The Kentucky Derby, the first jewel in the American Triple Crown, will be run on May 3, 2008 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.  It is a 2000-metre race on the dirt. It is the prize that several hundred three year-olds start chasing as the New Year begins. There are preparatory races all over America.

The Preakness is run two Saturdays later at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The Preakness distance is 1 3/16 miles, which translates to 1,900 metres.

Three Saturdays later, Belmont Park in suburban New York hosts the Belmont Stakes. It is a race over 2,400 metres.

In 1973, Secretariat won all three races. Seattle Slew emulated the feat in 1977. In 1978, Affirmed put his name in the exclusive Triple Crown champions list by capturing all the races with the 18 year-old Steve Cauthen aboard.

Since 1978, many have won two parts of the three-part journey. Visa credit card company, until recently, had a five million dollar bonus to the Triple Crown winner. Visa did not get to write that cheque.

Now the 2008 quest has begun. Pyro, from the Steve Asmussen stable, ran second to War Pass in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Monmouth Park. Making his sophomore debut in the Risen Star Stakes, a $300,000 Grade III event at Fair Grounds in Louisiana on Saturday, Pyro was bet down to 10 to 9 on in the 11-horse field. In the hands of jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, Pyro, a Pulpit colt, was trailing the field as they negotiated the final turn. In slightly less than 400 metres, Pyro, responding to Bridgmohan’s call, passed his ten rivals and won by two lengths. The time was 1 44.68 second for the 1700-metre race on dirt.

Z Fortune, another Asmussen charge, took command in the lane but was match for his stablemate. Visionaire took third and was three parts of a length behind Z Fortune.

Shaun Bridgmohan was in disbelief. “I put him on an even keel and asked him to run. Midstretch, I moved to the right to get a clear run. It is unbelievable. I did not hit him.”

In the waning yards, Bridgmohan gave Pyro a couple of congratulatory pats. Incidentally, Pyro ran the last 400 metres in 22.6 seconds.

Trainer Asmussen’s confidence came through in his post-race statement. “He’s a tremendous horse. He is good enough to do what we just watched.”

Indian Blessing made it five for five with a decisive win in the Grade III $200,000 Silverbulletday Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds. Indian Blessing was an easy winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies race last October. In her 2008 debut, Indian Blessing was all out to win the Santa Ynez States at Santa Anita on January 12 by the skin of her teeth. Apparently, stripping much fitter, Indian Blessing won by a length over Proud Spell. Garrett Gomez was the winning jockey. The 1700-metre dirt race was run in 1 43.75 seconds.  Seven ran. Indian Blessing paid $3.40. An Indian Charlie filly, Indian Blessing is out of Shameful, a Flying Chevron mare.

Golden Doc A was the public choice in the Grade I $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday on the strength of her narrow loss to Indian Blessing in the Santa Ynez Stakes. Sent off at 16-10. Golden Doc A came off the pace with a wicked charge to win by a length from Lovely Isle. The dirt race over 1,600 metres was run in 1 35.86 seconds. Six ran.

Golden Doc A is by Unsual Heat out of Penpoint, a Crested Wave mare. Rafael Bejarano, the winning rider, had this to say, “She relaxed well. I decided to take her wide in the last turn. I wanted to stay out of trouble. She drifted thru the stretch because she did not want to switch leads. I left her alone. Though drifting, she ran on.”

Rafael Bejarano had another Grade I winner in Saturday’s Santa Anita card. He rode trainer Bobby Frankel’s Double Trouble to a win in the $245,000 Santa Maria handicap. Double Trouble returned $8.20 and covered the 1700-metre dirt race in 1 42.46 seconds. Five ran. Double Trouble, a five year-old mare, is bred in Brazil. She beat the odds on Tough Tiz’s Sis.

The Grade II San Antonio handicap at Santa Anita provided an upset. Well Armed, Aaron Gryder up, won start to finish. The margin was a head and Heatseeker ran second. The dirt race over 1800 metres was run in 1 47.23 seconds. Awesome Gem, third in the BC Classic and strongly fancied, salvaged third. Well Armed paid $30.20. The San Antonio handicap should have been run on February 3 and was run on the 9th because of Santa Anita’s drainage problems. Trainer Eoin Harty said, “He would not have won on February 3. He was not relaxed. He turned calm in the intervening days and had trained well and justified my confidence.”

Richard Hughes finished ninth with Blue Bajan at 5-1 in Newbury’s Totesport Trophy on Saturday. The race had eight hurdles and the distance was 3,300 metres.

Aidan O’Brien has expressed a thought or two abut Kieren Fallon’s problems. O’Brien was talking to an Irish newspaper. “Drugs and racing do not mix. I have had many conversations with Kieren about the demons haunting him. His problem is that he has so much natural ability he does not work as hard as other jockeys do. At his age, one slip-up will hurt him a great deal. If he can get it all straight, he may have a few years of good work left. I am sad for him and his family.”

Talking about the bio energy facility that may be built near the Ballydoyle training area, O’Brien expressed his opposition. “I have given evidence. I am hoping it does not happen. Horses and such places cannot coexist.”