NEW YORK -- Even though Unbridled's Song defeated only two sprinters in the Olympic Handicap at Gulfstream Park last weekend, he surprised many with a performance that suggests he will be a bona fide contender for 1997 Horse of the Year.
Even more impressive than his exceptionally fast 1:21 2/5 clocking for the seven furlongs was the ease in which Unbridled's Song pulled away from multiple stakes winners Appealing Skier and Splendid Sprinter after showing perfect deportment in the paddock and post parade.
Where this exceptionally gifted colt had previously behaved like a juvenile delinquent in the paddock for most of his races last year, new trainer Nick Zito sent out a thoroughly professional racehorse who may yet live up to the potential he flashed winning the 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and 1996 Florida Derby.
"Frankly, I always knew this horse's problem was in his head, " said owner Ernie Paragallo, who might have looked in the mirror to see the real reason for Unbridled's Song's lingering problems.
LAST YEAR FOR INSTANCE, ON three separate occasions, Paragallo overruled former trainer Jim Ryerson's advice to rest Unbridled's Song while the latter was nursing assorted injuries. In a just world, such callous behavior should have earned Paragallo a suspension. Instead he returns as the triumphant owner of this rejuvenated colt.
On the other hand, new trainer Nick Zito has a right to be proud of his latest handiwork. Zito, in fact, continues to lay his own private highway to the Hall of Fame through an amazing array of training feats with difficult horses (and difficult horse owners such as Paragallo and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner).
"We calmed the colt down and gave him a chance to recover from all his injuries, " Zito said. "The ability is still there -- probably more than ever -- and now that he's got some confidence, we'll point him for the Donn Handicap (at Gulfstream, Feb. 8)."
The Donn, won the past two seasons by Cigar, is likely to match Unbridled's Song against last year's 3-year-old champion Skip Away, in the season's first Grade-1 stakes for top older horses. From what we saw from Unbridled's Song in the Olympic, Skip Away better come back with jets in his shoes.
As for this year's newly turned 3-year-olds, enough was seen in last weekend's first round of Kentucky Derby preps and other early-season maiden and allowance races to sort out a starting roster of 20 serious prospects for the Kentucky Derby which will be run at Churchill Downs, May 3.
1. ACCEPTABLE: Steinbrenner-owned colt ran a winning race when second while wide to Boston Harbor in the BC Juvenile and returned with a good second to front running Arthur L. in the Holy Bull stakes at Gulfstream last weekend. Two time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Nick Zito continues to impress with his management of this and other horses in his care.
2. ORDWAY: Natural distance horse won the Champagne at Belmont despite traffic problems and rallied wide for third in the BC Juvenile. Was sore after his second place finish in the Hopeful and again after the BC Juvenile and is being legged up slowly by trainer David Donk to give him the "bottom" needed to survive the rigorous prep race season.
3. TRAITOR: Had trouble when third in a Saratoga allowance race with Julie Krone and won the Belmont Futurity at one mile when John R. Velazquez rode him perfectly from off the pace. Switch to Jerry Bailey produced OK second in the Champagne at Belmont, but he got sick and missed the BC Juvenile. Has the breeding to mature nicely during the winter.
4. NIGHT IN RENO: Stretch running type who was second to Traitor in the Futurity at Belmont and won the Arlington Washington Futurity last fall with speed to spare. Missed the BC Juvenile, but is training for the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
5. MUD ROUTE: Ron McAnally trained colt scored a dominating win in an allowance race at one mile at Santa Anita last week to earn a triple digit Beyer Speed Figure. Hall of Fame trainer has had no success in Triple Crown races but this one has special talent and is worth watching closely.
6. JULES: Son of Forty Niner has run three strong, relatively fast races including a convincing victory in the one mile Nashua stakes at Aqueduct last Monday. Good chance to defeat Acceptable in the Remsen.
7. HOLZMEISTER: Canadian bred colt who won a late season Illinois stakes by a city block to confirm a good win on the Breeders' Cup day card at Woodbine is now being trained by Dick Mandella. That alone moves him up among the most likely colts to make a serious impression on the Derby trail.
8. ZEDE: Billy Mott's first serious Kentucky Derby prospect in a decade returned from a long layoff with a solid second in a seven furlong allowance race at Gulfstream last Saturday, while forced to race outside the whole way. Trainer is in no rush to make the big dance, but this one has Grade-1 talent.
9. PULPIT: Son of 1992 Horse of the Year, A.P. Indy scored impressively in fast time over a strong maiden field at Gulfstream Jan. 11, to signal his potential. Preakness-Belmont winning trainer Frank Brothers is seeking an allowance race in 10 days to two weeks, before he officially gets Derby fever.
10. DEEDS NOT WORDS: Won a Del Mar maiden race last summer with a powerful, wide rally and ran strongly when third in the Balboa stakes at Del Mar despite a rough trip. Had minor physical problems last fall and trainer D. Wayne Lukas put him away for the year. Running out of time to get started on the Derby trail, but this is by far the best 3-year-old in Lukas' barn.
11. CAPTAIN BODGIT: Maryland based colt had his winning streak snapped in the Holy Bull, but was hampered by the inside, speed bias that day and is capable of much better at longer distances on a fair racing surface.
12. ARTHUR L: Game, heavily raced front running type scored narrowly over Acceptable with the benefit of a biased front runner's track. May run out of steam before the spring classics, but is dangerous in any prep race when allowed to get a clear lead.
13. THE SILVER MOVE: Remsen stakes winner was ill and missed the Holy Bull. Being handled carefully, but can not afford a lingering ailment to make the sport's most grueling series of races.
14. STORM SONG: Outstanding juvenile filly trained by Zito who says she will probably not go in the Kentucky Derby. But, should she dominate her division this year, as she did after the distances lengthened in 1996, she will deserve the opportunity.
15. BOSTON HARBOR: Last year's juvenile champion is something like a typical Heisman trophy winner going into pro football: He's a longshot to make the big dance. Has speed and trainer Lukas has won seven of the last eight Triple Crown races. But, this colt's credentials are artificially enhanced via track bias aided victories in two rich races. Not impossible, but worth betting against.
16. SILVER CHARM: Narrowly beat talented Head Case, Gold Tribute twice and is being revved up slowly for Baffert in Southern Cal. Recent works have been fair, but much better is expected in February.
17. TRAUFAST SLEW: Trainer Tom Amoss was quite pleased by this one's comfortable second place finish to runaway speedster Smoke Glacken in his 1997 debut at the Fair Grounds. Won a maiden race last fall with a 96 Beyer Speed Figure and seems likely to improve when the distances lengthen.
18. INEXCESSIVE BULL: California bred with high octane speed is trained by Bob Baffert who saddled Cal bred. Cavonnier to a sharp second place finish in the 1996 Derby. Owns three of the fastest juvenile sprint performances of the 1990's. (All three earned Beyer triple digit Beyer Speed Figures). Will require slow, patient handling to make the 1-1/4 miles Derby. Otherwise, he still figures to win Graded stakes up to 1-1/8 miles.
19. GLOBAL VIEW: A late developing, lightly raced mid-westerner with a good late kick who was trained in '96 by the late Jim Keefer. Now in the expert care of Derby winning trainer Lynn Whiting and is likely to surface in the Arkansas Derby series at Oaklawn Park.
20. THESARUS: This proven winner of three grass races at route distances failed on a muddy main track last fall. Much better than that and may prove it at a big price in a Derby prep during February.
Steve Davidowitz is the author of "Betting Thoroughbreds.".
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