April 5th Review

Colonel John threw his name into the list of Kentucky Derby favorites with a solid score in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) at Santa Anita on Saturday. Far behind the leaders with nowhere to go at the top of the stretch left many to write him off and concentrate on the leaders, pacesetter Coast Guard and the speedy Bob Black Jack stalking in the second position. Bob Black Jack took the lead in the stretch and began to draw clear, shaking loose of Coast Guard and Yankee Bravo, until Colonel John got out and motored home, diving under the wire a half length in front. Bob Black Jack, Coast Guard, and Yankee Bravo finished ahead of El Gato Malo, the post time favorite, in fifth. Corey Nakatani rides Colonel John for trainer Eoin Harty and WinStar Farm. The final time for 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.16.

The Wood Memorial (gr. I) at Aqueduct proved to be the comeback race everyone expected. War Pass, last year's Juvenile champion who lost his luster with a dismal finish in the Tampa Bay Derby, bolted to the lead and carried the field through speedy fractions. In a rather dismal stretch drive that saw War Pass desperately holding on despite exhaustion, Barclay Tagg's Tale of Ekati snuck up slowly through the rail and nailed War Pass on the line, winning by a half length. Court Vision closed wide down the stretch to be third, a neck ahead of the exhausted Giant Moon. The final time was 1:52.35.

It took longshot Recapturetheglory, a late Triple Crown nominee, 1:49.01 to complete the 1 1/8 miles of the Illinois Derby (gr. II). The speedy son of Cherokee Run is a newcomer to the Triple Crown scene. He went straight to the lead and drew clear in the stretch to defeat Golden Spikes, Z Humor, Atoned, and the heavily favored and previously undefeated Denis of Cork by four lengths. He will continue on to Kentucky as a longshot, but will add to the pace scenario (along with Big Brown, War Pass, and possibly Bob Black Jack). Recapturetheglory is trained by Louie Roussel, III.