Every year or so, there is a young horse who runs so fast during the winter that most of the race-going public can't wait to bet more money on him in the Kentucky Derby Future books.
This year, the new wonder horse is Pulpit, a son of 1992 Belmont Stakes winner A.P. Indy, who has won his only two starts by huge margins in clockings that would win most stakes. The fact he has not even competed in a stakes is no deterrent to Pulpit-mania. The fact that he is working bullets between races only adds to the stampede lining up to anoint him the sport's next superstar.
EXCUSE, ME BUT, I'M NOT QUITE READY to concede this colt a starting berth in the Derby, much less a trip to the Churchill Downs winner's circle or a ticket to the Hall of Fame. From what I've seen so far -- and that includes this colt's two excellent performances and more than 30 years of watching Triple Crown prospects -- there are several potential glitches in the script.
In the first place, we are talking about a colt who did not race at all as a 2-year-old, a fact that goes against the racing credentials of every Derby winner since 1882. Equally important is the suspicion Pulpit may have too much speed for his own good. Indeed, he may be so fast that his trainer, Frank Brothers, can be seen holding his breath every time he starts, for fear of a physical breakdown.
Before we go overboard on this very promising colt, we should remember that Brothers is a proven winner of Triple Crown races: he took the 1991 Preakness and Belmont stakes with Hansel. With that, we can read between the unspoken lines that Pulpit had his share of physical problems early in his career. Otherwise, Brothers would have given him the requisite racing as a 2-year-old for the proper foundation.
Now, after two very fast wins on ultra speed-favoring racing strips, Pulpit is being hailed as the second coming and will be pushed into next weekend's Fountain of Youth Stakes, just two weeks after his second career victory Feb. 8.
This is not a patient game plan being orchestrated by a man who believes he has a solid, physically sound colt. It reeks of catch-up ball where none really should be needed for the fastest 3-year-old in the country. It also suggests a potentially short racing career -- say, a stakes win or two and goodbye. Such an outcome would be very disappointing to all who saw the powerful presence Pulpit made in the Gulfstream Park paddock before he buried relatively weak opposition last Saturday. Yet, a short career dotted by a stakes win or two certainly would deliver a valuable stud prospect to Claiborne Farm, who owns the homebred colt. At the same time, I would be remiss if I did not lay out at least one other possible outcome to this intriguing story in progress.
PULPIT MAY BE BETTER THAN HIS STRONGEST admirers think he is.
Should he continue to blitz his opposition all the way from Gulfstream to Louisville, he just might be a 24-carat "freak" in the tradition of Seattle Slew, the 1997 Triple Crown champion who blazed his way to instant stardom in his career debut.
"As we look at it, the Fountain of Youth is the best of several options," Brothers explained. "We thought about shipping out of town to give him more time between starts, but we did give him a month between his first start and last week's race. ... Maybe the (Fountain of Youth) is a big step up for him, but anybody can see he has special talent. And," Brothers continued, "if he gets past the hurdle, we'll be right on schedule for the Florida Derby (at Gulfstream, March 15) and the Blue Grass, April 12."
Notwithstanding Brothers' assurances, it makes better sense to remain skeptical about any newly turned 3-year-old who burns up the racetrack in February when this country's most difficult 1 1/4-mile race usually is won by a genuine distance horse who is being patiently handled to reach top form on the first Saturday in May. Pulpit may be the real thing, but when he goes to the post in the Fountain of Youth next weekend, he'll also be a very short betting price, as he will remain all the way from Gulfstream to the doorstep of the Triple Crown. At this point, that is reason enough to be skeptical.
The Nevada racebooks and California tracks were rumored to be within an inch of settling their protracted simulcast dispute last weekend, but the books turned down a track proposal that had more smoke and mirrors than they wanted to see. The California tracks realize now that they have no chance to get a deal much different than the one they originally signed and abandoned last fall. Track officials are meeting this week to consider the obvious. In fact, sources close to Casino negotiators confirm that the dispute only will be settled by an agreement closely resembling the original contract.
In addition to Pulpit and Formal Gold, there were several noteworthy performances last weekend, including:
Steve Davidowitz is the author of "Betting Thoroughbreds.".
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