Owner Tafel considers a Triple Crown supplement after decisive victory in Coolmore Lexington

Leave it to the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2) to create a bump on the road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Triple Crown. One year removed from being the final major steppingstone toward Charismatic's dramatic and surprising triumphs in the first two classics and eventual Horse of the Year crown, the Lexington has once again left some matters unsettled as the field takes shape for America's best-known race.

Coolmore Lexington S. (G2)
Keeneland, April 22, $357,400, 11/16 miles, fast, 1:43.72
1-UNSHADED, c. 3, Unbridled-Shade the Flame, by Caucasus.
2-Globalize, c. 3, Summer Squall-Sugar Hill Chick, by Fit to Fight.
3-Harlan Traveler, c. 3, Harlan-Protostar, by Procida.

The major difference between 1999 and 2000 seems to be a matter of money. A year ago, trainer D. Wayne Lukas had no doubt about Charismatic running two weeks later in the Derby.

Owner James Tafel and trainer Carl Nafzger have a much bigger decision-whether to pay a $150,000 supplemental fee to get Unshaded into what appears to be a full field for the 126th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs.

Unshaded, who had not run since late February, stamped himself as a legitimate racehorse with a bright future when he scored an impressive three-length victory in the $357,400 Lexington on April 22 at Keeneland Race Course. Shane Sellers rode the winner, a son of 1990 Derby winner Unbridled who had never tested stakes company and was making just his third start of the year.

The victory almost certainly gave Unshaded enough graded stakes earnings-$221,588-to get into the starting gate for the Derby. Whether he gets a chance to prove it on racing's most celebrated stage was up in the air shortly after Tafel and Nafzger collected the winner's trophy on the Keeneland turf course.

"That's very unlikely," said Tafel, still stung by a poor post-position draw last year with Vicar, who finished a disappointing 17th in the Derby. "We didn't nominate him. He was just too green. It would be great to run in the Derby. We ran in it last year and had the misfortune of drawing the 19 hole, and Vicar never really had a shot."

Tafel said he and Nafzger would get together in the days after the Lexington to map out a campaign for Unshaded, who is out of the Caucasus mare Shade the Flame and was purchased for $27,000 at the 1998 Keeneland September yearling sale.

While Tafel left the door open to a Derby run, other lucrative events could also be on the horizon, including Saratoga Race Course's $1-million Travers Stakes (G1) on August 26.

Nafzger, who trained Unbridled to the 1990 Derby victory and three-year-old male championship, said Unshaded missed critical training time to a foot injury shortly after an allowance victory on February 26 at Gulfstream Park and that the decision whether to run in the Derby would be left to Tafel.

"This is a nice bunch of Derby horses this year," Nafzger said. "This is not a bunch of well-wishers."

Although Unshaded may not head to the Derby, at least one of his beaten rivals-fourth-place finisher Commendable, the Lexington's 2.30-to-1 favorite-is headed to Louisville for Lukas. The status of runner-up Globalize, who won the Turfway Spiral Stakes (G2) last time out and was wide around both turns in the Lexington, and third-place finisher Harlan Traveler were up in the air.

"I said when I won the Blue Grass (Stakes [G1] with High Yield), and I'll say it when I'm fourth in the Lexington," Lukas said. "I never get too high or too low on these Keeneland races. That's not coming from a sour loser. I said the same thing after the Blue Grass. Take it for what it is."

Quick early pace

As expected, longshot Hades, Rollin With Nolan, and Globalize contested the early pace, taking the field through quick early fractions of :22.50 for the quarter-mile and :45.83 for the half. Hades started to retreat after six furlongs in a brisk 1:10.61 as Rollin With Nolan and jockey Marlon St. Julien took over, with Globalize, Commendable, Cocky, and Ben the Man in close pursuit.

Unshaded, dismissed at 6.30-to-1 by the Saturday-afternoon crowd of 19,311, was seventh of eight around the first turn and down the backstretch. Sellers said the colt was not gripping the track well early and offered little response when asked to accelerate down the backstretch.

"He didn't have any interest at all in getting in the race. I didn't feel like I had anything under me," Sellers said. "So I reached down and gave him a smack with the whip. When I did, he really got about his business."

Francisco Torres guided Globalize to the front briefly at the top of the stretch, but Unshaded was gaining ground with each stride. Five wide entering the stretch, Unshaded grabbed the lead before the furlong pole and cruised to victory while running the Lexington's 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.72 on a fast track.

Globalize was a head in front of late-running Harlan Traveler, who finished a nose ahead of Commendable. Rollin With Nolan was three-quarters of a length farther back, followed by Cocky, Ben the Man, and Hades.

"He just zoomed by them like they were standing still," Sellers said. "He's a big son of a gun who is just learning what he is doing out there. I don't know what Mr. Tafel and Carl are planning on doing, but I sure wouldn't mind if they decided to go on to the Kentucky Derby."

The victory improved Unshaded's career record to 3-0-1 in five starts and increased his earnings to $264,648.

Stonerside's Beaumont

Robert and Janice McNair had the rare opportunity of presenting a winner's trophy to themselves after their Sahara Gold posted an upset win in the $136,850 Stonerside Beaumont Stakes (G2) on April 21.

Stonerside Beaumont S. (G2)
Keeneland, April 21, $136,850, about 7 furlongs, good, 1:26.58
1-SAHARA GOLD, f. 3, Seeking the Gold-Desert Stormer, by Storm Cat.
2-Swept Away, f. 3, Mystery Storm-Queen Ambra, by Alhambra.
3-Darling My Darling, f. 3, Deputy Minister-Roamin Rachel, by Mining.

Ridden by Jerry Bailey for trainer Claude R. "Shug" McGaughey III, the three-year-old daughter of Seeking the Gold overcame a troubled trip for her second career stakes win while running the about seven-furlong distance in 1:26.58 on a track rated as good. Sent off at 9.40-to-1 in a field of six, Sahara Gold was blocked down inside at the five-sixteenths pole until Bailey angled her out in the drive.

Sahara Gold, the first foal out of 1995 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Desert Stormer, wore down 1.30-to-1 favorite Swept Away in deep stretch to win by a half-length. Darling My Darling ran well late to finish third, a length behind the winner.

The victory was the third in seven starts for Sahara Gold, and the winner's check of $84,847 boosted her bankroll to $205,302.

UNDER THE DOGWOODS-On the Lexington undercard, Jeffrey Amling's Steal a Heart lowered the course record with a game victory in the $72,000 Stravinsky Stakes, getting 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.47. The five-year-old Crafty Prospector mare is trained by Alice Cohn, who also trained the previous record holder, Singing Heart. ... Trainer Robert Frankel, who saddled Cocky in the Lexington, salvaged the day when Velvet Morning won the $110,500 Palisades Stakes on the turf. The three-year-old daughter of Broad Brush won the 1 1/8-mile event over the firm turf in 1:49.90. ... After a pair of scratches reduced her opposition to just two, two-time Eclipse Award winner Silverbulletday won her seasonal debut with a well-measured neck victory over Roza Robata in the $99,084 Doubledogdare Stakes on April 19. Bailey rode the four-year-old daughter of Silver Deputy, who won the 1 1/16-mile race over the fast track in 1:43.76. ... Gateman (GB) registered his second career stakes victory when he defeated Lonely Place (Ire) in the $111,700 Forerunner Stakes on April 20. Trained by W. Elliott Walden and ridden by Pat Day, Gateman won the 1 1/8-mile turf race in 1:48.39.