Columnist Ralph Siraco: Howard holds upper hand for 124th Kentucky Derby

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Feb. 23, 1998 | 11:59 a.m.

And for good reason. Trainer Nick Zito has won the run for the roses two times this decade since his first of seven starts in 1990 with ninth-placed Thirty Six Red. The New York-based conditioner captured his first Derby with Strike The Gold in 1991 and returned to the Churchill winner's circle in 1994 with Go For Gin.

Who could ever forget last year's Derby renewal with the Bob Baffert-trained Silver Charm winning the 123rd edition in a heart-stopping nail-biting thriller over Captain Bodgit and Free House that launched a memorable Triple Crown quest capturing the headlines of the nation's sports pages and the American psyche. The silver-haired quotable horseman has a short but dynamic Derby history, having saddled his first starters in America's most famous horse race just a year before with a 1996 pair in Semoran, who finished 14th, and second-placed Cavonnier, who missed Baffert's first Derby attempt by the slimmest of noses.

Of course, he was beaten by the all-time Derby participant, trainer D. Wayne Lukas. His most recent victor, Grindstone, the winner of the aforementioned '96 Derby photo, was his third roses winner of a record 32 starts that span back to third-placed Partez in 1981. Grindstone stretched a six-race Triple Crown win streak for the Eclipse Award trainer that started with a 1994 Preakness victory by Tabasco Cat, who followed with a Belmont win. In 1995, Lukas swept the Crown with a pai of horses in Derby and Belmont winner Thunder Gulch and Preakness winner Timber Country. Lukas first took the Derby with the filly Winning Colors in 1988 after a dozen failed attempts.

So, of the eight Kentucky Derbies run so far this decade, the three Derby amigos have accounted for five blankets of roses.

But, as of last weekend, the amigos will have to contend with a bandito named Neil, who is positioned to steal Derby No. 124 this year.

Trainer Neil Howard has a pair of Derby contenders in Lil's Lad and Comic Strip and the two sophomore stars under his shedrow took to the tracks and captured separate Derby preps over the wekend to stay on track for Louisville on the first Saturday in May.

On Saturday at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale, Fla., the $200,000-guaranteed Fountain of Youth Stakes saw a short, select field of four, featuring Howard's Lil's Lad as the overwhelming odds-on favorite. The fourth leg of the Florida Derby series, that culminates on March 14 with the Florida Derby, was billed as somewhat of a showdown between Lil's Lad and trainer Shug McGaughey's talented rogue Coronado's Quest. Team Lukas' Holy Bull Stakes winner Cape Twon and Nick Zito's stretch-running Halory Hunter completed the foursome.

Lil's Lad had been perfect in two previous starts since Howard received the son of Pine BLuff after his freshman season. Those two sophomore outings were a 16 1/2-length allowance sprint victory followed by another daylight conditioned win at 1 1/16 miles -- both at Gulfstream -- leading to Saturday's Grade II contest.

The race was entertaining and, for a few brief moments at the start, somewhat dramatic, as Coronado's Quest unsuccessfully tried to wrest the track from the naturally quick Lil's Lad. With Jerry Bailey at the helm, Lil's Lad set the pace and withstood a gutty challenge from Coronado's Quest at the top of the stretch before kicking into another gear to win No. 3 as a 3-year-old.

About 24 hours later in Louisiana at the rejuvenated historic Fairgrounds race track, Howard turned loose his other Derby prospect in the $125,000-guaranteed Risen Star Stakes. Again, Howard would contend with a Team Lukas entrant, this time Hutcheson and Spectacular Bid winner Time Limit. Comic Strip, who is owned in partnership by Howard's main client Will Farish, was up to the task and kept pace with his stablemate by winning the 1 1/16-mile race with a stalking, off-the-pace victory. The son of Red Ransom has now won half of his eight career starts and is three for five routing, indicating the longer Derby distance will be no problem to handle. His Florida stablemate may be another issue, however. After Howard acquired Lil's Lad, it was requested by the separate ownerships that the two sophomores take different schedules on the road to the Derby, so don't expect to see the pair hook up until Derby day.

Now Howard has a perfect scenario for D day, with two distinct contrasting running styles in Lil's Lad and Comic Strip.

And Howard is no stranger to Churchill Downs or, for that matter, the Derby.

After starting as a hotwalker on the Belmont Park backstretch as an 18-year-old, he progressed to foreman for trainer MacKenzie Miller, until he entered the Navy seven years later. After his discharge, he became farm manager for Mr. Farish's Lane's End Farm in Kentucky and eventually became trainer for that client.

A perennial leader in the trainers' standings at Churchill Downs, Howard got his first and, to this point, only taste of the Derby in 1990 when he saddled runner-up Summer Squall, who had previously won the Jim Beam and Bluegrass Stakes. He turned the tables on Derby winner Unbridled to win the Preakness Stakes two weeks later.

Howard hopes to turn the tables on this Derby with a serious Comic and a consistent Lad. Move over Bob, Wayne and Nick, here comes Neil.

RALPH SIRACO is turf editor of the SUN. His column appears Mondays and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Friday.