Graeme Hall charges into the Kentucky Derby picture with a front-running win in the Arkansas Derby

Todd Pletcher's outlook on life and the 126th Kentucky Derby (G1) changed dramatically in a short period of time on April 15.

Arkansas Derby (G2)
Oaklawn Park, April 15, $500,000, 1 1/8 miles, fast, 1:49.08
1-GRAEME HALL, c. 3, Dehere-Win Crafty Lady, by Crafty Prospector.
2-Snuck In, c. 3, Montbrook-Love Child, by Mugassas.
3-Impeachment, c. 3, Deputy Minister-Misconduct, by Criminal Type.

The 32-year-old trainer was at Keeneland Race Course to see his trainee More Than Ready lose by a head to High Yield-who is trained by his former boss, D. Wayne Lukas-in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G1). The highs and the lows of Thoroughbred racing can be extreme and, in Pletcher's case, they followed each other quickly.

About 25 minutes later, Pletcher watched on television as another of his horses, Graeme Hall, an 18.20-to-1 longshot, led every step of the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G2) at Oaklawn Park to win by 3 3/4 lengths over Snuck In. Including the undefeated Flamingo Stakes (G3) winner Trippi, Pletcher has three viable Kentucky Derby contenders. Maybe four, if you count Arkansas Derby third-place finisher Impeachment.

Borrowing a page from the Lukas playbook, Pletcher plans to enter as many as possible in the May 6 classic at Churchill Downs.

"We were (a head) shy of having an unbelievable day," said George Weaver, Pletcher's assistant trainer. "That's not bad going into the first Saturday in May."

Graeme Hall had not won a stakes race in four previous attempts but lost by only a head to Ronton in the Rushaway Stakes on March 25 at Turfway Park and by three lengths to Derby hopeful Captain Steve in the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (G2) last fall at Keeneland. Graeme Hall has three victories and seven top-three finishes from eight starts, the only blemish coming in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Gulfstream Park when the Dehere colt finished 12th after encountering traffic problems on the first turn.

"One race doesn't make a horse," Weaver said. "He's shown a lot of promise from the beginning. We've always had a lot of faith in him, and he proved that today."

Although Mike Smith, Graeme Hall's jockey in the Rushaway, opted to ride Polish Miner in the Arkansas Derby, Weaver and owners co-owners Eugene and Laura Melnyk felt comfortable with replacement rider Robby Albarado.

"He was the leading rider here two or three years ago," Eugene Melnyk said, "and he rode this horse when he broke his maiden" last September at Saratoga Race Course.

Oaklawn's riding champion in 1996 and '97, the 26-year-old Albarado scored his first Arkansas Derby victory in relatively easy fashion. Under light pressure early from Afternoon Affair and later from Elite Mercedes, Graeme Hall led by one length after an opening half-mile in :46.87 and by a half-length after six furlongs in 1:11.62.

When Albarado asked his mount for some speed midway on the far turn, Graeme Hall responded and opened up three lengths on Polish Miner at the furlong marker. Albarado whipped his colt three times with each hand in the stretch as Graeme Hall pranced home in 1:49.08 for nine furlongs on a fast track.

"I talked to Todd this morning and he told me if we broke on top, that was fine," Albarado said. "I didn't have much to do to get in front going into the first turn and after that he relaxed completely. We really didn't feel any pressure down the backside, and at the three-eighths pole I asked him to run and he changed to his right lead and exploded."

Snuck In, the 2.10-to-1 favorite off his March 25 victory in the Rebel Stakes (G3), edged Impeachment by a head to take second under Cash Asmussen. Snuck In was sixth early, a little farther back than trainer Steve Asmussen expected.

"The winner got a real good trip and we weren't able to make up any ground," Steve Asmussen said. "Cash tells me he might have let the pace be a bit soft, but we came on strong to be second, so who knows?"

Although Snuck In is going to Kentucky with others of his horses, Asmussen would not commit to running in the Derby. He said Snuck In "more probably" would run next in the $500,000 Illinois Derby (G2) on May 13 at Sportsman's Park.

Impeachment rallied to get third after being 17 1/4 lengths back after the opening quarter. Finishing fourth was Elite Mercedes, a close second choice in the betting, followed by Polish Miner, Scottish Halo, and Ronton in sixth in the full, 14-horse field.

Graeme Hall, carrying 118 pounds, went off as the eighth betting choice in a full gate of 14. Melynk's wife picked out Graeme Hall, for which her husband paid $200,000 at the 1998 Keeneland September yearling sale. Named for the spot in Barbados where the Melnyks met, Graeme Hall has given the couple their first Kentucky Derby contender.

"I promised myself 20 years ago that I would never go to the Derby until I had a horse running," Eugene Melnyk said. "It's taken 20 years."

Classy Fantasy

Classy Cara and jockey Ignacio Puglisi got everything right in the 1 1/16-mile Fantasy Stakes (G2) after violating every rule in the "how-to" manual along the way.

Fantasy S. (G2)
Oaklawn Park, April 14, $200,000, 11/16 miles, fast, 1:43.95
1-CLASSY CARA, f. 3, General Meeting-Anastastia Honey, by Czaravich.
2-Eden Lodge, f. 3, Numerous-Lafayette's Lady, by Young Commander.
3-Gold for My Gal, f. 3, Gold Alert-Nat's My Gal, by Gold Crest.

The General Meeting filly "just hopped" out of the gate, Puglisi said, and trailed the field down the backstretch. Then, Puglisi saved no ground whatsoever as Classy Cara made a five-wide move on the final turn.

"As soon as we got out in the clear, she was motoring on her own," Puglisi said.

Circling the field, Classy Cara drew clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Eden Lodge, with 55.30-to-1 longshot Gold for My Gal a head farther back in third. Classy Cara carried co-highweight of 121 pounds in final time of 1:43.95 on a fast track. She was the 4.90-to-1 third choice in the wagering. Previously unbeaten Miss Seffens finished fourth as the 9-to-10 favorite.

After four victories by a combined 30 lengths, Miss Seffens faltered against more seasoned opponents in her first graded stakes attempt. She got squeezed between horses on the first turn and then was caught in the aftershock of Classy Cara's powerful surge.

With her first graded victory, Classy Cara punched her ticket to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs. Six Fantasy winners since 1973 have won the Oaks, most recently Blushing K. D. in 1997. From seven starts, Washington-bred Classy Cara has bankrolled $232,267.

Owner John Zamora paid $20,000 for Classy Cara at the 1999 Barretts May sale of two-year-olds in training.

"I bought four other horses that day for a lot more money," Zamora said.

Trainer Doug O'Neill, 31, credits Puglisi for Classy Cara's development. "Iggy's done a great job of working her about a dozen times and getting to know her," O'Neill said of Puglisi.

Classy Cara won the San Jose Stakes at Bay Meadows Race Course by six lengths and then took on division leader Surfside in the March 12 Santa Anita Oaks (G1), losing by only three-quarters of a length when she finished in third place. A rematch with Surfside is most likely in the Kentucky Oaks. The long-range goal for Classy Cara is the 1 1/2-mile Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 22 at Belmont Park. "The longer the better," Zamora said.

"She is good-sized and powerful," O'Neill said, "and in the last few weeks, we can just see her getting better."

Upstage the boys in the Count Fleet

The $125,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) on April 13 produced a surprise winner to many, but not to Eric Guillot, trainer and co-owner of Show Me the Stage.

Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3)
Oaklawn Park, April 13, $125,000, 6 furlongs, fast, 1:09.62
1-SHOW ME THE STAGE, f. 4, Slew the Surgeon-Showtime Lady, by Defense Verdict.
2-Smolderin Heart, h. 5, Two Punch-Sconneltown Road, by Ack Ack.
3-Vinnie's Boy, c. 4, Sejm-Vincesca, by Darby Creek Road.

The first filly winner of Oaklawn's premier sprint race, four-year-old Show Me the Stage was beating males for the fifth time. With David Flores aboard, Show Me the Stage led from gate to wire, beating Smolderin Heart by a half-length after six furlongs in 1:09.62 on a fast track. Vinnie's Boy finished third and Chindi, the 1998 Count Fleet winner, was fourth. Only two lengths separated all six runners. Run Johnny, the 7-to-5 favorite, practically walked out of the gate and finished fifth.

Show Me the Stage beat three-year-old fillies in the inaugural America's First Ladies Stakes at Oaklawn in 1999, and she had two previous graded stakes victories against members of her own sex.

"She's run two years without a break," Guillot said. "We were planning to go straight to Kentucky, but her last race (a third-place finish in the Victoria Lass Handicap at Fair Grounds) didn't take anything out of her."

Guillot bought Show Me the Stage for $4,500 from disgruntled in-laws and then sold a 25% interest in her to Terry LeBlanc of Coteau, Louisiana, and the other half to Californian Brian Cain. Guillot said the filly would return to the grass in the $100,000 Mamzelle Stakes at five furlongs on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Mr Ross's Fifth Season

The second time around in the Fifth Season Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3) on April 12 turned out beautifully for Mr Ross and abysmally for defending champion Truluck.

Fifth Season Breeders' Cup S. (G3)
Oaklawn Park, April 12, $97,000, 11/16 miles, fast, 1:42.93
1-MR ROSS, g. 5, Slewacide-Dusty Donna, by Dust Commander.
2-Relic Reward, g. 6, Prospector's Halo-Good Looking Girl, by In Reality.
3-Crimson Classic, h. 6, Sky Classic-Marianna's Girl, by Dewan.

After losing his first two starts in 2000 at Oaklawn when stalking the pace early, Mr Ross showed controlling speed in the $97,000 Fifth Season. Reunited with rider Eric Perner, his partner in a front-running victory at Remington Park last year, Mr Ross shook off Relic Reward when the field turned for home and won by a widening 2 3/4 lengths.

"Maybe we've got to change his tactics," trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel told Perner, who inherited the mount from injured Don Pettinger.

Mr Ross clocked 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.93 under 115 pounds. Relic Reward finished second by three-quarters of a length over Crimson Classic. Well Noted, the Razorback Handicap (G3) winner, was scratched by trainer Randy Morse rather than carry 124 pounds and run for only $50,000 since he is not eligible for Breeders' Cup bonuses.

Mr Ross finished fourth in the Fifth Season last year.