Monday, April 19, 2004 | 9:29 a.m.
Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.
The 130th Kentucky Derby is now less than two weeks away and finally we have a handle on who might participate in America's most famous horse race. Not a handle on who might be the favorite, or what his odds might be, or, for that matter, if he will emerge as only the second betting favorite to win the run for the roses in the last twenty-five years. Just a handle on those who are eligible to be in the race. Until just a week ago, there were as many as 40 horses whose connections were aiming for the Derby.
Such a stampede has been reduced to just a cavalry charge with the '20-horse' rule. Shortly after the centennial edition of the Derby, Churchill Downs management decided to limit the starters for its marquee event and capped it at 20 participants. To alleviate any judgment biases, the track thought the fairest criteria would be the earnings in graded stakes races as the primary eligibility for the limit condition.
So, although there is quantity this year -- as we await evidence to the quality of this sophomore class -- the rule limiting the field to the top 20 graded stakes earners has left more than just a few promising three-year-olds looking in from without.
And, to illustrate the fine line of qualifying, Saturday's Lexington Stakes produced the 20th and last spot on the list. Quinton's Gold Rush won the Grade II feature at Keeneland race course and banked enough graded earnings from the winner's share of the $325,000 purse to step into 17th place on the earnings list. In a domino-type move, that bumped Preachinatthebar from 20th place with earnings of $159,000 to 21st place.
To reflect how deep and wide open this Kentucky Derby renewal is, the cut-off level was $208,000 that Master David earned to secure the last spot in the starting gate at Louisville. That amount far exceeds any of the previous cut-off limits for each of the Kentucky Derbies that exercised the rule since it's inception.
And, this Kentucky Derby -- barring any last-minute defections due to illness or injury -- will assemble every winner of every big Derby prep race that ran this year. It truly is the creme de la creme of the crop.
Here are the top 20 graded stakes earners heading to the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May:
1) THE CLIFF'S EDGE -- ($793,258) -- Winner of the recent Blue Grass Stakes, he also finished third in the Florida Derby. He has two victories from two starts over the Churchill Downs race track.
2) ACTION THIS DAY -- ($780,000) -- Off-the-board in all three starts this year, his ranking as the second-highest earner came as a two-year-old when he won the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile on his way to the Eclipse Award as 2003 Juvenile Champion.
3) FRIENDS LAKE -- ($611,000) -- Pushed to third on the list with a rousing upset victory in the $1 million Florida Derby. He will start in the Kentucky Derby off a seven week layoff.
4) SMARTY JONES -- ($600,000) -- Although undefeated in six lifetime starts, this earned all his qualifying money in one race--the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 10 at Oaklawn Park. He'll try to be the first horse since Seattle Slew in 1977 to become an undefeated Derby winner.
5) TAPIT -- ($530,000) -- Earned this spot off a stirring stretch run to win the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. He is owned by Las Vegan Ronald Winchell of the Winchell's Pub chains.
6) CASTLEDALE -- ($510,000) -- This Irish import switched to the tan and won the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby at boxcar odds. He is co-owned by TVG network anchor Frank Lyons and trained by Santa Anita's title-winning trainer Jeff Mullins.
7) LIMEHOUSE -- ($478,405) -- Won the Hutcheson Stakes and Tampa Bay Derby before recent third in the Blue Grass Stakes. Trained by one of the nation's top conditioners Todd Pletcher.
8) LION HEART -- ($475,600) -- Hollywood Futurity winner as a juvenile, he was runner-up in both the San Rafael and Blue Grass Stakes as a sophomore. Is the Derby third time the charm?
9) READ THE FOOTNOTES ($397,860) -- Finished his juvenile year with a victory in the Remsen at Aqueduct then won his sophomore debut in the Fountain Of Youth before finishing off-the-board in the Florida Derby. Like Friends Lake, he will train up to the Derby off a seven week rest.
10) WIMBLEDON ($375,000) -- Won the $500,000 Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans before an off-the-board finish in the Santa Anita Derby. He is working up a storm at Churchill Downs.
11) POLLARD'S VISION -- ($366,000) -- Won the $500,000 Illinois Derby to make the field. He is named after 'Red' Pollard--rider of the famous race horse Seabiscuit--who was blind in one eye.
12) IMPERIALISM -- ($363,000) -- Winner of the San Vicente and San Rafael Stakes before a troubled runner-up placing in the Santa Anita Derby. Trained by young Kristen Mulhall.
13) MINISTER ERIC -- ($350,000) -- Benefactor of his runner-up effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. As a result of those juvenile graded earnings, he prepped in non-graded allowance races to ready for his Derby berth.
14) BIRDSTONE -- ($327,000) -- Unplaced this year, he also gets in from juvenile graded earnings. He won the prestigious Champagne at Belmont last fall. He is one of the Nick Zito-trained Derby contingent.
15) BORREGO -- ($320,000) -- This non-stakes winner earned his money while finishing second in both the Louisiana and Arkansas Derbies. Santa Anita jockey champion Victor Espinoza chose this guy over Imperialism.
16) SINISTER G -- ($302,500) -- Won the Lane's End Stakes at Turfway Park but bombed in the Wood Memorial. This guy may not go in the Derby giving Preachinatthebar an Avis call in the run for the roses.
17) QUINTON'S GOLD RUSH -- ($258,500) -- Most recent earnings qualifier off of Saturday's victory in the Lexington Stakes. Now jockey Jerry Bailey must choose between this guy and Read The Footnotes.
18) VALUE PLUS -- ($252,500) -- Most of his earnings came from a runner-up effort in the Florida Derby. Although he is another in the Todd Pletcher arsenal, like Sinister G he may take a Derby pass, giving Saratoga County a spot in the Derby starting gate.
19) ST AVERIL -- ($215,200) -- Runner-up in the Hollywood Futurity at two, he won the Santa Catalina and was second in the San Felipe Stakes before an off-the-board finish in the Santa Anita Derby. His participation will depend on how he works for the race.
20) MASTER DAVID -- ($208,000) -- Won the non-graded Sham Stakes at Santa Anita before a runner-up effort in the Wood Memorial. Trained by Bobby Frankel, that second-place finish was enough to break into the top 20.
For whatever chaos is anticipated in handicapping this Kentucky Derby, one thing is clear--all the top Derby prep winners will line up for the summit at Churchill Downs in Louisville to settle it on the track.
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