Saturday, March 25, 2000
Earlier is better for Spiral Stakes
New date allows Derby horses options
BY GEORGE RORRER
Enquirer contributor
Groom Daniel Sosa walks favorite Archer City Slew.
(Patrick Reddy photo)
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If spring seems to be a little early this year, at Turfway Park it definitely is. It's six weeks until the first Saturday in May and the Kentucky Derby, but today — and not next Saturday — marks a new day for the $600,000 Turfway Spiral Stakes.
For years, Turfway's signature event has been run five weeks before Derby Day. Some trainers felt that gave them a tough choice if they wanted another tuneup for their 3-year-olds before the Derby. Two weeks after the Spiral was too soon to run again, they felt, and if they waited three weeks, they'd have only two weeks to get ready for the Derby.
Turfway president Bob Elliston said the track's new ownership group — Keeneland Association, Harrah's Entertainment and Dreamport, Inc. — moved the Spiral date forward to smooth the Kentucky road to the Derby.
“Now,” he said, “you can ship into Kentucky in the middle of March and not have to leave until after the Derby.”
With the extra week, he said, trainers can look three weeks ahead to Keeneland's Blue Grass Stakes and Lexington Stakes, and still have a three-week training period before the Derby.
Trainer Nick Zito had the choice to make last year after his Stephen Got Even won the Gallery Furniture.com Stakes, now called the Spiral. He opted not to race again before the Derby, and his colt finished a banged-up 14th at Churchill Downs.
Had Zito had the extra week, he said, he would have run his horse again in either the Blue Grass Stakes or the Wood Memorial in New York.
Zito predicted better fields for the Kentucky prep races.
“You'll find a lot of trainers will be coming this way with good horses,” Zito said. “It's important to have three weeks.”
Zito will try to repeat last year's victory today with Rollin With Nolan, a 9-2 third choice to 5-2 Archer City Slew and 3-1 Elite Mercedes.
Injuries have whittled Zito's crop of 3-year-olds down to Rollin With Nolan, owned by Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey of Nicholasville, Ky.
“We're down to one,” said Zito, who trained two Derby winners in the 1990s. “The good part is, you only need one.”
Zito said Rollin With Nolan is “the right type of horse” to win. He's coming up to the race “just right,” Zito said.
Rollin With Nolan has won two of his three career races. In his latest outing Feb.19, he won a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park. He'll be asked to go 1 1/8 miles today. “I don't think he would have had any trouble going the next 1/16th,” Zito said.
Handicapper Mike Battaglia said, “He's going to be tough to catch if he goes to the front.”
Rollin With Nolan will break from the No.4 post position. Robbie Albarado will ride.
The Spiral, ninth of 12 races, is scheduled for 4:15p.m. ABC will televise the race nationally.
Also on today's card are four other stakes races — the 1-mile, $150,000 Bourbonette Breeders' Cup for 3-year-old fillies; the 1 1/16th-mile, $100,000 Rushaway for 3-year-olds; the 6-furlong, $60,000 Hansel for 3-year-olds, and the 6-furlong, $60,000 Queen for fillies and mares age 4 and older.
Trainer G.R. Arnold's Lorie Darlin is a 5-2 favorite in the Bourbonette, followed by the Dale Romans-trained entry of Silk Sails and Endlessly at 3-1.
In the Rushaway, Romans' Valiant Style is the 4-1 favorite in his 14th career start, with Neil J. Howard-trained Naval Hero and Anthony Reinstedler's Bullet Buzz next at 5-1.
Ultimate Warrior, trained by Bernard Flint, is a 9-5 favorite in the Hansel, followed by Frank Brothers' Barrier at 3-1 and James Chapman's Caller One at 4-1.
In the Queen Stakes, Flint-trained Hurricane Bertie is a 4-5 favorite. Next at 4-1 is Michael Campbell's Beauty Brush, followed by Kim Chapman's Strawberry Way at 9-2.
Before the Bourbonette at about 3:15p.m., two-time Horse of the Year Cigar will make his first appearance at a track since he was retired to the Kentucky Horse Park. Cigar will be paraded before the crowd.
Today's festivities will begin with Sunrise at the Spiral from 7-10a.m., during which fans can watch horses in their morning workouts.
In the Turfway Race Book, simulcast betting on racing in Dubai will begin at 9:30a.m. That program will end with the richest race ever run, the $6 million Dubai World Cup, at 11:30a.m. Trainer Elliott Walden, who has 12-1 Gateman and 3-1 second choice Elite Mercedes in the Spiral, is in Dubai to saddle Ecton Park in the World Cup. Post time for today's first race is noon.
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