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Dominican Noses Way Into Derby Picture
by Jack Shinar www.bloodhorse.com
Date Posted: April 15, 2007
Last Updated: April 15, 2007

Dominican (2) and Rafael Bejarano edge past Street Sense at the wire to win the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, Saturday at Keeneland. Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt

Silverton Hill's Dominican moved into the Triple Crown picture when he came from well behind to nose Street Sense, last year's 2-year-old champion, on the wire of the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) Saturday on the all-weather track at Keeneland.

In a dramatic finish to the first Bluegrass contested on Polytrack, Zanjero was a head behind in third with the front-running Teuflesberg another head back in fourth.

Dominican, who is nominated to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), was coming off a five-length win in the Rushaway Stakes on the Turfway Park Polytrack March 24 and has won all three of his starts on synthetic surface. He completed the 1 1/18-mile test for 3-year-olds in a slow 1:51 1/5.

Rafael Bejarano, who rode Dominican, an El Corredor gelding for the first time in the Rushaway, was aboard once again for trainer Darrin Miller. The chestnut registered his first graded win.

"We needed to test him," Miller said. "We wanted to go the Derby and we needed to see if he could hook them.”

The pace was dawdling as Teuflesberg and Edgar Prado led the seven-horse field while clear through fractions of :26, :51 2/5 and 1:16 3/5. Great Hunter found himself in an unusual spot, tracking the leader in second while four paths wide for Corey Nakatani, with Zanjero and Garrett Gomez stalking from the rail. Street Sense, the 11-10 favorite ridden by Calvin Borel, settled into fourth while Dominican hopped at the break and chased the field from fifth.

In the stretch, the picture changed when Teuflesberg floated out and forced Nakatani to take up on second choice Great Hunter. It appeared Teuflesberg impeded Great Hunter in the stretch scramble, but no foul was claimed. Street Sense, though taken wide as well, kept charging and grabbed the lead in the final sixteenth as Zanjero and Teuflesberg kept fighting. Meanwhile, Bejarano, on Dominican, angled seven paths wide in the stretch to find racing room and closed with determination to reach the wire first in a final lunge.

"When they left there in 26 and change, I thought, 'Uh-oh, we're in trouble,'" Miller admitted.

"I knew (Street Sense) was going to be tough, so I tried to stay right behind him and wait," Bejarano said. "When I saw him moving at the quarter pole, I moved to the outside. My horse just gave me everything he had to win.”

Just as Street Sense went ahead, he quickly ducked in and gave Dominican an opportunity to pull a huge upset.

Barak Farm bred Dominican, a $150,000 Ocala sale in March 2006, in Kentucky. The winner is out of the Dixieland Band mare First Violin.

Dominican earned $465,000 to easily qualify for the Derby on graded earnings. His third win in seven starts improved his bankroll to $596,259.

Fast Finishing Dominican Captures Rushaway
by Jack Shinar, www.bloodhorse.com
Date Posted: March 24, 2007
Last Updated: March 25, 2007

Dominican wins the Rushaway Stakes by five lengths Saturday at Turway Park. Photo: AP/David Kohl

Making his first start since a third-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) four months ago, Dominican ran down Trust Your Luck in the stretch to win the $100,000 Rushaway for 3-year-olds Saturday at Turway Park going away by five lengths.

Stalking the leaders in fourth for jockey Rafael Bejarano into the stretch, Dominican finished fast to surge past Trust Your Luck, who had split horses to gain the advantage mid-stretch but was not match for the winner, who completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in a strong time of 1:43 2/5 on the all-weather track. Dominican earned his first stakes victory.

"At the three-eighths pole I thought we were in the perfect position, but we had to wait a little bit," Bejarano said. "He took off very nicely. He's a very good horse."

Dominican, slowed in making his 3-year-old debut by a several minor problems, according to trainer Darrin Miller, had a maiden win to show from five starts as a juvenile. The El Corredor gelding showed some ability, however, when third, 6 1/4 lengths behind the well-regarded Tiz Wonderful at odds of 30-1 in the Kentucky Jockey Club. He posted three strong works this month at Palm Meadows in preparation for Saturday's win.

"He had a lung issue with some other things, so we gelded him and saw improvement right away," Miller said of Dominican's absence. "I was very impressed with his tenacity and professionalism off the layoff. He did that really easy."

Bonnie and Tommy Hamilton's Silverton Hill LLC owns Dominican, who earned $62,000 for his second win in six starts. He has banked $131,259. Sent off as the second choice, Dominican paid $9.80, $5.40 and $3.60.

Barak Farm bred the chestnut, who is out of the Dixieland Band mare First Violin, in Kentucky. He was a $150,000 Ocala Breeders' Sale buy one year ago.

Meritocracy, the 2-1 favorite in the field of 10, gained an easy lead and set comfortable fractions of :23 4/5, :47 3/5 and 1:12 before fading to seventh.

Trust Your Luck, making his stakes debut for Helen Pitts, ran admirably at 11-1 odds to hold second after prompting the pace under Kent Desormeaux. Trust Your Luck returned $9.20 and $6 and completed a $119.60 exacta. He finished a half-length in front of Reata's Rocket, ridden by Rajiv Maragh, who also pressed the front-running Meritocracy before tiring late.

It was 2 1/2 lengths back to Skip Code, Passport, Eighteenthofmarch, Meritocracy, Head to Toe, Dubious Miss and Pink Viper. Poe Reef scratched.

Baffert's 'Runner Overwhelms WinStar Derby

by Jack Shinar
Date Posted: 4/1/2006 6:47 PM www.bloodhorse.com

Coady Photography

Odds-on choice Wanna Runner left the pacesetting Blaze It behind on the far turn on his way to demolishing an overmatched field by 4 3/4 lengths in the $600,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland Park in New Mexico Saturday.

Victor Espinoza joined his main trainer Bob Baffert at Sunland to register an easy win aboard the Canadian-bred son of El Corredor, owned by Mike Pegram. Wanna Runner notched his first stakes victory, but the win does nothing to get the colt to the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) next month. In spite of a $300,000 winner's share, the purse doesn't count toward Derby eligibility because the WinStar is an non-graded race.

"He looked pretty awesome today," said Baffert, who said Wanna Runner remains under consideration for the Derby. "He sat off that pace, and I really liked how he was extending. Victor tells me this horse is better than we thought.

"You can't say never," Baffert said. "You have to wait until you see all the (Kentucky Derby) preps. Brother Derek is exceptional but right now it's not out of the question. We've got to look at the whole picture. A whole lot happens between now and then."

Espinoza won all three of his rides at Sunland Saturday, including the $250,000 WinStar Oaks aboard Sweet Fourty for trainer Jeff Mullins in the race preceding Wanna Runner's victory.

The winning time was 1:48 4/5 on a fast track, breaking the stakes record set last year by Thor's Echo. The time was three ticks off the track mark. Wanna Runner, who wore blinkers again after Baffert took them off for his last start, paid $3.80, $3 and $2.20 as the 9-10 choice in the nine-horse field. The all-Baffert exacta with Sky Diving was worth $21.20.

Wanna Runner showed good early speed, breaking well and settling in behind Blaze It and stablemate Sky Diving as they went an opening quarter mile in :22 3/5 and the half in :45 3/5. Wanna Runner swept past Sky Diving on the backstretch and was soon threatening Blaze It as they completed six furlongs in 1:10 3/5. He shook loose at the top of the lane and widened his advantage in the final furlong as Sky Diving ($5.20, $3.80) advanced to a non-threatening second under Julio Garcia by 5 3/4 lengths. Belligerence ($2.80) came on late for third by 7 3/4 lengths over entrymate Wait in Line in a straggling finish.

The winner gained his third victory in seven starts which pushed his bankroll to $381,950. Wanna Runner won for the first time in three starts as a 3-year-old. He ran fifth in the El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) in his last start Jan. 29 at Bay Meadows when Baffert removed blinkers. Two weeks prior to that, he finished third behind Brother Derek in the San Rafael (gr. II) at Santa Anita.

"On this track you need speed," said Baffert, who trained Quarter Horses in New Mexico before launching his wildly successful career with Thoroughbreds. "This place was huge for me. I'm glad for Mike (Pegram). At least I can say I won a derby this year.

"I've come here since I was 14 years old," Baffert said. "My dad and I used to drive here from Nogales (Ariz.), watch the races, and buy feed. It always brings back a lot of good memories. Even when I've come here and gotten beat, I still enjoy it."

Pegram said Wanna Runner would likely be pointed to the Canadian Queen's Plate for 3-year-olds – "unless that man over there says otherwise," he added, nodding toward Baffert.

"I don't know, I'm getting that temperature," Baffert laughed. "Derby fever. I feel pretty good."

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2005 NEWS

10/8 - ADIEU wins the G1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont by 2 lengths, updated earnings of $554,470. chart

8/26 - ADIEU wins the G2 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga. She now has 3 wins in 4 starts with updated earnings of $254,470.

7/18 - EL CORREDOR yearlings top the first session at the Fasig Tipton July Sale.

Hip 385, a colt out of Meadow Bright topped the session at $385,000, bought by B. Wayne Hughes.

Hip 297, a filly out of Tom's Annie was the highest priced filly, bought by Mercedes Stable.

7/4 - Caleb Pond ran 3rd in the Tremont Stakes at Belmont. chart

7/3 - ADIEU is the 1st stakes winner for EL CORREDOR! The filly won the Astoria Stakes at Belmont by 1 1/4 lengths. chart

6/11 - No Freshman Sire has more winners than EL CORREDOR!  Caleb Pond, a $225,000 two-year-old, wins impressively in his first time out at Pimlico. chart

5/20 - The second starter by EL CORREDOR, Madison North wins by 5 lengths in a MSW at Calder. chart

4/22 - The first runner by EL CORREDOR, Adieu wins with a hand ride by 4 1/4 lengths in a $50K MSW at Keeneland. Click here for chart.

EL CORREDOR's first crop of yearlings grossed over $5,000,000 in 2004. Average price of $81,738 is over 4 times the stud fee.

EL CORREDOR off to a great start as a yearling sire at the Fasig Tipton Kentucky Summer Sale 2004. Average price is $116,714. Hip # 366 brought $245,000 (over 12 times his stud fee!).