War Pass trying to follow in Street Sense’s footsteps

So far, the road to the Kentucky Derby has been a smooth one for War Pass.

The 2007 juvenile champion hasn’t been beaten, or even headed, in five career starts, including his 3-year-old debut last month in a Gulfstream Park allowance that amounted to a one-mile public workout.

Trained by Hall of Famer Nick Zito for Robert LaPenta, War Pass figures to be the heavy favorite against six rivals in today’s

Grade III $300,000 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs. It is the same race where 2007 Derby winner Street Sense launched his sophomore season.

“I’m a big fan of Street Sense. He broke the Juvenile jinx,” LaPenta said in a national teleconference this week. Street Sense became the first horse ever to sweep the Derby and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, a race War Pass dominated in the Monmouth Park slop last fall.

“War Pass had a pretty aggressive 2-year-old campaign. Really, what we were looking to do was just rest him and slowly bring him back and condition him up to, hopefully, a mile and a quarter.

“He really had a workout last time at Gulfstream, and I think this one will be a little bit more of a race for him. It’ll be a mile and a sixteenth over a new track. We’re just looking for him to continue to move forward.”

War Pass broke his maiden and came back to beat winners for the first time last summer at Saratoga Race Course, both at six furlongs. He stepped up to win the Grade I Champagne at a mile in October off a five-week layoff, then came back 21 days later to win the Juvenile.

Already, he has beaten Risen Star and Louisiana Derby winner Pyro, at this point considered his primary Derby rival, all three times they’ve met, including their career debut last July 28.

“I think the main contender we have right now is Pyro,” LaPenta said. “Watching all the 3-year-old prep races, I’ve got to say he’s a horse that you’ve got to be concerned about. He certainly seems to be able to handle the distance, and he keeps progressing.”

One of the few unanswered questions with War Pass is whether he can get the Derby’s 10 furlongs, but LaPenta is convinced he can.

“I’ve got to tell you, only time will tell and I’m knocking on wood as I talk to you, but I think War Pass is a really special animal, and he’s going to surprise a lot of people with his stamina,” he said.

Having considered several options, Team War Pass settled on Tampa Bay because of both its

location and its recent track

record with horses like Street Sense, Any Given Saturday and Bluegrass Cat. Next on the agenda will be the Grade I Wood Memorial April 5 at Aqueduct.

“We wanted to go to Tampa because he’s in Florida, and we didn’t want to travel too much,” LaPenta said. “We just figured it was a nice steppingstone for us. There was no option at Gulfstream, and Tampa is a track I like. I’ve always had success there. If we’re fortunate enough to go back to New York

after that with him undefeated, it’d be a perfect prep for the big day.”

War Pass will break from post three today under jockey Cornelio Velasquez as the only graded-stakes winner in the field. Also entered for his 2008 debut is Atoned, who ran second to Court Vision after a troubled trip in the Grade II Remsen last fall.

New York-bred Big Truck, second to War Pass stablemate Fierce Wind in Tampa’s Sam F. Davis

Feb. 16, returns for trainer Barclay Tagg. Since winning the Bertram Bongard for state-breds last fall, Big Truck was fourth in the Remsen and fifth in the Grade II Hutcheson.

The Tampa Bay Derby is race 12 on the card with an approximate post time of 5:50 p.m. It will be broadcast live on the TVG Network.

“He certainly does not like

horses next to him or in front of him,” LaPenta said. “What happens when that occurs is a question mark. A lot of people said they’re going to go up and challenge him, and do this and that. He’s a horse that’s a very special talent. For another horse to be able to stay with him for any length of time at that kind of pace, it’ll be something where we’ll have to see what happens.”

ON TAP

In addition to Tampa Bay, three other Derby preps will be run this weekend, two of them today: the Grade II $300,000 Rebel at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., and the Grade II $200,000 San Felipe at Santa Anita. Both races will go 11⁄16 miles.

On Sunday, Sunland Park in New Mexico hosts the ungraded $600,000 WinStar Derby at nine furlongs.

Graded stakes winners Z Fortune and Anak Nakal headline the Rebel. Z Fortune ran second to Steve Asmussen-trained stablemate Pyro in the Risen Star, his only loss in four starts that includes a win in the Grade III Lecomte. Anak Nakal, also from Zito, won the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club last fall, but was a disappointing eighth in the Fountain of Youth last month.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will send out impressive allowance winner Stone Bird, a homebred of Saratoga socialite Marylou Whitney. Stone Bird is by Derby winner Grindstone out of the mare Bird Cage, who was a half-sister to Travers and Belmont winner Birdstone.

Bob Black Jack, who set a six-furlong world record (1:06.53) in winning the Sunshine Millions Dash Jan. 6 at Santa Anita, looks to stretch his speed in the San

Felipe against Grade I winner Georgie Boy. French-bred Shediak is making his debut for new trainer Doug O’Neill, and upset San Pedro winner Gayego figures to contend.

Ten horses were entered for Sunday’s WinStar Derby, two from Asmussen: Borderland Stakes winner Poni Colada and Ablaze With Spirit. Liberty Bull beat Poni

Colada in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn before running third in the Grade III Southwest.

BACK ON TRACK

Rags to Riches, who last summer became the first filly in 102 years to win the Belmont Stakes, had her first timed breeze this week for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Champion 3-year-old filly of 2007, Rags to Riches went three furlongs in :38.40 at Palm Beach Downs, the fastest of seven works at the distance.

Owned by Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Rags to Riches missed four months recovering from a fractured right front pastern following her runner-up finish to Lear’s Princess in the

Grade I Gazelle last fall. She won four consecutive Grade I races last year, including the Kentucky Oaks.

WEEKEND STAKES

Meet-leading trainer Gary Contessa will saddle half of the six

3-year-old fillies in today’s Grade III $100,000 Cicada at Aqueduct.

Contessa sends out Ruthless winner Dill or No Dill and the Dennis Narlinger-owned duo of Ready for Fortune and True Intentions. Dill or No Dill won at the Cicada’s six furlongs in her sophomore debut.

In addition to its derby, Tampa Bay Downs serves up a pair of Grade III $175,000 filly stakes: the Hillsborough for older females on turf, and the 11⁄16-mile Florida Oaks for sophomores.

Dreaming of Anna, the 2006

juvenile filly champion, and fellow Grade I winner Lear’s Princess, who ran 1-2 in the Grade III Endeavor last month, hook up again in the Hillsborough

Multiple Grade III winner

Elusive Lady, eased after a troubled trip in her last start, returns in the Florida Oaks as the only graded winner in the field of seven. She shares 122-pound topweight with Calico Bay.

Eight older horses were entered for the Grade III $100,000 Skip Away today at Gulfstream Park, led by graded-stakes winners Hunting and Gottcha Gold. Also in is Dr. Pleasure, whose lone victory in 13 career tries came at Saratoga.

In northern California today, Tribesman puts his five-race win streak on the line in the Grade III $100,000 Bay Meadows Sprint at six furlongs. Tribesman upset Grade I winner Idiot Proof to win the Grade I Phoenix Gold Cup last time out. Vicarino, who broke the five-furlong track record in his previous start for trainer Greg Gilchrist, will challenge.

A dozen older horses will contest the Grade II $150,000 Mac Diarmida, an 11-furlong turf marathon Sunday at Gulfstream, including Presious Passion and Stream of Gold, 1-2 in the Grade III McKnight Handicap, and Silver Whistle, runner-up in the Grade I Sword Dancer at Saratoga in 2006.

AROUND THE TRACKS

u Aqueduct will be dark for live racing and simulcasting this Sunday and next in observance of Palm Sunday and Easter.

u NYTHA and the Jockeys’ Guild agreed to a new scale of mount fees for riders at NYRA tracks beginning April 2. Fees for finishing below third on races with a purse of $99,999 or less will be $100, the first increase in more than 15 years. Mount fees on races above $99,999 remain at $105.