NEWS
Rider for Casino Drive to be named Wednesday
Posted: Sunday, May 25, 2008 6:23 PM
CASINO DRIVE TRAINING AT BELMONT PARK
Nancy Rokos photo
Convincing Peter Pan Stakes (G2) winner Casino Drive is schedule to breeze at Belmont Park on Wednesday, when his connections also expect to name a rider for the Mineshaft colt’s planned start in the Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 7.
“We really appreciate how many good jockeys are interested in our horse,” said Nobutaka Tada, racing manager for owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto. “We need the right rider for the Belmont Stakes, whether it be Japanese, American, or European.”
A half brother to 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches and ’06 winner Jazil, Kentucky-bred Casino Drive was purchased for $950,000 at the 2006 Keneland September yearling sale and won his career debut in Japan by 11 1/2 lengths on February 23.
Casino Drive was shipped from Japan to the United States specifically to be prepared for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes and made his North American debut a memorable one with a 5 3/4-length romp in the Peter Pan on May 10 at Belmont Park.
Kent Desormeaux, the regular rider for Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Big Brown, rode Casino Drive in the Peter Pan, which forced Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa to begin looking for another rider for the Belmont.
Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) winner Tale of Ekati is slated to breeze Monday at Belmont for trainer Barclay Tagg, who won the Derby and Preakness in 2003 with Funny Cide before losing the Triple Crown bid with a third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes.
Tale of Ekati enters off a fourth-place finish behind Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby. The Tale of the Cat colt drilled four furlongs in :46.84 handily on May 20 at Belmont.
“He’s bred well enough to handle the distance,” said Tagg of Tale of Ekati, who is out of the Sunday Silence mare Silence Beauty (Jpn). “He’s a pretty nice horse. He’s swift, he’s tenacious, he’s got a lot of courage, and he keeps on trying. If that’s not a Belmont horse, I don’t know what is.”
Peruvian dual classic winner Tomcito underwent a myectomy to treat a breathing problem after he finished seventh in the Peter Pan Stakes. Trained by Dante Zanelli for owner Jet Set Racing Stable, the Street Cry (Ire) colt is still under consideration for the Belmont Stakes.
“So far he’s doing okay,” said Zanelli. “He galloped a mile-and-three-quarters [Sunday] morning, went well, finished well. We need to see him continue to move forward.”
Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Denis of Cork is expected to breeze on Monday after the renovation break at Churchill Downs for trainer David Carroll.
Robby Albarado, who will ride Denis of Cork in the Belmont Stakes, will be aboard for the workout.
Denis of Cork won the Southwest Stakes (G3) on February 18 at Oaklawn Park and subsequently finished fifth in the Illinois Derby (G2) on April 5 at Hawthorne Race Course in his final prep race for the Kentucky Derby.
