TODD PLETCHER thrust into Kentucky Derby Calculations

Todd Pletcher (Bill Frakes/SI)America’s leading trainer Todd Pletcher  was thrust into Kentucky Derby calculations over the weekend when he prepared the first two over the line in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

As notable as the win of Monba may have been, the Blue Grass Stakes proved more significant for the defeat of ruling Derby favourite Pyro who finished 10th of the 12 runners. An even-money chance in Saturday’s race, Pyro appeared to dislike the all-weather surface at Keeneland.

Monba, a son of Maria’s Mon, was right at home, stalking his front-running stablemate Cowboy Cal and then surviving a dour struggle to win by a neck. “At the beginning of the year, if you’d asked me which horses I’d like to nominate to the Triple Crown, it would have been these two,” Todd Pletcher said.

Click here to watch video of Monba winning the Blue Grass Stakes 2008.

“Both horses showed today that they belong at the highest level and both have pedigrees to show they should run a mile and a quarter. So we hope to show up with the good horse and get lucky on the day.” Scott Blasi, assistant to Pyro’s trainer Steve Asmussen, indicated the Kentucky Derby was still the target.

“He didn’t handle the track - you could see that early on,” he said. The other two recognised Kentucky Derby trials on Saturday both went to favourites. The Grade 2 Arkansas Derby, a $1 million event at Oaklawn Park whose recent winners include Smarty Jones and Curlin, was won by 2-1 shot Gayego (Paulo Lobo/Mike Smith), who held Z Fortune by three-quarters of a length. In the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, at 1900m the longest Derby prep of the spring, the even-money favourite Hey Byrn pulled away in the stretch to score by two and a quarter lengths over Dream Maestro. The Kentucky Derby is run at Churchill Downs on May 3.

Click here to watch video of Gayego winning the Arkansas Derby 2008.

Click here to watch video of Hey Byrn winning the Holy Bull Stakes 2008.

 Extract from Stallions Daily News 

PYRO : Louisiana Derby winner set to retire to Darley Stud

Pyro (Lou Hodges)A day after Pyro (Pulpit/Wild Vision, by Wild Again) cemented his position as early favorite for the Kentucky Derby with a win in the Gr2 Louisiana Derby, it was announced yesterday that the three-year-old colt will stand at Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Darley in Lexington at the conclusion of his career.

Click here to watch the Gr2 Louisiana Derby 2008.

Pyro launched himself to the front of the sophomore division with a visually impressive win in the February 9 Gr2 Risen Star Stakes. “His turn of foot in the Risen Star was just so visually impressive,” said Dan Pride, COO of Darley America. “Add to that his assertive victory in the Louisiana Derby and we feel extremely excited and privileged to have him coming to Darley. He has all the ingredients to be a superstar on the racetrack and at stud.”

Pyro, a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred, was also second in last year’s Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Gr1 Champagne Stakes. “To have our homebred Pyro retiring to Darley is extremely exciting,” said Ron Winchell. “Although we’re certainly a bit prejudiced about him, I really do think that the success he has shown on the track will follow him to the stallion barn.”

Pyro is expected to race in the Winchell Thoroughbreds colors through this year’s Breeders’ Cup.

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News

STEVE ASMUSSEN wins 4000th Race

Steve Asmussen (cnn) Trainer Steve Asmussen, an Eclipse Award finalist for leading trainer in 2007, notched his 4,000th win in yesterday’s third race at Oaklawn Park. He hit the milestone with a three-year-old gelding named J J’s Bud, only six minutes after he saddled career winner number 3,999 in Fair Grounds’ fifth race with Far East Gold. Asmussen at just 42 already ranks eighth on the all-time leading trainers list by wins. In 2004, Asmussen won 555 races, shattering Jack Van Berg’s 1976 single-year record of 496. Asmussen was again the USA’s leading trainer by wins in 2005 with 474 victories to his credit and added another title in 2007 with 488 wins. Asmussen conditioned last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike) and could be sitting on a big 2008 with the likes of Pyro (Pulpit), Kodiak Cowboy (Posse) and J Be K (Silver Deputy) in his barn.

Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News 18.02.08