Nicanor, a full brother to ill-fated 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Barbaro, is steadily progressing toward his career debut.

On December 28 at Palm Meadows Training Center, Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s homebred three-year-old Dynaformer colt drilled three furlongs from the starting gate in :36.50 handily for trainer Michael Matz. The workout ranked second of 15 timed moves at the distance.

“He hadn’t broken from the gate in a while,” Matz said. “He is quite good at the gate and he’s doing fine. If everything continues to go well he should be starting at the end of the month.”

Nicanor has been breezing steadily since November. Out of multiple graded stakes-placed winner La Ville Rouge, by Carson City, the bay colt has developed a strong following before even making his first start. Many of the same devoted fans who followed every update on Barbaro’s battle for survival after he broke down in the 2006 Preakness Stakes (G1) have actively followed the progress of Nicanor and his two-year-old full brother, Lentenor.

Matz said he sees some similarities between Nicanor and Barbaro, who never lost a race he finished and won graded stakes on turf and dirt.

“They both have individual characteristics at this point,” he said. “They are two different types of horses. Nicanor does look like he could do well on any surface we want to run on. That’s similar. He’s looking like a competitive horse, but he obviously has some big shoes to fill. We will just keep taking it in stride.”

Barbaro won his first three starts on turf by a combined 20 1/4 lengths, including a romp in the Laurel Futurity and a visually impressive Tropical Park Derby (G3) score. His talent transferred to the main track as Barbaro reeled off victories in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park prior to the 2006 Kentucky Derby.

Barbaro accelerated effortlessly clear in the Derby and drew off to a 6 1/2-length romp, the largest margin of victory in 60 years. He shattered his right hind leg at the start of the Preakness Stakes (G1) two weeks later.

Barbaro’s fight for survival in the days, weeks, and months following a grueling six-hour operation to stabalize the limb led by Dean Richardson, D.V.M., chief surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary school, turned him into a national icon.

Barbaro subsequently developed acute laminitis in his left hind foot in July 2006. He recovered sufficiently to graze outside and go for daily walks that fall, but his hoof wall separated from his laminitic hind hoof on January 9, 2007, and within three weeks he began to shows signs of laminitis in both of front feet. Without a healthy foot on which to stand, Barbaro was euthanized on January 29 at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.