Six-Time Stakes Winner Lawyer Ron Sent to Pletcher

Lawyer Ron, who finished second in the Super Derby (gr. II) in his last start, has been taken away from trainer Bob Holthus and turned over to Todd Pletcher, Holthus said Friday.An interest in the son of Langfuhr was sold by the Estate of James T. Hines Jr. to Stonewall Farms Racing Div. 1, just prior to the Kentucky Derby Presented byYum! Brands (gr. I). Stonewall Stallions, located near Versailles, Ky. is owned by Audrey and Richard Haisfield.
The move did not come as a shock to Holthus, who said right after the sale that it wouldn't surprise him if the new owners took the horse away from him. But as time went on, he began feeling more secure that he would keep the horse.
"It's happened to other trainers who worked for (the Haisfields), but that's the life of a horse trainer," Holthus said. "Ron Bamberger (executor of the Hines' estate) called me at 11 o'clock (Thursday morning) and told me they had decided to give the horse to Pletcher, and a van would be by to pick him up. Ten minutes later, the van arrived and took him away.
"It was tough, because I picked him out of a field of yearlings when he was 16 months old, and I broke him. He won six stakes with us and is the fifth leading money winner in the United States. You don't think about losing a horse you did that well with. All I can do now is I hope to find another one like him."
Lawyer Ron has won eight of 16 starts for earnings of $1,370,008. Among his victories were the Arkansas Derby (gr. II) and Rebel and Risen Star Stakes (both grade III).
The colt's breeder, James T., Hines Jr., drowned in his home swimming pool just days before Lawyer Ron won the Southwest Stakes. On May 4, it was announced that an interest had been sold to the Haisfields.

ESPN to Have Coverage of Breeders' Cup Prep Races

With the 2006 Breeders' Cup World Championships five weeks away, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association will launch the "Emirates Airline Countdown to the Breeders' Cup" series this Saturday on ESPN. Scheduled for three consecutive Saturdays, the shows will present key prep races to sort out the contenders from the pretenders for racing's championship day.
Scheduled for Saturday is live coverage of the grade I, $250,000 Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship and the grade I, $400,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes, both from Oak Tree at Santa Anita; the grade II, $250,000 Kelso Breeders' Cup Handicap from Belmont Park; and the grade II, $350,000 Kentucky Cup Classic from Turfway.
In addition to coverage of the races, Saturday's show will also present a preview of several internationally-based horses expected to compete in the Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.
Sept. 30, 4-6 p.m. ET, ESPN:
Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship (gr. IT)--the Richard Mandella-trained The Tin Man, winner of last month's Arlington Million (gr. IT), heads a likely six-horse field that also includes T. H. Approval, who is coming off wins in the Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT) and Sunset Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT). The Tin Man is currently fourth in the John Deere Turf (gr. IT) Division of the Breeders' Cup World Championships Poll. Artiste Royal, who was second in the Del Mar Handicap, also will run, as will Don Incauto, Fantastic Spain, and Quinquin the King. The 1 1/4-mile race for horses three years old and up is part of the John Deere Turf Division.
Yellow Ribbon Stakes (gr. IT)--The Todd Pletcher-trained Wait a While, the country's premier 3-year-old turf filly who is currently third in the Emirates Airline Filly and Mare Turf Division of the Breeders' Cup World Championship Poll, heads back to Southern California where she won the grade I American Oaks in July. Wait a While is on a three-race win streak, having triumphed in the Lake Placid Stakes (gr. IIT) at Saratoga, following the American Oaks (gr. I) and the Sands Point Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont prior to the race at Hollywood Park. Set to challenge Wait a While is Dancing Edie, who won the grade I John C. Mabee Handicap at Del Mar in July. Rounding out the field are Bond Deal, Candy Factory, Life Live, Memorette, Singalong, and Three Degrees. The 1 1/4-mile contest for fillies and mares three years old and up is part of the Emirates Airline Filly and Mare Turf division.
Kelso Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT)--Ashkal Way, who has won four of five starts in the U.S., including the Bernard Baruch Handicap (gr. II) at Saratoga, squares off with Meteor Storm, who has not raced since last December when he won the W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT) at Calder. Other possible competitors include Art Master, Baron Von Tap, Drum Major, Free Thinking, Old Fortune, T.D. Vance, and Friendly Island. The one-mile turf contest is part of the NetJets Mile division.
Kentucky Cup Classic--Perfect Drift, preparing for an unprecedented fifth run in the Breeders' Cup Classic – Powered by Dodge (gr. I), seeks his first win of the year following a fourth-place effort in last month's Pacific Classic (gr. I). Challenging Perfect Drift will be Premium Tap, winner last time out at odds of 31-1 of the grade I Woodward Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga; and Good Reward, who followed a second-place finish behind Lava Man in the Pacific Classic with a fifth-place effort in the Brooklyn Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIT). Other starters should include Gouldings Green, Greeley's Galaxy, and It's No Joke.
Hosting from Oak Tree at Santa Anita will be Kenny Mayne, joined by analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss and reporter Jeannine Edwards. Reporting from Belmont Park will be Joe Tessitore and Hank Goldberg. On hand at Turfway Park will be Kenny Rice and Quint Kessenich.

Top pair consider Breeders' Cup Classic

Strong Contender ran perhaps the best race of his career last Saturday in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, giving his connections a reason to consider a start in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.
And that is what they are doing right now, thinking about it, John Ward Jr., who trains Strong Contender for John Oxley, said Tuesday.

"We have had our performance and we're like the guy on the golf tournament that is in the clubhouse with his good score and he's kind of watching everybody else come home," he said. "And that's what we're kind of doing. We're watching closely. We'll just kind of see what happens."
Strong Contender earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 107 for his win in the Super Derby, the second-highest number of his career behind a 109 for his Grade 2 Dwyer win at Belmont Park. Ward was impressed with Strong Contender's stretch run on Saturday, when in the final sixteenth he rallied for a one-length win over Lawyer Ron.
Ward noted that Strong Contender ran head to head with Costa Rising, put him away, and finally looked up and tuned in on Lawyer Ron. "And when he did," Ward said, "he immediately accelerated to that horse. That seven strides he put in to get to the other horse, I thought was very brilliant."
Strong Contender flew to Kentucky on Sunday, and was scheduled to van from Lexington back to his Belmont base on Tuesday night.
According to Ward, the list of Breeder's Cup horses running well at Churchill Downs after training at Belmont "is pretty significant."
Plans pending for Lawyer RonLawyer Ron flew back to Churchill on Sunday. Trainer Bob Holthus said plans for the colt are still being determined, with a start in the Breeders' Cup not being ruled out as of Monday.

"I would say right now, we're not going to make any decisions for a couple of weeks," Holthus said. "We'll just play it by ear. We haven't picked out a next race for him yet."
Lawyer Ron earned the second-best Beyer of his career, a 105, for his Super Derby. He broke sharply and was between rivals going into the first turn. He darted to the lead soon afterward, running the opening six furlongs in 1:10.85, and the mile in 1:35.51.
"He was just too rank the first part of it," said Holthus. "He just didn't want to relax. He's done that a time or two before."
Lawyer Ron's best Beyer, a 106, came in the Grade 3 Risen Star in January.

Discreet Cat vs. Bernardini unlikely to happen

BELMONT, N.Y. - The ease and brilliance Discreet Cat displayed winning his comeback race last month at Saratoga had racing fans looking forward to the undefeated 3-year-old facing top-quality competition in the fall.

That anticipation turned to disappointment when Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin Racing, which owns Discreet Cat, laid out a fall campaign that didn't include the Breeders' Cup Classic, but does include Sunday's Grade 2, $150,000 Jerome Handicap at Belmont Park.
Despite being assigned 124 pounds for the Jerome, Discreet Cat will likely roll to a victory, making him 5 for 5 in his career and raising the volume for Discreet Cat to face Preakness and Travers winner Bernardini and the best older horses in training in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.
Since Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stable owns Bernardini, a Discreet Cat-Bernardini meeting is unlikely to happen. Provided Bernardini makes it to the Classic, Discreet Cat will likely target the Grade 1 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 25.

Rick Mettee, who runs Godolphin's New York operation, said this was not the original plan, but it is the right plan. Discreet Cat, who won the UAE Derby by seven lengths in March - beating subsequent three-time U.S. Grade 1 winner Invasor - was being targeted for some of this country's biggest 3-year-old races in the summer before getting sick in June.
"His getting sick screwed up everything," Mettee said. "He would have gone Dwyer, he would have run in a couple of those big summertime races. We would have had a completely different agenda. You might have even seen him in against older horses in one of those races. We have to do the right thing now by him. It might not be a popular thing, but the right move for him right now is the Jerome Oct. 1. That is the right move regardless of where we go the next race."
On Aug. 25, five months after the UAE Derby, Discreet Cat won a third-level allowance race by 11 lengths at Saratoga. He ran seven furlongs in 1:21.53 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 112.
"I don't think I ever saw a horse win at seven-eighths quite that easy," Mettee said. "It was a solid three-other-than. Nobody really stepped up and ran a big race, but on paper it didn't look like that bad a race. It certainly was a lot tougher than his comeback race in Dubai. That would have been like an a-other-than at Philly Park. I thought he might get a little [tired] in the race so, yes, I was a little taken aback by it."
On Monday, Discreet Cat completed preparations for Saturday's Jerome by working five furlongs in 59.67 seconds over Belmont Park's main track. It was the fastest of 25 moves at the distance. Under regular rider Garrett Gomez, Discreet Cat went his first three furlongs in 36 seconds, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.40.

"They have to work a little harder to get through this track, so probably just from training down here he's probably a little fitter horse," Mettee said. "They always seem to blow harder over this track."
Discreet Cat will likely have three or four rivals in the Jerome. Noonmark, runner-up in the Swale, is confirmed. Trainer Pat Reynolds said he may run Valid Notebook, who won a second-level allowance race going a mile here on Sept. 9. Brilliant Son is also possible, according to trainer Chuck Simon. Nick Zito or Richard Dutrow Jr. could each provide a runner as well.

Fairplex sets handle record

Fairplex Park registered handle records for the second consecutive year when its 16-day meet concluded on September 24. Total handle increased 2% to $113,854,950 for a daily average of $7.11-million.
Jeff Mullins won the training title with 17 wins from 43 starters, while Martin Pedroza won the jockey title for the eighth year in a row with 27 winners from 122 mounts.

Strong Contender finishes fast in Super Derby

Strong Contender might have given his connections a reason to consider a start in the Breeders' Cup Classic after he overtook favorite Lawyer Ron and went on to a one-length win in the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Saturday.
It was another 6 1/2 lengths back in third to Louisborg.
The Super Derby is the richest race of the meet and was one of five stakes on a card worth more than $1 million. Robby Albarado rode Strong Contender, and also captured three other stakes: the $200,000 Louisiana Downs Breeders' Cup, the $75,000 Donnie Wilhite Memorial, and the $100,000 Juvenile.
Strong Contender ($7.60) broke last in the field of seven 3-year-olds, and moved into contention in the first turn. He tracked the pace set by Lawyer Ron, who broke well and overtook early leader His Eyes in the first turn. Strong Contender settled in fourth, as Lawyer Ron ran the opening half-mile of the 1 1/8-mile race in 46.77 seconds and six furlongs in 1:10.80.
Strong Contender began his bid on the final turn, entered the stretch three wide, came to Lawyer Ron inside the final furlong, and went on, covering the distance over a track rated fast in 1:48.60.
Strong Contender races for owner John Oxley and trainer John Ward Jr. He earned $300,000 for his fourth win in seven career starts, boosting his bankroll to $621,000.
Point Determined, the 5-2 second choice, never reached contention and finished last of seven.
The Breeders' Cup Classic will be run at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.
- Kingship ($3.80), trained by Ronny Werner, powered to a 3 3/4-length victory over Electric Chant in the Wilhite, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds. It was the second stakes win for Kingship, who earlier this year won the Grade 3 Arlington Classic.
- Birdbirdistheword ($14.20) made a sweeping move to the lead into the stretch and held off the charge of Going Ballistic to win the $100,000 Juvenile by a half-length. The 1 1/16-mile turf race was the first stakes on the card. Birdbirdistheword, trained by Ken McPeek, covered the distance in 1:42.93.
- Brownie Points ($14.20) surged through the stretch for a one-length win over Aly's Vow in the $200,000 Marie P. DeBartolo Oaks. It was another neck back in third to favorite Charming N Lovable. Brownie Points stalked the pace in fourth and rallied from along the inside for the win. Luis Quinonez rode the winner for trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

E Z Warrior to skip Champagne, Breeders' Cup

Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (G3) winner E Z Warrior will bypass the Champagne Stakes (G1) on October 14 at Belmont Park and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) on November 4 at Churchill Downs. The Exploit colt has not worked since he developed a sore shin in late July at Del Mar, which forced him to miss the Best Pal Stakes (G2) on August 13.
"He's galloping right now, he's going to be breezing soon, and we were trying to see if we could make the Champagne, but I didn't want to rush him," said Bob Baffert, who trains the Exploit colt for Ahmed Zayat's Zayat Stables. "Mr. Zayat said to just to take care of him and be patient."
Baffert mentioned the December 16 Hollywood Futurity (G1) as a possible objective for E Z Warrior, who won his debut by 1 3/4 lengths on June 18 at Hollywood Park and the Hollywood Juvenile Championship by 2 3/4 lengths on July 4.
Zayat will instead turn to Got the Last Laugh for the Champagne, said Sobhy Sonbol, the vice president of Zayat Stables.
Got the Last Laugh finished in a dead-heat for first with Officer Rocket (GB) in the Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Futurity (G3) on September 10 for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Zayat and Baffert plan to run maiden winner Malt Magic in the Norfolk Breeders' Cup Stakes (G2) on October 8 at Santa Anita Park.
The Cherokee Run colt scored a 9 1/2-length victory in a one-mile maiden event on September 4 at Del Mar in his third career start.
Trainer Chris Paasch confirmed on Tuesday that Best Pal winner Principle Secret would start in the Norfolk rather than the Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (G1) on October 7 at Keeneland Race Course.
In other Breeders' Cup-related news, Baffert said Grade 2 winner Too Much Bling would train up to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
The three-year-old Rubiano colt has not raced since his victory in the Carry Back Stakes (G2) on July 15 at Calder Race Course. He worked five furlongs in :57 out of the gate at Santa Anita Park on September 20.
"I was going to run him [at Santa Anita], but he runs so hard and puts so much into his races that I think he'll be better off going into the Breeders' Cup fresh," Baffert said. "He worked really nice the other day