Juvenile. Flame Thrower-Under Dana Barnes, Flame Thrower drilled 5 fur. in 59 2/5 Sunday at Santa Anita. He is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs with the rest of Bob Baffert's contingent on Tuesday. Victor Espinoza will ride Saturday in the Juvenile.Holiday Thunder-John Oxley's Holiday Thunder, first on the preference list for the oversubscribed Breeders' Cup Juvenile, galloped before the renovation break under exercise rider Robert McKnight. Assistant trainer Donna Ward said if Holiday Thunder does not get in the Juvenile, he would not go in the Iroquois on Saturday. "We have the other horse Hero's Tribute who would run in the Iroquois," said Ward. "In all probability John (trainer John Ward) would run him in an allowance and then the Jockey Club is what I am guessing." Should Holiday Thunder run in the Juvenile, Mike Smith would ride.Macho Uno-Saratoga's Hopeful was a huge race this summer, with City Zip and Yonaguska dead-heating for the victory. Many, however, may have overlooked that it was only a neck back to Stronach Stable's Macho Uno.Macho Uno, a son of 1994 Horse of the Year Holy Bull, will try for
redemption in Saturday's Juvenile, and trainer Joe Orseno likes the course he's on. "That was his only loss," Orseno said. "He came back to win the Grey at Woodbine and he hasn't missed a beat since he came here." Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, who rode Yonaguska in the Hopeful, has the mount on Macho Uno for the Juvenile.According to Orseno, Macho Uno will gallop into the race.
Mongoose-On the preference list for the Juvenile, Mongoose galloped 1 1/2 miles and is scheduled to work 5 fur. Tuesday morning after the break at Churchill Downs, according to trainer Bill Mott. No decision has been made on a possible rider. Noverre-See European Report.Point Given-Regular rider Gary Stevens was aboard Sunday when Juvenile-bound Point Given went 6 furlongs in 1:11 2/5 at Santa Anita. Along the the rest of Baffert's Breeders' Cup hopefuls, Point Given is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.Scorpion-Putting in his final major work for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Scorpion worked a half-mile in 48 3/5 with exercise rider Louise Hatfield up. The work came shortly after the track opened at 5:45 Monday morning."Scorpion's work was OK. He didn't need to do much," said trainer D.
Wayne Lukas. Garrett Gomez will have the mount Saturday.
Street Cry-The Norfolk Stakes and Del Mar Futurity runner-up, the most accomplished member of the Godolphin Racing Inc. 2yo American experiment with trainer Eoin Harty, worked 5 fur. in 1:01 Monday under exercise rider Lara Robinson. The Irish-bred colt worked in company and rallied to outfinish a stablemate by three lengths. "I didn't want anything any faster," said Harty, a former assistant to Bob Baffert. "I put fast works into him in California and didn't want him to leave his race on the track. He did it easy; he did it well; I think I'm set." Harty wore a New York Yankees cap for his favorite baseball team, the World Series champions last week. "No negative karma," said Harty, hoping Street Cry responds as positively in the championship as the Yankees.Trailthefox-Galloped once around at Churchill Downs with part owner Ronald Volkman watching. Trainer Patrick Biancone will fly in from California this afternoon. Trailthefox, winner of the 1-mile Arlington-Washington Futurity has encouraged his contingent, despite a fifth-place finish in the Champagne. "We think he's ideally suited for this race," Volkman said. This is a two-turn race and it's just right." Volkman was a partner in the ownership of Wild Again, winner of the first Breeders' Cup Classic after being supplemented.Turnberry Isle-See European Report.Unbridled Time-WHAS Stakes winner Unbridled Time, on the preference list for the oversubscribed Breeders' Cup Juvenile, will run in the Iroquois Stakes on Saturday's undercard if he does not get in the Juvenile field.Yonaguska-Michael Tabor's dual stakes winner Yonaguska worked a half-mile in 47 under exercise rider Stacey Maker shortly after 6 o'clock Monday morning. Pat Day will have the mount in the Juvenile.
"Yonaguska is very glib and gets over the track easy," trainer D. Wayne Lukas said of the $1,950,000 purchase who debuted here Kentucky Derby week with a 9 1/4-length victory. "He'll leave the gate quicker than any of them."
