Kentucky Derby Season 2007!
Kentucky Derby season starts at Gulfstream Park with an important three year old stakes race on the second of four Saturdays.
All eyes will be on Nobiz Like Shobiz, likely post-time favorite in the Holy Bull Stakes at a mile. The perfectly bred son of Albert the Great has had a string of strong runs, including a 1:11 4/5 over the South Florida track's fast surface on Jan. 25.
His grandfather, Go for Gin, won the Holy Bull in '94, running the fastest 1 1/16 miles when staged at the distance - 1:41 3/5.
Nobiz Like Showbiz won on his debut on Sept. 9 at Belmont Park by 10.75 lengths. He finished second in the Champagne Stakes in October to Scat Daddy, his main Holy Bull rival. The son of Johannesburg won by 0.75 of a length at a mile after the runner-up grabbed the lead in the stretch by a head, after being squeezed back to 4th at the break.
Neither of the trainers are strangers to Gulfstream or the road to the Kentucky Derby. Tagg sent out Funny Cide in the 2003 Holy Bull and he finished fifth. But the gelding drew post thirteen, unlucky for some, and hit the gate and was unable to drop over.
Todd Pletcher, who has a few Derby hopefuls is no mug when it comes to taking stakes, he has won the most money over the last few years. But, Scat Daddy hasn't gone further than six furlongs in both victories.
None of the other challengers has won a stakes race. The most promising is Our Sacred Honor, son of sprinter Honour and Glory who drew clear by 2.5 lengths at a mile in a Gulfstream allowance race back in January.
Nobiz Like Shobiz next showing will be in the $350,000 Fountain of Youth States on March 3 - one of four stakes on "Spectacular Saturday III".
The centerpiece of Saturday's six-stakes card is the 49 th running of the $0.5m Donn Handicap at 1 1/8 miles.
Invasor (2006 Horse of the Year) comes up against a competitive field that includes Premium Tap, third in the Breeders' Cup Classic; Strong Contender, fifth in Gulfstream's Hal's Hope after winning the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs in September; and Chatain, who set the track record for a mile in the Hal's Hope in January...
