Yahoo News: Bellamy Road: Zito's latest star ascends to No. 1 Derby contender
NEW YORK (AP) -- In a record-setting 1 minute, 47.16 seconds, the Kentucky Derby picture underwent a dramatic change.
That's all the time Bellamy Road needed to produce one of the more remarkable victories by a 3-year-old on the road to the Derby. Trainer Nick Zito's colt won Saturday's Wood Memorial by an astonishing 17 1/2 lengths, and in the process broke the stakes record and equaled the Aqueduct Racetrack mark for 1 1-8 miles.
``It was a brilliant performance, a beautiful thing,'' Zito said Sunday morning at his Belmont Park barn before leaving for Kentucky. ``We'll see what we can do from here.''
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Sweet Catomine, a badly beaten fifth in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, dropped out of the rankings after owner Martin Wygod said his filly was off the Derby trail.
Zito also trains the second- and third-rated horses, Florida Derby winner High Fly and Sun King, set to run his final Derby prep Saturday in the Blue Grass at Keeneland.
Owned by Yankees boss George Steinbrenner, Bellamy Road takes a 4-for-5 career record to Louisville, Ky., where he will train leading to the Derby on May 7.
And don't be surprised if this colt winds up as the Derby favorite, although any of Zito's five Derby hotshots could fill that role. The others are Noble Causeway, the Florida Derby runner-up, and Andromeda's Hero, set for Saturday's Arkansas Derby.
One horse who won't be in the Arkansas Derby is Rockport Harbor, who has had a series of ailments, including a blood clot in his neck.
After a lackluster workout Sunday, trainer John Servis declared the colt out of the race, and instead will point him to the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 23.
As for the Derby, Servis said: ``It all depends on the Lexington. If Rocky runs the way we expect, he'll go on to the Kentucky Derby. If not, we'll regroup, and maybe point for the Preakness.''
While 2-year-old filly champion Sweet Catomine failed in her first test against the boy, 30-1 long shot Buzzards Bay won the Santa Anita Derby and is Derby bound.
Wygod said Sweet Catomine was far from healthy for Saturday's race, and even considered pulling her earlier in the week.
``I made a mistake here. I should've listened to my intuition,'' Wygod said. ``She had no run at all. She was totally empty.''
Also, Greeley's Galaxy won Saturday's Illinois Derby, and owner B. Wayne Hughes plans to pay a $200,000 supplemental fee if his horse qualifies for the Derby field.
The Blue Grass is shaping up as a dandy. Besides Sun King, the field most likely will include Bandini, Consolidator and High Limit. In addition to Andromeda's Hero, the Arkansas Derby also features Afleet Alex and Greater Good.
In each of the last three weeks, a colt trained by Zito has been ranked No. 1. Sun King was first, followed by High Fly. Now it's Bellamy Road, but who knows what will happen after Zito's final two contenders run.
Bellamy Road and High Fly were sent to Zito's barn this year, and are a combined 4-for-4 under his care. Sun King is 2-for-2 this year.
This week's top 10, with Derby future wager odds (through April 9):
1. Bellamy Road (Nick Zito, trainer; Javier Castellano, jockey): Wow! 2-for-2 under Zito by a combined 33 1/4 lengths. Who can argue with that? ... And what a team -- Boss Steinbrenner and Derby-driven Zito. ... Next start: Kentucky Derby (May 7). ... Odds: 4-1.
2. High Fly (Zito, Jerry Bailey): Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby winner training up to Derby in Kentucky. ... Boasts career mark of five wins in six races. ... Next start: Kentucky Derby ... Odds: 12-1.
3. Sun King (Zito, Edgar Prado): Started out as Zito's top prospect and still could be with big effort in final prep. ... Next start: Blue Grass (Saturday). ... Odds: 11-1.
4. Consolidator (D. Wayne Lukas, Rafael Bejarano): Lukas' lone Derby hope after Going Wild finished seventh in the Wood. ... San Felipe winner worked 5 furlongs in 59.60 Sunday at Churchill Downs. ... Next start: Blue Grass. ... Odds: 11-1.
5. High Limit (Bobby Frankel, Ramon Dominguez): Undefeated in three career starts, colt worked 6 furlongs in 1:12.60 last week in early tuneup for next race. ... Last Derby winner off four starts was Exterminator in 1918. ... Next start: Blue Grass. ... Odds: 11-1.
6. Noble Causeway (Zito, Prado): Another Zito colt built for 1 1/4 -mile Derby distance. ... Two wins and three seconds in five career starts. ... Next start: Kentucky Derby. ... Odds: 15-1.
7. Greater Good (Bob Holthus, John McKee): Worked 6 furlongs in 1:12.60 Saturday at Oaklawn Park. ... Comes into next race off wins in the Southwest and Rebel stakes. ... Next start: Arkansas Derby. ... Odds: 15-1.
8. Bandini (Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez): Pletcher's top Derby hope finished second to High Fly in Fountain of Youth on March 5 in last race. ... Bruised hoof is healed. ... Next start: Blue Grass. ... Odds: 14-1.
9. Rockport Harbor (John Servis, Stewart Elliott): Leg injuries, blood clot, poor workout Sunday -- what else can go wrong? ... Arkansas Derby is out. ... Next start: Lexington Stakes (April 23). ... Odds: 19-1.
10. Buzzards Bay (Jeff Mullins, Mark Guidry): Won Santa Anita Derby by a half-length at odds of 30-1. ... Moves into Top 10 for first time. ... Next start: Kentucky Derby. ... Odds: 18-1 (mutuel field).
KEEP AN EYE ON: Afleet Alex, Giacomo, Survivalist, Wild Desert, Wilko.
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