Monday, April 5, 2004 | 9:36 a.m.
Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.
Cloudy and rainy was more than the weather forecast for Las Vegas over the weekend. It was also the appropriate conditions for more Kentucky Derby hopefuls in major prep races. The parade of long shots keep raining on would-be favorites as they continue to cloud the picture for the 130th run for the roses.
And, America's most famous horse race is less than a month away. Twenty-five days to be exact. On the first Saturday in May -- falling this year on the first day of May -- the weather may be crystal clear, but the winner, or for that matter even the favorite, for the Kentucky Derby might be as hard to find as the proverbial needle in the haystack.
Pinch me -- this must be a dream.
With each of the 52 Kentucky Derby prep races spread throughout the country -- dating back to the first of January -- this year's Kentucky Derby favorite has been for all intents and purposes non-existent.
There have been a lot of pretenders, but, no contenders for the vacant spot as "the horse to beat."
Oh, sure, there was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Action This Day, who has so far finished off-the-board in both of his sophomore efforts. He runs next in Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
There was trainer Nick Zito, who had no fewer than four contenders for the Derby, and his top-rated Eurosilver, who had impressed with a late juvenile victory last year. After finishing a fast-closing second in the Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Eurosilver has been out of action with a swelling on his neck caused by either a bug bite or bad reaction to an injection.
Lion Heart is currently the top-rated horse on the Daily Racing Form's Derby Watch, but, his ownership passed on Saturday's Santa Anita Derby in favor of the Blue Grass this weekend. He failed in his sophomore debut as well.
Week by week, race by race, the Derby preps are supposed to weed out the crop and shake out contenders for the spring classic in Louisville. This year, instead, the crop seems to be filled with the weeds.
Aanother trio of Kentucky Derby prep races were run Saturday, and again the results yielded more confusion than order.
The prestigious Santa Anita Derby was renewed as the major West Coast prep race for the Kentucky Derby. The 70th edition of the Grade I event saw Irish-bred Castledale run down Rock Hard Ten to win. Although there was an inquiry into the race, and, eventually saw Rock Hard Ten disqualified from second and place third for interference with Imperialism, Castledale upset the California contingent to the tune of $62 to win.
In his wake was Louisiana Derby winner and favorite Wimbledon, St. Averil and Quinton's Gold Rush. The former pair as Nos. 3 and 2, respectively, on the Derby Watch list.
Although Saturday's Illinois Derby saw favorite Pollard's Vision win at $5.40 and Kaufy Mate victorious in the Aventura Stakes at Gulfstream Park at $11.80, most Derby prep races have resulted in chaos.
Of the 44 preps run to date, not more than a half-dozen have produced a victory by the race favorite. Imperialism's first victory, in the Feb. 7 San Vicente Stake returned $30.20 for the win. The first Grade I prep produced a boxcar payoff when Friend's Lake upset the March 13 Florida Derby applecart at $76.80. Later that day, in Northern California at Golden Gate Fields, Kilgowan took the El Camino Real Derby at $55.80. He consequently finished up the track in the Illinois Derby.
On March 14, Preachinatthebar took the San Felipe Stakes at $19.20 and he runs next Blue Grass Stakes. The March 20 Lane's End Stakes found Sinister G in the winners circle at $34.80. Although he beat Derby hopefuls in that race, his connections may not even send him to Louisville for the big show. And then there is the March 28 Winstar Derby where the local runner Hi Teck Man beat a field of invaders at Sunland Park for a $94.80 return.
One final trio of major Kentucky Derby prep races remain Saturday before the overflow field of sophomores line up at Churchill Downs in search of fame -- the Grade II Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, the Grade I Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the Grade I Blue Grass.
Borrego, Smarty Jones, Purge and possibly The Cliff's Edge will head the field in the Arkansas Derby. Master David, Eddington, Sinister G, Value Plus and Swingforthefences make up part of the Wood Memorial group. And, Lion Heart, Preachinatthebar, Birdstone, Action This Day and Limehouse will do battle in the Blue Grass.
However, if they hold true to form this year, it's that the winner of one, any or all three races may not be on this list.
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