Columnist Ralph Siraco: Unlike NFL, Churchill Derby welcomes betting in LV

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Feb. 9, 2004 | 9:49 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

So the National Football League stamped its foot at Las Vegas. Again. It seems the NFL doesn't quite care for the way Las Vegas celebrates its marquee event. Filling the town with fans brimming with anticipation and enthusiasm for the big game. Parties bursting with unlimited food, beverage and, oh yeah, wagering on the outcome of the championship competition.

We take notice of this because the second-biggest single event sports betting day in Las Vegas is the Kentucky Derby. Traditionally on the first Saturday in May Las Vegas fills up with fans brimming with anticipation and enthusiasm for the big race.

Unlike the NFL, however, Churchill Downs -- home of the Kentucky Derby -- encourages such celebration. And, invites those who have an opinion to wager on the run for the roses. In fact, it supplies the betting network to do it. Pari-mutuel wagering on the Kentucky Derby packs long lines of those who wish to back up their prognostication with a few bucks on that favorite bobtail nag.

So, unless the sun rises in the west before May 1, the Derby parities are still "on" in Sin City.

And, there will be plenty of variety for those looking to back a pony for the 130th Kentucky Derby.

Early nominations closed recently for the 2004 Triple Crown, which consists of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Heading the list of 434 sophomores for the spring classics are last year's juvenile division champions Action This Day and Halfbridled.

Halfbridled is one of nine fillies nominated for the Derby. The juvenile filly champion of 2003 capped off an undefeated first-year season with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita in October. She is scheduled for her 2004 debut in the Feb. 15 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita against her own sex. Many industry observers felt that she was the best juvenile performer of any gender last year.

If her connections opt for the Derby instead of the Kentucky Oaks -- run the day before the Derby -- she would try to become just the fourth filly in history to win the Kentucky Derby. She would follow in the footsteps of Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980 and Winning Colors in 1988 as the only gals to beat the boys.

2003 juvenile champion Action This Day also tops the list of Derby hopefuls. The Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner captured the freshman crown off of three career races last year. Although his 2004 sophomore debut was a fourth-place finish in Sunday's Sham Stakes at Santa Anita, it was expected he needed the race and it looked as though jockey David Flores was giving his equine companion a test drive for his first start of the year.

Although trainer Richard Mandella, who conditions both juvenile champions, has two top quality prospects, trainer Todd Pletcher has the Derby quantity. For the second year in a row, Pletcher has nominated more horses to the Triple Crown than any other trainer with 35 on the list, shading his 28 nominations of 2003. Like Mandella, Pletcher has never won a Triple Crown race.

That is not the case for trainer Nick Zito who comes into this year's classics loaded for bear. Zito, who won the Derby with Strike The Gold in 1991 and Go For Gin in 1994, has 22 nominated. He conditions three top Derby contenders that included Lane's End Futurity winner Eurosilver, who won his 2004 debut in allowance competition last week at Gulfstream Park.

Multiple Kentucky Derby-winning trainers Bob Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas have 19 each nominated.

A.P. Indy has the most offspring nominated to the Derby this year. Although he was scratched from the 1992 Kentucky Derby the morning of the race, that year's Horse Of The Year has 16 progeny hoping to make the Derby this year.

And, with the first Kentucky Derby pari-mutuel future book wager coming this weekend, this league encourages wagering on its draft.