There is a boatload of news about the Kentucky Derby. I do not know where to begin. After some reflection, I believe that War Pass, the Champion Juvenile in 2007 and the beaten favourite in the Tampa Bay Derby, deserves mention in the first paragraph. The Cherokee Run colt will race in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York on Saturday, April 5, The Wood Memorial is run over 1,800 metres and carries a purse of $750,000. In recent years, three sophomores have used this race as their prep to win the Kentucky Derby. They are Fusaichi Pegasus, Monarchos and Funny Cide.

Anak Nakal is in the Wood Memorial field after having disappointed twice this year. Inner Light, also in the field, is an entry level allowance winner. Court Vision, winner of the Ramsen last year, is entered. Tale Of Ekati, who won the 2007 Belmont Futurity, will go. Texas Wildcatter was second to Visionaire in the rain-marred Gotham Stakes and will take his chances in the Wood Memorial. Giant Moon, Roman Emperor and Spurrier complete the line-up.

Denis Of Cork is committed to Hawthorne’s Illinois Derby on April 5. In his last start, Denis Of Cork won the Southwell Stakes at Oaklawn Park on February 18. Trainer David Carroll said, “From Churchill Downs to Hawthorne, it is a six-hour ride. Would have been 16 hours to Aqueduct. We are staying away from War Pass whose Tampa race was too bad to be true. If he’s back to himself, he will be awfully hard to run down.”

Atoned, second to Big Truck in the Tampa Bay Derby, will be at Hawthorne. Z Humor will also be there. A major part of the Illinois Derby field will be seeking to get graded earnings.

Runner-up in the San Felipe, Gayego will go in the Arkansas Derby. Trainer Paulo Lobo talked about his decision. “Gayego has been nominated to all the big preps. We chose the Arkansas Derby because it was four weeks from Gayego’s last race and it is not a difficult ship from Oaklawn to Churchill.”

The Arkansas Derby has become an important stop in the recent past. Curlin, Afleet Alex and Smarty Jones won Oaklawn’s showpiece before going on to bigger glory.

Trainer Bennie Stutts Jr is 70 years old. His Smooth Air, second to Big Brown in the Florida Derby, will travel to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Stutts Jr could not hide his delight. “This is new to me, getting all these phone calls and all this attention. It is unbelievable to think, at this stage in my career, I’d be running a horse in the Kentucky Derby. I am on such a high now.”

In California, the news is about a colt going off the Derby trail. Georgie Boy, according to trainer Kathy Walsh, has a muscle injury in his back and is off indefinitely. Georgie Boy was entered in the Santa Anita Derby. Trainer Walsh talked about the bittersweet situation. “Georgie Boy will not need surgery. He came out of a 1200-metre workout with a pulled muscle. It’s high on his back end and we don’t know how long it will take but we are not going to take a chance.”

Two prominent horses in Australia have been retired. Divine Madonna has a muscle injury. She was expected to go in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. Dance Hero is also ending his career. Both are multiple Grade I winners.

Trainer Mike De Kock has revealed plans for some of his stable stars. De Kock will have a string in Newmarket this year. Archipenko, a strong third in the Dubai Duty Free, will go in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in Hong Kong on April 27.

The Prince of Wales Stakes, feature race on the second day at Royal Ascot, will be Sun Classique’s target. Royal Vintage is likely to be targeted for the World Cup in 2009. Honour Devil, who made the UAE Derby a no contest, will have the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita this October, as his long term goal.

Courtesy: NTRA reports and Racing Post and other sources