Superunknown
04-08-01, 07:52 PM
I watched the replay of the race on Santa Anita's website. I was very impressed with Point Given's performance. He put the field away with ease and showed excellent speed. He earned his status as the Kentucky Derby favorite, that's for sure.
It's going to be a very interesting Derby next month. :)
http://www.drf2000.com/home/headline/headline.html
Point Given blows them away
By Jay Privman
ARCADIA, Calif. - Point Given, leaving no doubt as to his position among the nation's 3-year-olds, overpowered five rivals in Saturday's $750,000 Santa Anita Derby and now heads to Louisville as the favorite for next month's Kentucky Derby.
Point Given could not have been any more impressive. He showed unusual speed leaving the gate to get early position, engaged pacesetter Crafty C.T. midway down the backstretch, then drew off with his long, powerful strides to cruise to a 5 1/2-length victory over Crafty C.T. It was another three lengths back to I Love Silver in third.
Palmeiro was fourth, followed by Cherokee Kim and Scorpion, whose last-place finish continued a disastrous spring for his trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. Scorpion returned with a nasty gash on his right front hoof.
Early Flyer and Startac were scratched, the latter because the track was off. The trainers of both colts said they would run in Saturday's $200,000 California Derby at Bay Meadows.
The track was rated wet-fast after an inch of rain fell here Friday night and Saturday morning. The track was sealed Saturday morning, and workouts were not permitted. Point Given covered 1 1/8 miles in an excellent 1:47.77. This was the first time the Santa Anita Derby ad been run on an off track since 1957.
Point Given, the 7-10 favorite, paid $3.40 to win, and he completed a national pick three that began with Distilled in the Illinois Derby and Percy Hope in the Lone Star Derby. It paid $28.60 for $1.
Point Given, a colt by Thunder Gulch out of the Turkoman mare Turko's Turn, has now won five times in eight starts for his owner and breeder, Prince Ahmed Salman's The Thoroughbred Corporation. Point Given finished second in each of his three losses. Saturday's winning purse of $450,000 brought his total earnings to $1,218,500.
Both Bob Baffert, the trainer of Point Given, and jockey Gary Stevens scored record-equaling victories in the race. Baffert won the Santa Anita Derby for the fourth time, tying Lukas; Baffert has had eight starters in the race to Lukas's 30. Stevens won the race for the eighth time, tying him with Bill Shoemaker.
"That's pretty select company, and quite an honor," Stevens said.
Point Given broke sharply from the inside post and went with Crafty C.T. for the first furlong. Stevens then let Crafty C.T. go, and switched Point Given to the outside, where he stalked Crafty C.T. until midway down the backstretch. "I just had to pull the trigger when it was time," Stevens said.
Point Given cruised to the lead on the turn, then kicked clear once Stevens tapped him on the shoulder at the top of the stretch. Stevens said Point Given was ready for the next step.
"The last time I felt this confident was in 1988 with Winning Colors," Stevens said, referring to his first Kentucky Derby victory. "She's the only [Santa Anita] Derby winner I've ridden that won with the comfort level that this colt did today."
Baffert said Point Given would be flown to Kentucky on April 18.
It's going to be a very interesting Derby next month. :)
http://www.drf2000.com/home/headline/headline.html
Point Given blows them away
By Jay Privman
ARCADIA, Calif. - Point Given, leaving no doubt as to his position among the nation's 3-year-olds, overpowered five rivals in Saturday's $750,000 Santa Anita Derby and now heads to Louisville as the favorite for next month's Kentucky Derby.
Point Given could not have been any more impressive. He showed unusual speed leaving the gate to get early position, engaged pacesetter Crafty C.T. midway down the backstretch, then drew off with his long, powerful strides to cruise to a 5 1/2-length victory over Crafty C.T. It was another three lengths back to I Love Silver in third.
Palmeiro was fourth, followed by Cherokee Kim and Scorpion, whose last-place finish continued a disastrous spring for his trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. Scorpion returned with a nasty gash on his right front hoof.
Early Flyer and Startac were scratched, the latter because the track was off. The trainers of both colts said they would run in Saturday's $200,000 California Derby at Bay Meadows.
The track was rated wet-fast after an inch of rain fell here Friday night and Saturday morning. The track was sealed Saturday morning, and workouts were not permitted. Point Given covered 1 1/8 miles in an excellent 1:47.77. This was the first time the Santa Anita Derby ad been run on an off track since 1957.
Point Given, the 7-10 favorite, paid $3.40 to win, and he completed a national pick three that began with Distilled in the Illinois Derby and Percy Hope in the Lone Star Derby. It paid $28.60 for $1.
Point Given, a colt by Thunder Gulch out of the Turkoman mare Turko's Turn, has now won five times in eight starts for his owner and breeder, Prince Ahmed Salman's The Thoroughbred Corporation. Point Given finished second in each of his three losses. Saturday's winning purse of $450,000 brought his total earnings to $1,218,500.
Both Bob Baffert, the trainer of Point Given, and jockey Gary Stevens scored record-equaling victories in the race. Baffert won the Santa Anita Derby for the fourth time, tying Lukas; Baffert has had eight starters in the race to Lukas's 30. Stevens won the race for the eighth time, tying him with Bill Shoemaker.
"That's pretty select company, and quite an honor," Stevens said.
Point Given broke sharply from the inside post and went with Crafty C.T. for the first furlong. Stevens then let Crafty C.T. go, and switched Point Given to the outside, where he stalked Crafty C.T. until midway down the backstretch. "I just had to pull the trigger when it was time," Stevens said.
Point Given cruised to the lead on the turn, then kicked clear once Stevens tapped him on the shoulder at the top of the stretch. Stevens said Point Given was ready for the next step.
"The last time I felt this confident was in 1988 with Winning Colors," Stevens said, referring to his first Kentucky Derby victory. "She's the only [Santa Anita] Derby winner I've ridden that won with the comfort level that this colt did today."
Baffert said Point Given would be flown to Kentucky on April 18.