Monday, April 11, 2005 | 9:19 a.m.
Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.
The final major prep races for this year's Kentucky Derby still remain, with the Blue Grass Stakes and Arkansas Derby this Saturday, and the April 23 Lexington Stakes a last-ditch qualifier just two weeks before the Run for the Roses.
Although the Blue Grass at Keeneland is shaping up to be the deepest Derby prep this year and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park with aspirations of duplicating the Smarty Jones bandwagon of last year, that pair will have to go some to top what happened Saturday in California, New York and Illinois.
Even a Kentucky showdown of top fillies heading to the Kentucky Oaks showcased a new favorite for Louisville.
Wood Memorial
The Wood Memorial is New York's major Derby prep each year. The Grade I $750,000 race was moved up a week on the racing calendar this year, giving a four-week span between it and the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Nick Zito, who has the top Daily Racing Form Derby Watch candidate in Sun King and a trio of other Derby contenders like Florida Derby winner High Fly, runner-up Noble Causeway and Andromeda's Hero, sent New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's Bellamy Road into the Wood for additional racing experience and came out of the race with a challenger to stablemate Sun King for the top ranking.
The son of Concerto blew away the competition, winning by 17 1/2 lengths in track record time of 1 minute, 47.16 seconds over the 1 1/8-mile distance for easily the fastest renewal in its 81-year history.
Gotham winner Survivalist finished a time zone away in second as west coast invader Going Wild finished last some 41 lengths behind the runaway winner.
Now Bellamy Road, who has won both starts this year by a combined 33 lengths, must overcome a limited racing schedule and an over-the-top Wood effort to win the Kentucky Derby.
Santa Anita Derby
The Grade I $750,000 Santa Anita Derby was billed as the filly taking on the boys.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Eclipse Award winner Sweet Catomine had already polished off the Santa Anita Oaks and was ready to forsake the Kentucky Oaks in favor of the Derby. When the dust cleared in the 1 1/8-mile race, however, trainer Jeff Mullins got sweet revenge with Buzzards Bay in taking the coveted sophomore centerpiece of the Great Race Place for an unprecedented third consecutive year, following victories by Buddy Gil in 2003 and Castledale last year.
Mullins has been embroiled in controversy, from illegal medication procedures on his horses to a hot-button newspaper article highlighting scathing quotes by the trainer. Buzzards Bay also provides a sweet reprisal for the ownership of Fog City Stable, who also owns Roman Ruler, a promising early Derby hopeful before he was sidelined.
While Mullins was calming his flames, the owner of Sweet Catomine, who finished fifth, was igniting another. Owner Marty Wygod informed the press after the Santa Anita Derby that Sweet Catomine had bled through her final workout in preparation for the race and was sent to a vet clinic for two days following the incident.
She also threw a shoe sometime Tuesday, leading to a missed day on the track Wednesday morning.
Wygod and trainer Julio Canani did not disclose the events when directly asked about the condition of Sweet Catomine at the Wednesday Derby draw press breakfast.
Wygod said after the race he thought of scratching the filly but decided against it because the track had built its advertising and publicity of the race around her.
Now Wygod says she will not run in either the Kentucky Derby or Oaks.
With the defection of Sweet Catomine, Sis City now becomes the new favorite for the Oaks on May 6. On Saturday at Keeneland, she blew out a talented field of sophomore fillies in the $500,000 Ashland Stakes.
Following her 16-length win in Gulfstream Park's Davona Dale Stakes, Sis City romped in the Grade I 1 1/16-mile Ashland by more than 10 lengths.
Illinois Derby
Although the Illinois Derby was contested before the Santa Anita Derby, it was soothing remedy for owner B. Wayne Hughes.
Greeley's Galaxy drew away from his rivals in the homestretch at Hawthorne race course to take the $500,000 Grade II event by 9 1/2 lengths.
The Southern California shipper had never competed in a stakes race before, but won his third consecutive start in the 1 1/8-mile windy city feature.
Now Hughes, who saw his highly regarded Don't Get Mad finish a dismal sixth in the Santa Anita Derby, must decide whether to make the $200,000 late nomination payment for Greeley's Galaxy to participate in the Triple Crown.
The final pieces come into play this Saturday with the top four Derby Watch hopefuls going in the Blue Grass Stakes.
Top-ranked Tampa Bay Derby winner Sun King, Louisiana Derby winner High Limit (second), Fountain Of Youth runner-up Bandini (third) and San Felipe winner Consolidator (fourth) are set to go.
Lining up for the Arkansas Derby are Greater Good (ninth) and Afleet Alex (11th).
As we move closer to D-Day, it is Nick Zito's Derby world and Jeff Mullins is just happy that Zito is getting the headlines now.
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