Dynamoor was three wide into the first turn before settling into his stride on the backstretch, the colt launched his bid around the far turn and wore down frontrunning The Great McGee to post a measured 1/2-length victory, covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.12, posting a respectable 87 Beyer rating.

Expectations are high for Desert Key as he enters his five-year-old season. The son of E Dubai made just two starts in 2009 after suffering an injury in the G2-True North Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day, but he has shown the ability to compete against the best sprinters in the country, finishing second in the G2-Amsterdam Stakes and G1-King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga during his three-year-old season.

Desert Key has recorded three workouts since getting back to trainer Jimmy Jerkens and is expected to return against allowance company in the near future.

Another very promising runner is Dynamoor, a half-brother to Grade I winner Honor in War that finished second by a head in his career debut on the Aqueduct turf in late October, earning an 84 Beyer rating. Dynamoor is bred to improve with experience and he should be a leading contender in his next race against maiden special weight company going long on the turf. There are races for him in the current condition book in mid-January.

Current two-year-old horses that could develop into contenders on the Triple Crown trail include: Royal Straight, a son of Smarty Jones out of the graded-stakes winning and producing Megan’s Bluff; Highveldt Storm, a Johannesburg colt that was beaten just four-lengths in his turf debut last out when facing a top field in New York; and Devon Rock, a son of the hot first-crop sire Rock Hard Ten that is the spitting image of his sire and has shown great promise at the farm.

Stylish Mon will try to improve on his average form to date and could possibly see action at Calder before the Gulfstream season begins.

By the time Gulfstream opens, Jerkens will also have Convocation back in the barn. The Pulpit colt has been sidelined since getting injured in the G2-Jim Dandy Stakes, but he has shown serious ability in his starts, breaking his maiden as the easiest of winners on Belmont Day before finishing second in the G2-Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park.

This colt is a son of Grade I winner Empire Maker, winner of the Belmont Stakes and currently one of the top young sires in Kentucky.

The dam, Penny’s Gold, was a graded stakes winner at three in France and a multiple graded stakes winner in the US, capturing the G3-Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland and G3-Ballston Spa Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Saratoga to establish herself as one of the top middle distance turf mares of her generation.

This colt has a deep Overbrook farm family that will be very attractive to breeders if this colt is successful on the racetrack. He represents a rare opportunity to purchase some of the most protected bloodlines in Kentucky. Overbrook Farm raced and stood at stud the legendary Storm Cat.

Hip 715: Elusive Quality – Indigene, by Deputy Minister ($230,000)

This colt is by one of the most respected sires in the world, Elusive Quality. At stud, Elusive Quality is best known as the producer of dual-classic winner Smarty Jones and 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass. He is a stallion with true worldwide appeal that currently stands at Darley in Kentucky for $75,000.

The female family of this colt is one of the most respected in the stud book, tracing back through generations of closely-guarded King Ranch lineage. The dam of this colt, Indigene, is a full-sister to multiple-graded stakes winning Atelier, who was one of the top distaffers of her era for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Atelier, is out of a graded-stakes winning full-sister to the legendary Althea, the champion two-year-old filly of 1993 that was sent to the post as the favorite in the 1994 Kentucky Derby after beating colts during her two-year-old campaign and in the Arkansas Derby as a three-year-old.

Althea’s dam, Courtly Dee, was named Broodmare of the year in 1983 and she is regarded as one of the true foundation mares of thoroughbred racing, producing 15 winners in the breeding shed, including eight stakes winners.

This is a deep, respected female family that is rarely available to be purchased at public auction. King Ranch is one of the oldest and most cherished stables in the history of North American racing and this female family combined with leading sire Elusive Quality is a tremendous mating that is sure to be popular with breeders throughout the world if this horse is successful on the racetrack.

Hip 758: Sky Mesa – Mettle, by Silver Deputy ($260,000)

This colt was bred by Gary Knapp’s Monticule Farm, a midsized breeding establishment in Kentucky. Despite having a broodmare band of just 19 mares, Monticule graduates show higher percentage of stakes-winners and grade-one stakes winners than 98% of all yearling consigners in North America. Monticule’s breeding program is highly respected throughout the world for quality over quantity and intelligent matings that produce athletic and well conformed horses. They bred and raised 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown among other top horses.

Our new colt is a son of Sky Mesa, winner of the Grade I Hopeful Stakes on the racetrack and currently a very respected sire in Kentucky. Sky Mesa is also a son of Pulpit, currently the hottest sire-of-sires in Kentucky through his sons Tapit and Corinthian. Pulpit looks to be the heir-apparent to his sire A.P. Indy and this line is expected to continue to gain prominence in the future.

The dam of this colt, Mettle, was a winner on the racetrack and has already produced two winners as a broodmare. Worth noting about Mettle is that her full-brother, Atago Taisho, was a high-level racehorse in Japan, earning over $1,960,000 on the racetrack.

This colt also has a full-brother named Brady Blue Eyes that finished second in his career debut on September 9, 2008 at Del Mar against maiden special weight company. In addition, Mettle was bred back to Sky Mesa this season, so the breeder obviously believes in this mating, as the expected foal of 2010 will be the third horse bred on this exact cross.

This a deep female family and both the third and fourth dams have proven to be successful producers of horses that are now standing stud throughout the world. This young pedigree is expected to continue to grow throughout the coming years.

“This colt has a beautiful stride and he has shown great promise in the mornings,” said Don Little, Jr. “Jimmy Jerkens and Dr. Carr report he worked well on Wednesday morning and we are excited to get his career started.”

The competition will be tough. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas saddles a $1,200,000 half-brother to 2001 Horse of the Year Point Given named Lambeau Legend; while Bobby Frankel’s barn sends out a half-brother to 2004 HOY Ghostzapper named City Wolf.

The second dam is the legendary Meisque, a titan of the turf that was five-times a champion in both France and the United States. Miesque was also the first horse to win two Breeders' Cup races, scoring in consecutive renewals of the BC Mile over colts.

"This is a true stallion's pedigree and we are delighted to add such a classy colt to the stable," said Don Little, Jr. "We look forward to seeing him make it to the races with trainer Jimmy Jerkens."

The three previous Centennial starters in the Jim Dandy have all done well. Colonial Affair followed up his victory in the 1993 Belmont Stakes with a third-place finish in the Jim Dandy. Deputy Diamond almost added to the Saratoga lore of major longshots in 1998 when he was second by a nose at 10-1 odds behind reigning Horse of the Year Favorite Trick. And in 2005, Reverberate finished second behind eventual Travers winner Flower Alley in the traditional summer prep for the midsummer Derby.

“The Jim Dandy is one of the few major graded stakes races in New York we have not won over the 27 year history of our stable,” said Centennial President Don Little, Jr. “Another is the Travers, and we are hoping Convocation can check both those boxes for us this season.”

Convocation, a son of Pulpit out of a half-sister to Champion Juvenile Filly Tempera, broke his maiden impressively on Belmont Stakes Day and followed that up with a second-place finish in the Grade II Dwyer Stakes last month at Belmont Park.

One of the most exciting parts of Saratoga is the maiden races. One never knows what future star they might see begin on the road to greatness, and Centennial has five horses that could make career debuts during the meeting.

Stylish Mon, a three-year-old by Maria’s Mon, has been training forwardly and he should see action during the first two weeks of the season. Around the same time, Highveldt Storm, a two-year-old colt by Johannesburg, should make his highly anticipated debut.

“Both of these colts appear to be coming up to races in tremendous fashion,” said Little, Jr. “Highveldt Storm is bred to be successful as a two-year-old and he gives every impression he will be a nice juvenile runner.”

Others expected to train in Saratoga include:

Dynamoor, a three-year-old $700,000 Keeneland September Yearling graduate that appears to be fully recovered from minor shin problems; and Turnkey, a two-year-old by Eurosilver bred on the productive Unbridled/ Deputy Minister cross.

One that will be returning to Saratoga is Royal Straight, a son of Smarty Jones that was purchased at the Fasig Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale for $600,000 last summer.

Royal Straight will be looking to continue the legacy of Centennial success with horses purchased from this prestigious sale. Over the last 25 years, Centennial has purchased five grade one winners from this boutique sale, more than any other owner in North America.

“We plan on attending the sale and hopefully our record of success with continue,” said Little, Jr.

“Most impressive about the performance was the ease with which he won,” said Don Little, Jr. “Kent never turned his stick over or asked for any run, but Convocation was still widening the margin through the stretch. He should be a fun horse this summer.”

Desert Key won an allowance race on Belmont Stakes day last season before quickly developing into one of the top three-year-old sprinters in the nation, finishing second in the both the Grade II Amsterdam Stakes and Grade I King’s Bishop Stakes. He was second in his seasonal debut on May 6 and comes into this race having finished first or second in his last seven races.

“Desert Key has been a remarkably consistent horse,” said Centennial President Don Little, Jr. “He has recorded two bullet workouts since his race on May 6 and we are hoping he can move forward now making his second start off a long layoff.”

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens has secured the services of jockey John Velazquez for this race. The champion rider won the 2004 True North with eventual Sprint Champion Speightstown.

The probable field for the True North includes: Benny the Bull, Disco’s Son, Fabulous Strike, Ravalo, Silver Edition, Sixthirteen and Two Step Salsa.

Centennial’s other expected starter is Convocation, a son of Pulpit that is targeting a maiden special weight race going a mile on the program. Convocation has been second in two of three career starts and he is expected to be a leading contender in his race.

“Convocation is horse with tremendous potential, but he is still not a finished product,” said Little, Jr. “Being by Pulpit, Convocation can be tough to handle at times, but will are hopeful he will continue to improve, much like Corinthian did throughout his career.”

Colonial Affair had finished second in the Peter Pan Stakes two weeks earlier, but both Krone and Hall of Fame trainer Scotty Schulhofer agreed that the colt was asked for too much run early in that race. A plan was hatched to get an optimum performance from the son of Pleasant Colony: take him farther back off, keep him out of the kickback from other horses, and come with one strong run.

Colonial Affair ran to the plan, winning by 2 ¼ lengths, covering the 1 ½ miles in 2:29 4/5.

The victory remains one of the most memorable for Centennial Farms, and it ranks as #55 in the Blood Horse Publications book “Horse racing’s top 100 moments”.

All said, Colonial Affair will be remembered as one of the better horses of his generation. He won both the Whitney and Jockey Club Gold Cup as a four-year-old in 1994 before getting injured on the eve of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he would have been favored in the richest race in the world.

The horse has traveled the world as a stallion, standing in the United States before seasons in New Zealand, Japan, and his current home of Argentina.

The victory also catapulted Julie Krone into iconic status . In 2000, she became the first woman inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

“We are hopeful this will be the first step towards the Breeders’ Cup,” said Don Little, Jr.

“We are always looking for a classic colt,” said Little. “This colt has the pedigree behind him and he is a great mover on the racetrack – just an outstanding individual.”

The Dark Bay colt is out of the winning Deputy Minister mare Fiddlin Devon, who has produced three winners from three starters, including stakes-placed Bear’s Swan.

The second dam of this colt is the South American champion La Chaposa, winner of 13 races, including two Grade I events.

La Chaposa has been a tremendous broodmare, producing ten winners, including dual Grade I winner Chaposa Springs; and You and I, now a successful stallion.

You and I won four graded races, including the prestigious Grade I Metropolitan Handicap. You and I also set the course record in the 1984 Riva Ridge Stakes (now called the Woody Stephens Stakes) when he stopped the clock for seven-furlongs in a blazing 1:20.33.

“The Rock Hard Ten colt will go to our farm in Middleburg, Va., where Paula Parsons will oversee his training,” said Dr. Steven Carr, the Director of Horse Operations. “When she’s happy with him, he’ll go to (trainer) Jimmy Jerkens in New York. He’s a tall leggy colt, who, given his pedigree, top and bottom, should be able to stay a distance of ground and that’s what we’re looking for.”

Centennial also purchased Hip number 183, a Bay colt by Dynafomer for $110,000.

The colt is out of the young Pulpit mare Leh She Run, whose first foal is Malabar Run, already a three-time winner in Europe.

“We really liked the way the Dynaformer colt moved on the racetrack, said Little, Jr. “He has great extension and reach in his stride and fits the mold of a Centennial horse, being one that looks like he will improve as he matures and should be able to handle classic distances.”

“While it has taken some time to get Vitruvius back to his ideal form, he looks to be coming up to this race very well,” said Centennial President Don Little, Jr. “This horse has always been a real smooth mover and we hope with some added success this season he will be more than a regional stallion candidate.”

Vitruvius’ half-brother Corinthian is currently one of the most popular sires in Kentucky, covering full books in his initial two seasons at stud.

“When you look at many of the top sires, like A.P. Indy and Giant’s Causeway, they often have a brother or half-brother also develop into a solid stallion. This is the last chance to carry on the Corinthian line, as his dam Multiply died last year.”

“Beside the similarities on paper, the important thing is this horse has shown ability in the mornings,” said Centennial President Don Little Jr.

Convocation, purchased for $345,000 from the 2008 Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, has been training forwardly for this start with trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

The female family of Convocation is quite strong, as he is bred along similar lines to Corinthian through the Nureyev presence in the female family. In addition, this colt is out of an unraced half-sister to Tempera, the 2001 Eclipse Award winning two-year-old filly based on the strength of her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fillies.

“We would be delighted if this colt showed the same affinity for the Gulfstream surface as Corinthian,” said Little. “Corinthian may have been disqualified from the Fountain of Youth, but he was never beaten to the wire in four races over the surface.”

Centennial currently has four juvenile colts based at Palm Meadows Training Center spread evenly between trainers Jimmy Jerkens and Michael Matz.

The Jerkens trained Convocation and Dynamoor continue to train forwardly.

Convocation shows six workouts and recently covered a half-mile in :51 4/5 at Palm Meadows on December 15. He could possibly make his career debut during the opening weekend at Gulfstream.

“This is the first colt by Pulpit we have campaigned since Corinthian,” said Don Little, Jr. of the $340,000 purchase. “He is bred on similar lines to Corinthian, as both have a major Nureyev influence on the dam side.”

Dynamoor has yet to record a workout in Florida, but he has impressed Jerkens since arriving at the barn. This $700,000 son of Dynaformer is a half-brother to millionaire Grade I winner Honor In War, a top class racehorse in both North America and Australia.

“We are very excited about this colt,” said Little, Jr. “He is the type of horse that is built to go a distance of ground. He has shown a great deal of talent and we are looking forward to his debut.”

Jerkens will also receive two favorites back at his barn in the near future, as Corinthian’s half-brother Vitrivius is expected to ship to Florida from Middleburg, Virginia this week, while Grade I placed Desert Key will return to Florida in January.

“We are hopeful that Vitruvius can return to his best form,” said Little, Jr. “He is a remarkably talented horse that has been plagued by injuries since the end of his three-year-old season, but as he showed in his debut victory at Gulfstream he likes the surface and gets over the track very well.”

Desert Key used an unsuccessful career debut at Gulfstream as a platform for a tremendous late three-year-old campaign. The E Dubai colt was one of the most exciting sprinters in North America during the second-half of the season, finishing second by a nose in the G2-Amsterdam and G1-King’s Bishop during Saratoga.

“We could not be more excited about Desert Key’s prospects for 2009, he has really filled out and matured into his frame.” said Little, Jr. “He is obviously a world-class sprinter, but we have hopes he can carry his speed farther this season. We would love to be in a position to return to New York in May and take a shot at races like the Met Mile.”

Trainer Michael Matz currently has two juveniles that should be ready to run during the first month of the Gulfstream season: Ashburton Grove and Tribal Shelter.

“Both of these colts are progressing nicely,” said Little, Jr. “Ashburton Grove is by E Dubai, a sire we really like. He reminds me of a young Vitrivius, as he has a great way of moving.”

“He is a very attractive individual and a very talented racehorse,” said Vinery general manager Tom Ludt. “We are encouraged by his progress, and Dr. Bramlage agrees that he appears to have stabilized.”

Chelokee broke his maiden in his second start at 2 by 13 1/4 lengths. At 3, he won the Northern Dancer (gr. III) and Barbaro Stakes and placed in the Florida Derby (gr. I). He started this year with a score at Gulfstream Park.

“Chelokee had a lovely action and an easy way of going, but he was deceptively fast,” said trainer Michael Matz. “We were looking forward to him having a really big year as a 4-year-old. I was never concerned about him going a distance, in spite of his breeding.”

Madame Thor is out of the graded-stakes winning Broad Brush mare Broad Dynamite, a three-time winner at two that competed in stakes races throughout her juvenile campaign.

The second dam of Madame Thor is Subtle Raise, a half-sister to Very Subtle, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint over colts.

This mare is also carrying a colt by Smart Strike bred on the identical Deputy Minister cross that produced Curlin, the richest racehorse in North American racing history.

The second broodmare prospect purchased for this partnership was Hip number 332 at $150,000, a daughter of stallion sensation Giant’s Causeway.

The mare, Fee Fi Fo Fum, was recently retired after being campaigned by our trainer Jimmy Jerkens. She displayed tremendous ability on the racetrack, winning her career debut at Gulfstream Park before finishing third in the Grade II Bonnie Miss Stakes.

Fee Fi Fo Fum is out of the mare Pleasant Music, a dual-stakes winner that finished second in the Grade III Calder Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Hip Number 772, Mykindasaint, was purchased for $290,000 carrying a foal from the first crop of Bluegrass Cat.

A daughter of Saint Ballado, Mykindasaint was one of the leading two-year-old fillies of 2005, winning her first three races – including two stakes events – by a combined margin of over 13 lengths before running in the prestigious Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park.

She was a consistent stakes performer in 2006 and 2007 before ending her career with five wins – three in stakes races – and earnings of $170,000.

Hip 914, Union Creek, was purchased for $325,000 carrying a foal by Langfuhr.

This filly comes from a deep Farish family that has consistently produced world-class horses.

Union Creek is out of the legendary broodmare Battle Creek Girl, the producer of 15 separate winners on the racetrack, including Wavering Girl, a champion two-year-old filly in Canada and the dam of Grade I winner Military. In addition, Battle Creek Girl has produced three separate graded-stakes winners that are now stallions: Tricky Creek, Parade Ground and Parade Leader.

Battle Creek Girl is also a half-sister to Wings of Grace, a graded-stakes winner on the racetrack that is best known as the dam of Grade I winners Plenty of Grace and Soaring Softly.

In 2006, Desert Key, runner-up in the G1-King's Bishop and G2-Amsterdam Stakes was selected at this sale.

Last year's group is highlighted by Dynamoor, a very promising individual that gives the impression of being a very special racehorse in his training.

Still waiting for room at the top of the stretch, Velazquez did a masterful job of threading Desert Key through the narrowest of openings before setting him down for a relentless finish that saw Desert Key win a three-nose photo for second.

Desert Key is now multiple-graded stakes and grade-one placed. He shows earnings of $163,490 and a record of 6-2-3-0.

Others expected to start include: J Be K, Gentleman James, Golden Spikes, I'm So Lucky, Nautical Storm, Salute the Sarge, and Visionaire.

The King’s Bishop, traditionally the race just before the Travers Stakes, has been a top stallion producing race. Previous winners include Hard Spun, More than Ready, Forestry, Tale of the Cat and Honour and Glory.

“He had the best walk of any horse in the sale,” Little said of his newest acquisition. “His physical appearance and his athletic ability are spectacular.”

The yearling’s freshman sire was also an attraction for Little. “Smarty Jones was a half-length short of being a Triple Crown winner. Considering he is by a brilliant miler in Elusive Quality, he held special appeal to everyone at Centennial. We hope this colt will develop into a racehorse similar to Corinthian.”

Centennial has enjoyed success at Fasig-Tipton and Little is hoping for more with this yearling.

“We hope this is going to be the sixth Grade I winner we’ve bought out of this Fasig-Tipton sale,” he remarked.

The price tag was no surprise to Taylor Made’s Frank Taylor.

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens

"Naturally I'm not happy we got beat, but he certainly ran a winning race and you have to be pleased about his effort."

"It's too early to think of options right now, although obviously the King's Bishop is one of them."

Steve Christ - Publisher of Daily Racing Form.

Here's where I really got lucky, since I used only Kodiak Kowboy and Fidelio (who fell on his head at the start), leaving out 7-5 favorite Desert Key, who I thought was untested against quality horses and eligible to wilt if challenged early. After watching the race, it's clear to me that this was a bad opinion I was fortunate to survive: Desert Key was best. He withstood a blistering early challenge from Eaton's Gift (21.79/44.19), won that battle and drew clear, and it took perfect-trip Kodiak Kowboy the entire length of the stretch to get by him, and just barely. So I only narrowly, and perhaps unjustly, ducked telling a hard-luck tale of using 9-1, 19-1 and 15-1 winners and missing a 7-5 favorite.

KENNEDY CORRIDOR BLOG - http://kennedyscorridor.blogspot.com

To my eye the most impressive horse of the first week of racing at Saratoga was Desert Key. He was seen narrowly losing the Amsterdam to the classy Kodiak Kowboy. Desert Key was making his fifth lifetime start and his first in graded stakes company. The speedy Eaton's Gift outbroke him but was hard ridden to stay in front through a first quarter in :21.79. Anyone who has followed this crop knows that Eaton's Gift is a very swift horse but just after they drilled the first quarter Desert Key went right by him under a hammer lock and posted a half in :44.19. He opened up two lengths around the turn without being asked and set sail for home. You always knew that a classy horse like Kodiak Kowboy would be tough to deny after sitting behind fast fractions like that but Desert Key was not giving an inch. He battled Kodiak Kowboy all through the lane and was just denied by a nose at the line. The pair got an excellent 108 Beyer figure for the effort which puts them on par with J Be K and many of the older sprinters out there. I suspect that Desert Key is going to turn into a fantastic horse, maybe even the best sprinter in the nation once he fully develops.

Desert Key, lead contender in the 6 ½-furlong contest, will be making only his fifth start in the Amsterdam for Centennial Farms. The son of E Dubai out of the Storm Cat mare, Storm Key, finished a well-beaten sixth in his debut at Gulfstream Park on March 5th before breaking his maiden next time out at Aqueduct.

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens then stepped him up in class in the Adjudicating Stakes at Belmont, where he ran well to finish second behind last year’s Grade 2 Sanford winner, Ready’s Image.

His most recent start showed even more improvement. Desert Key took a first-level allowance race on the Belmont Stakes undercard by five lengths, leading all the way under jockey Edgar Prado and stopping the timer in a speedy 1:08 4/5 for six furlongs.

“I wasn’t surprised,” said Jerkens. “He showed a lot of talent in the morning. I thought his race before that was good, too. He got beat by a horse that was a very good two year-old.”

The colt’s last race became a key race on Wednesday’s Opening Day card at Saratoga when Acredit, who was second in that June 7 allowance race, came back to win an allowance of his own by better than four lengths in the slop.

Desert Key will have to deal with a lot of pressure up front if he wants the lead, but Jerkens doesn’t think his horse will mind conceding pacesetting duties in the early stages.

“He’s run good sitting off the pace,” Jerkens said. “I don’t think it will be a problem. He’s not terribly hard to rate. He’s hard to rate to a certain speed, but if there’s good speed in there, he can sit just off of them.”

Desert Key had his final workout for the Amsterdam on Friday morning on Saratoga’s muddy main track. He covered three furlongs in a lightning :33.81, more than two full seconds faster than the next horse who worked the same distance.

“It was a little faster than I wanted but it was okay,” said Jerkens.

Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel sends out another lightly raced speedster in Stronach Stables’ Fidelio. By Awesome Again, Fidelio has a record of three wins and a second from five career starts.

Notable races in the colt’s career include a second-place finish in ‘07 behind last year’s champion juvenile olt War Pass here at Saratoga and a 4 ½-length win last out at Belmont in a seven-furlong optional claimer.

Eaton’s Gift, winner of the Grade 2 Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park looks like another horse who wants to be close to an already crowded pace. The brown colt by former juvenile champion Johannesburg is trained by Dale Romans for last season’s leading owner at Saratoga; Zayat Stables, LLC.

Like Jerkens, Romans is not concerned about how his horse will perform in a race with a lot of speed.

“I’m not worried about it,” he said. “He can rate and sit right off of horses. He proved that in his last race at Churchill. He can go to the lead or stalk -- whatever he needs to do.”

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux will get a leg up from Romans. Through Friday, the Hall of Fame rider was one win away becoming the 23rd jockey in history to reach the 5,000-win plateau.

Kodiak Kowboy will return to the site of his Grade 2 off-the-pace win in the Saratoga Special last year as a two-year-old, but this time he will be running for a different trainer. He was transferred to Larry Jones after previous trainer Steve Asmussen and Vinery Stables parted ways.

The Saratoga Special was the final win in a five-race streak for Kodiak Cowboy in 2007. Since then he is 1-for-5 with a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Futurity and a third place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Kodiak Kowboy was last seen finishing second to Preakness runner-up and Jim Dandy participant Macho Again in the Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs on April 26th.

"We removed Chelokee's cast and for the most part we are in good shape," said Bramlage. "Most importantly the coronary band is intact and healthy and the foot appears to have survived the period of reduced vascularity without serious damage. The incisions are well healed and there are no soft areas indicating infection of the implants or deeper structures."

Dr. Bramlage made note in his daily updates on the positive benefits of Chelokee spending some time without the cast.

"The implants are plenty strong to stand 1-2 days of weight bearing before we re-cast him and there is big benefit in the long run to this approach. If we allow him to move the tendons for a couple days it keeps them mobile and makes the later transition to weight bearing easier. "

Chelokee had a cast reapplied with no complications.

"His cast leaves his toe exposed, so he gets a small amount of tendon motion with each step, but immobilizes the fetlock. I use it on most arthrodeses to smooth the transition after we remove the cast. He will wear this cast about 2 weeks if it is comfortable.”

Chelokee has stopped taking antibiotics and has a normal temperature, both positive developments.

"The staff at Rood and Riddle report he is eating every oat and still begs for carrots and peppermints," said Centennial President Don Little, Jr. "A few of his partners stayed behind in Kentucky and visited him daily during the initial days after the injury. They were amazed by the many cards and gifts he received from the public."

A son of Tale of the Cat, Cool Tales took blinkers-off for the race and stretched out in distance to a mile.

He was always with the pace and extended his margin with each stride through the stretch to post a visually impressive performance.

Desert Key, our promising three-year-old son of E Dubai, strengthened his credentials with a gritty runner-up finish in the $75,000 Adjudicating Stakes, earning a 91 Beyer rating.

“We finished second to Ready’s Image, who won the Grade II Sanford at Saratoga and was a finalist for Eclipse Champion two-year-old last season.” said Centennial President Don Little, Jr. “Our horse fought hard through the stretch. We are all delighted with Desert Key’s performance and certainly his prospects for the future.”

Another colt that could have a big summer campaign is Vitruvius, a four-year-old half-brother to Corinthian who finished third in a tough allowance race, earning a 92 Beyer rating.

“The winner earned a 100 Beyer, so it was a very respectable field. Our horse just needed the start coming off a long layoff, but he should gain fitness from this race.”

He broke with the leaders and assumed a half-length lead moving down the backstretch before extending the margin through the stretch to cover the six-furlongs in 1:11, earning a Beyer rating of 92.

Allowed to settle into a comfortable stride moving down the backstretch, he waited patiently for room entering the top of the stretch, then made a move three-wide to win by an expanding margin, covering the six-furlongs in 1:08.68, earning a Beyer rating of 92.

Desert Key was purchased for $270,000 at the 2006 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. It is expected he will make his next start against allowance competition during the upcoming Belmont meeting.

“We were fortunate to be at a sale where the numbers were down for the first time in recent years, enabling us to purchase three well-bred and athletic colts for what we feel is considerable value” said Don Little, Jr. “Two of the three individuals are by sires we have had considerable success with, as Pulpit and Cherokee Run are the respective sires of Corinthian and Chelokee.”

PULPIT - SHADE DANCE, by NUREYEV ($340,000)

Trained by Michael Matz, Chelokee has now won three consecutive races, including the Barbaro Stakes and G3-Northern Dancer Breeders’ Cup last year. He now shows a record of five wins from 9 starts for $384,125.

Chelokee flew to Kentucky on March 30, where he will be stabled at Keeneland before eventually returning to his base of Fair Hill in Maryland.

The three-year-old colt broke with the field, but was allowed to settle in fifth after the opening quarter mile. Castillo urged the Include colt entering the turn and they sustained a drive while four-wide to score by 2 1/2 lengths, covering the distance in 1:46 1/5.

“We are delighted to add a third son of E Dubai to the roster,” said Little. “We purchased Corinthian’s half-brother Vitruvius from his first crop and have a nice three-year-old named Desert Key that will make his debut next week at Gulfstream. Both Vitruvius and Desert Key have tremendous balance and athleticism, and this colt is built along those same lines.”

E Dubai was the fastest son of the legendary influence Mr. Prospector. Racing in the Godolphin colors of Sheikh Mohammed, the colt won the G2-Dwyer at Belmont in track record time, but undoubtedly his finest performance was as a four-year-old in the G1-Suburban, where he carried his blazing speed the classic distance of 1 ¼ miles, defeating Lido Palace and Macho Uno decisively.

The female family of this colt is equally solid. The dam, Here’s Kitty, was a winner on the racetrack and her first three foals are all winners, including the durable Kitty Kisses, who has scored seven-times in her career.

The second dam, Outside Observer, has been a remarkably consistent producer, as six of her 7 foals are winners, including the Peruvian Group 1 winner and current stallion My Bid.

This is the immediate family of multiple-graded stakes winning B. Thoughtful, who is remembered as one of the best mares to race in California in the late 1970s; she won eight stakes races – six of them graded – while always competing at the highest levels on the West Coast.

Video of the colt's impressive workout can be seen here:

“We stopped on him last summer after he had a few minor setbacks,” said trainer Michael Matz. “He always gave the impression of a horse that would improve from his three to four-year-old season. He has matured an awful lot since he left us last summer. If all continues to go well, perhaps he will be able to run sometime near the end of the meet.”

In addition to his trademark determination and laid back disposition, Chelokee’s strong pedigree continues to develop into an attractive proposition for the leading breeders in Kentucky.

Allowed to settle off the pace in the early stages, the 5-year-old son of Woodman delivered his trademark kick around the turn to open a comfortable margin entering the stretch before eventually winning by 3 ½ lengths, covering the mile in 1:40 3/5.

Other finalists are: Invasor and Lawyer Ron.

Making his debut over a sloppy racetrack, the chestnut colt settled into a staking position on the rail under Kent Desormeaux before powering home in a breathtaking performance, covering the 1 mile 70 yards in 1:39, just 1/5 of a second off the track record, earning a Beyer rating of 119 for the victory.

"He’s been training great, but his last two races were sub par, so it was hard to get overly confident,” said Jerkens. “Kent rode him beautifully. That was the plan, to try to tuck him in. He doesn’t mind running on the inside. He might as well save the ground when he can.”

Desormeaux’s main concern going into the race was a clear trip around the first turn, which he handled perfectly.

“We broke nine abreast, everyone was trying to get a forward position and I just drug him back that first flight and I was able to dive to the fence. I didn't think the fence was the perfect place, but it was the perfect place to keep the mud from drowning him.”

When Corinthian straightened out on the backside, Desormeaux gained confidence that the energetic colt was on his game.

“I was able to keep his face clean all the way till down the back side. I just gained so much confidence moving down the back side because the horse stayed in the bridle even though he was getting pummeled with sand. And when I loomed up to the leader, the sand stopped hitting him in the face and was going underneath his chest and he got stronger and stronger. It seemed like the longer I was able to sit, the more he grabbed the bit.”

Entering the turn, Corinthian made a decisive move. When he straightened into the stretch the only question was the margin of victory.

“Once I presented him and moved him from behind horses, he really accelerated and I was telling I was telling Jim, he is chestnut, right, because I couldn't tell anymore. I said, well, this red colt, he was a fireball down the lane. He was certainly trying to dry his path; he was a rocket down the line. He's a brilliant miler as we know.”

The son of Giant’s Causeway assumed command from the gate and sensibly controlled the pace under jockey Noberto Arroyo, Jr., cruising past six furlongs in a daunting 1:18.66. With plenty in reserve for the finish, Tricky Causeway dug is resolutely to post a neck victory over Godolphin’s True Curse, covering the 1 3/8 miles over the firm turf in 2:18.29, earning a Beyer rating of 92.

Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Tricky Causeway has now won four of 9 career starts for earnings of $133,960.

The three-year-old son of Touch Gold dropped right to the rear of the field and trailed by more than 15 lengths after the opening quarter mile, he made gradual progress to a contending position when the field reached the top of the stretch, and came rolling down the middle of the turf course to post a ¾ of a length victory, covering the 1 1/16 miles over a firm course in 1:42 4/5.

Trained by Rodney Jenkins, Gizmo Man has now won three of eight races for $39,720 in earnings.

Trained by Rodney Jenkins for the Beechwood partnership, the final time of 1:08.55 for six-furlongs over the turf was just 2/5 of a second off the course record.

Rebel Yeller has now won three of nine career races for earnings of $82,957. His biggest victory to date was the $80,000 Woodlawn Stakes at Pimlico in May.

A 4-year-old son of Pulpit trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Corinthian captured the Met Mile over Political Force, with Lawyer Ron finishing third. Earlier in the year, he won the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) and was a 9 1/2-length winner over 2006 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) victor Jazil in an optional claiming race at Gulfstream.

"The Met Mile has produced some of the greatest stallions in history," said Gainesway president Antony Beck. "Corinthian is a superior individual, a very athletic, well-bred stallion prospect from one of the best stallion-producing female families, which has aready produced top sires Sadler's Wells and Nureyev."

Corinthian, who also placed in last year's Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II), has won five of 11 races and earned $727,273.

Bred in Kentucky by Gracefield Equine and Hargus Sexton, Corinthian is a half-brother to grade II winner Desert Hero and exciting Centennial three-year-old Vitruvius.

August 16 – Emishi Warrior returns from a six-month layoff and cruises to an impressive three-length victory over allowance competition, stopping the clock in a very respectable 1:11, earning a 85 Beyer rating. This son of Orientate is expected to return to the races in the next week, possibly at the Meadowlands.

September 5 – Toymaker makes his turf debut in smashing form, galloping home by 2 ½ lengths under jockey Jozbin Santata. The Woodman colt has been on the board in six of nine career starts and appears to be hitting his best stride as a four-year-old.

Winning races at a high-percentage has been a staple of the 2007 campaign for Centennial Farms. We currently have 24 wins from 68 starters: 35%. This is the highest winning percentage from the top 100 owners in North America with more than 50 starters this year.

A multiple graded stakes winning son of Pulpit and leading stallion candidate, he worked seven-furlongs in 1:27.06 last Saturday over the main track in upstate New York.

Corinthian is expected to face many of the same horses he defeated in the Metropolitan Handicap, including Whitney winner Lawyer Ron and Suburban victor Political Force.

Vitruvius, a three-year-old, has been perfect from two starts in his young career and is set to return from 4 ½ months on the sidelines with a skin rash.

The son of E Dubai was entered going 1 1/8 miles last week, but trainer Jimmy Jerkens thought the seven-furlongs of this allowance race would be a better fit.

"Going seven furlongs will probably set him up a little better for when we get back to Belmont Park,” said Jerkens. “The races at Belmont are all going one turn.”

Memphis Mon returned $16.40 to win and earned $34,800 for the Legacy partnership with this victory. He is scheduled to ship to Saratoga with trainer Jimmy Jerkens and will most likely be seen next during the prestigious meeting in upstate New York.

The victory was the 20th from 53 starts in 2007 for Centennial Farms.

Chelokee rallied after being passed in the homestretch and wore down Zanjero after a long duel to score a neck victory under jockey Ramon Dominguez in Saturday’s sixth running of the $223,800 Northern Dancer Breeders’ Cup (Grade III) for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Centennial Farms, Chelokee won his second consecutive stakes race and improved his career record to 4-1-2 in eight races and the winner’s share of $135,525 boosted the son of Cherokee Run’s earnings to $357,425.

Chelokee broke alertly in the Northern Dancer Breeders’ Cup, but settled into third in the early going as longshots Tsali and Portobello Road dueled for the lead through fractions of :24.06 for the first quarter, :47.77 for the half-mile and six furlongs in 1:11.99. Chelokee made a quick move under Dominguez to grab the lead as the field approached the top of the stretch, but Zanjero, who had been sixth in the early going, launched his bid on the outside and quickly collared the leader. Zanjero stuck his head in front with an eighth of a mile remaining and appeared ready to pull away, but Chelokee battled back along the inside, regained the advantage and held the runner-up safe in the final yards. Sam P, who had stalked in fourth through the early going, ran on for third and was easily clear of fourth-place finisher Loose Leaf.

“I was very pleased to see my horse come back the way he did,” said Dominguez. “I didn’t know what to think when that horse (Zanjero) went by me. I knew for sure that I had a little more horse left, because at that point I had not used mine, but at the same time, that other horse made such a bold move, it kind of left me wondering whether I could keep up in contention with that kind of a kick.”

“We got the trip we wanted for the most part, except for a little trouble on the turn,” said Steve Asmussen, the trainer of runner-up Zanjero who narrowly missed winning his fifth race on the day and his second consecutive stakes race. “When he got free in the stretch, I thought we had our second race in a row, but the other horse (Chelokee) was very game.”

True Competitor rallied from last to finish fourth. The order of finish was completed by Tsali, Prom Shoes and Portobello Road.

The Met Mile victory capped a big weekend for Corinthian’s trainer, Jimmy Jerkens, and his father, Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens, who ran second in the Met Mile with Political Force. The elder Jerkens, whose only Met Mile win came in 1971 with Tunex, saddled Ecclesiastic, who won Saturday’s Grade 3 Jaipur.

Favored Lawyer Ron finished third, as Corinthian returned $21.60 to win and the $2 all-Jerkens Met Mile exacta came back $285.

For Corinthian, a 4-year-old Pulpit colt, Monday’s victory marked his coming of age in the big leagues. As a three-year-old, he won Gulfstream’s Fountain of Youth but was disqualified and placed third. He was pointed for the Aqueduct’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial, but a hairline fracture in his hind leg suddenly squelched the blossoming career. The injury did not require surgery, but after Jerkens brought him back to Saratoga in late July for a distant third-place finish, he was convinced that time would be the best medicine.

Corinthian came back with back-to-back wins in Florida, including the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap in March. In his last start, the Grade 3 Excelsior Breeders’ Cup at Aqueduct in April, he jumped in the air at the start and lost all chance.

A hot-blooded type who often gets overanxious in the paddock, Corinthian finally put it together for the prestigious Met Mile. He was kept reasonably close to a pace of :23.21; :45.70 and 1:10.29, came four-wide around the turn and drove hard for the victory in 1:34.77 on the fast main track.

Political Force, who had previously been graded stakes placed, then came with a rally that was partly stalled when jockey Edgar Prado, aboard favored Lawyer Ron, accidentally struck him in the face with his whip.

“When I saw him break and laying that close, I knew we were in business,” Jimmy Jerkens said of his first Met Mile winner. “He ran to his workout the other day. When he is juicy and on the muscle, he’s right. Usually, horses get worse the closer they get to the gate. He settled down once he got with the pony.”

“I thought we had Lawyer Ron, and then I said, `Oh my God, here comes `The Chief’ (his father).’ We were going one at a time, worrying about this race. We’ll have to discuss it with his owners where he goes next. We were willing to throw out the Excelsior to get ready for this one. He broke his maiden going a mile. The work a week ago [five furlongs in a bullet :58 on May 21] was beyond anything I ever saw. I never had a horse do what he did. He was just strong all the way. He was terrific all week. I thought if he didn’t run good today, he just wasn’t good enough.”

Corinthian, who has now won five of nine starts and more than doubled his career earnings on Monday to $694,273, not only proved his was more than good enough, but that the best may lie ahead.

“From what I know of this horse, he’s come full circle,” Desormeaux said. “You couldn’t have planted me at the half-mile pole and asked for better position. More than the position was the way he was carrying me. When a good horse is traveling well, :45 feels like :48. I thought we were going slow, but I knew the caliber of horse I was on. He was so within himself. Coming to the three-eighths pole, he kind of got into gear and acted like he wanted to go for the wire. That was the only time I restrained him and said, `No, not yet.’ When the horses engaged, he jumped back in the bridle. I didn’t have to ask him for much, even when it was time to go. In the stretch, I thought he was just doing enough, quite frankly. All I could hope for at that stage of the race was that nothing came swinging wide and he couldn’t see it. He was really determined.”

H. Allen Jerkens, also known as “The Giant Killer” for his history of upsets in racing’s biggest races, was happy for his son as well as for Political Force’s effort.

“He ran a great race,” Jerkens said. “Now, he’s starting to come into himself. I thought they would go a little faster for the first quarter, but they really started to hum in the second quarter. The only bad race (Corinthian) has ever run was last time when he got stuck in the gate. (The public) got down on him really quick, but Jimmy said he had been working really good. If we couldn’t win, I’m glad Jimmy did.”

Sun King, the 2006 Met Mile runnerup, was fourth, trailed by Latent Heat, Silver Wagon, Half Ours, Silent Name, who was left at the gate, and early pace-setter Mr. Umphrey. Accountforthegold was scratched.

The four-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway assumed command just after the start and opened a clear lead moving down the backstretch. Desormeaux made a bold move around the turn and was six-lengths clear at the top of the stretch before gearing him down to win by a measured half-length, covering the 1 3/8 miles in 2:13.67, earning an 84 Beyer rating.

Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Tricky Causeway is expected to return against allowance company next month before heading to Saratoga for a summer campaign.

“I’m glad we decided to run in the race. He hadn’t run in a while,” said Matz. “He had a couple of little problems. This should straighten him up a little bit and will make him all the better for it.”

A son of Cherokee Run that races for the Beechwood partnership, Chelokee was always forwardly placed in the Barbaro Stakes under a confident Ramon Dominguez. He was geared down through the final eighth of a mile, but still broke the stakes record that was attached to the old Sir Barton Stakes, covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.44, earning a Beyer rating of 95.

“He got a perfect trip,” said Dominguez. “He lost focus a little bit on the turn, so I had to get after him a little bit to get his attention. But he ran a really nice race. We thought we’d be close to the pace today, and we were. He finished up really well today.”

Roy and Gretchen Jackson presented trainer Michael Matz and the Centennial partners the trophy for winning the inaugural Barbaro Stakes.

“To have a race named after (Barbaro) and he’s remembered in such a wonderful way. That Michael Matz trained the winning horse, the first horse to win the Barbaro Stakes, is wonderful,” Gretchen Jackson said.

Trainer Michael Matz has not decided on Chelokee’s next start, but there is a possibility the colt could run in the Belmont Stakes.

Centennial won the 1993 Belmont Stakes with Colonial Affair.

“It’s still a little early to tell. We’ll see how he comes out of this race. He hadn’t run in seven weeks. So at this point, we’ll just wait and see where we are.”

While the race was a reflection on Barbaro’s legacy, trainer Michael Matz is focusing his attention on Chelokee’s development.

“Right now, I’m elated. I couldn’t be happier. I have a promising horse,” said Matz. “It should be real fun to campaign this horse through the summer.”

Trainer Rodney Jenkins has been confident in Rebel Yeller’s ability and thought this colt would appreciate the surface switch.

“I was pretty high on this horse in his first start, but he disappointed me. Disappointed me the second time too. I put blinkers on him and he won. It was an okay field, not a great race, but I kept thinking turf. I worked him at Laurel and I touted him again for this one. Being by Dixie Union, I thought he would like grass. Most of them do.”

Despite Jenkins confidence, Rebel Yeller rewarded his backers with a healthy $17.60 win payoff.

Trainer Rodney Jenkins has not decided on the next race for Rebel Yeller, but he will nominate the colts towards the Grade III $750,000 Colonial Turf Cup on June 16 and the Grade II $1,000,000 Virginia Derby on July 21 at Colonial Downs.

Centennial Farms has high hopes for hip 165. The son of Mr. Greeley, consigned by Kirkwood Stables, joins the Centennial string after attracting a final bid of $600,000, and his new connections would love to hit the Triple Crown trail with him next year.

“We felt he fit our criteria as a Classic-type conformation,” said Centennial President Don Little Jr. “Of course, he was very, very athletic on the racetrack, and we are very high on Mr. Greeley as a stallion. We came here to find that special horse, and of all those we looked at, we felt he was it. We were fortunate to get him.”

But, as much as he liked the bay, Little was at his limit when the hammer fell.

“He was right at the number we figured,” he said. “That was it for us, to be honest.”

Looking ahead, Little added, “He’ll go our farm in Middleburg, Virgina, and get 30 to 60 days off. Then he will go into training either with Michael Matz or Jimmy Jerkens.”

Out of MSW Crusie (Country Light), hip 165 is a 1/2 to SP Chuckie’s in Love (El Prado {Ire}). He was purchased for just $22,000 by Bobby Rankin as a KEENOV weanling, but worked a quarter in :21 flat at the first preview.

“Obviously he developed great, but my friend Eric Reed got him ready, I just picked him up when I got [to Kentucky],” said Kirkwood’s Kip Elser. “Whatever he did on the racetrack, that was Eric and the horse.”

Now undefeated from two career starts, this son of E Dubai broke professionaly and settled comfortably behind horses moving down the backstretch; he rallied three wide off the turn and easily overtook the frontrunners to post an impressive 3 3/4 lengths victory.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux never asked through the lane, but Vitruvius responded like a seasoned professional for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

VITRUVIUS MAKES NEW YORK DEBUT

Centennial Farms exciting three-year-old Vitruvius returns to the races on Wednesday, April 9 against a solid allowance field at Aqueduct.

Vitruvius showed high early speed, heart and plenty of talent in his Gulfstream maiden victory February 17th. After breaking from the rail, he battled head and head for the lead through fractions of :22 2/5 and :45 3/5 before he held off Fearless Vision by a neck. That race’s stock went up after Fearless Vision returned with a convincing maiden win.

“He’s real athletic,” said trainer Jimmy Jerkens of Vitruvius, who is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Corinthian.

“He had trained sensational before he ran and the way he was working, I would have been very disappointed had he not run well.”

“His first race was such a big effort. He fought off a bunch of challengers and it was one of the few days down there that the rail was dead. I saw a lot of horses just cave in on the fence that day. The time was slow (seven furlongs in 1:25), but like I said, the track was on the dead side.”

Jerkens says Vitruvius shares more than a few similarities with his likeable, hot-blooded older brother, Corinthian. In fact, Vitruvius, after his maiden victory, even came down with the same skin rash Corinthian had last summer.

“We missed a little time, but he’s over it and just has some scarring now,” Jerkens said. “He hasn’t been anywhere near the problem Corinthian is and, as a matter of fact, we schooled (Vitruvius in the Aqueduct paddock Saturday morning). He was good.”

Vitruvius has drawn post 6 with Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.

Making his turf debut for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, the son of Giant’s Causeway settled nicely in the opening stages before making a run towards the front around the turn. He still had plenty to overcome in mid-stretch, but rallied strongly between horses to hit the front in the final stride, posting a neck victory for the Genesis partnership.

Ridden by Rene Douglas, the four-year-old covered the 1 1/6 miles on the turf in 1:41.36, earning $22,800 and a Beyer rating of 82.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/82983.html

"I was asking everybody if he drifted out," Jerkens said. "Last year, I couldn't tell watching the pan shot, and it was blatant."

There was no reason for concern Saturday. Under Javier Castellano, Corinthian stalked the pacesetting Noble Causeway through fractions of 24.18 seconds, 48.20, and 1:12.25. Corinthian took over from Noble Causeway around the turn and appeared to open up approaching the quarter pole.

According to Castellano, Corinthian began to wait on horses turning for home, and Hesanoldsalt was coming under Rafael Bejarano. Though the inside part of the track was the best, Bejarano guided Hesanoldsalt off the rail for the stretch drive, saying that Hesanoldsalt wasn't comfortable being down on the inside.

Corinthian opened up again in the stretch, but Hesanoldsalt was resurgent and kept coming, only to fall just short. It was another half-length back to A. P. Arrow in third. Noble Causeway, Rehoboth and Summer Book completed the order of finish.

Corinthian, a 4-year-old son of Pulpit owned by the Centennial Farms, covered the 1 3/16 miles in 1:55.06 and returned $4 as the even-money favorite.

"He hesitated a little bit at the top of the stretch,'" Castellano said. "That's the only concern. If you move too soon he hangs out and waits for the horses. But he was much calmer and more relaxed in the gate, super. He saw that horse coming at the sixteenth [pole], and he took off again."

Jerkens said that Corinthian, who was brilliant winning an allowance race earlier this meet, would ship back to New York in about three weeks and could possibly point to the Grade 2, $200,000 Excelsior Handicap at Aqueduct on April 7.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/82978.html

Chelokee, a son of Cherokee Run owned by the Centennial Farms, overcame a strange trip to post his second victory in five starts. Chelokee finished full of run under jockey Mark Guidry after dropping back to rear of the pack around the second turn to defeat the highly regarded pair of For You Reppo and Sightseeing.

"We could have run him in a stakes but I thought this was the best way to go, in an allowance race, and let him show us if he wants to go the next step," said Matz. "This was a pretty good field he beat, especially for him to make a move like that today over this speed-biased track. I'm real pleased and I think off of this effort he deserves the chance to do something good."

Matz, who won the $1 million Florida Derby here a year ago with Barbaro as a prelude to his smashing victory in the Kentucky Derby, would not commit to any specific race for Chelokee's next start.

"He came back a little close today, in just three weeks," said Matz, "so we'll see how he comes out of the race first before deciding where he'll go next."

Starting from an inside post going seven furlongs, the E Dubai colt broke a step slowly before rushing up to secure a half-length lead. He repelled numerous challenges around the turn and was battling for the lead entering the stretch. Briefly headed with an 1/8 of a mile to the finish, he fought back gamely for the victory after getting bumped in deep stretch by the more experienced Fearless Vision to post a half-length win.

Winning as a debut starter going seven-furlongs is quite tricky. This colt was able to accomplish the feat in a special way, and he is certainly a very exciting racehorse to follow as the year progresses.

“He showed the same determination as Corinthian,” said Centennial President Don Little, Jr. “Both of these horses do not want to get passed and will fight hard for the victory. They are special colts and we are enjoying the success.”

Vitruvius was purchased from the Keeneland September Sale as a yearling for $110,000. He received his initial training in Middleburg, Virginia under yearling trainer Paula Parsons. He is currently conditioned by Jimmy Jerkens.

“I remember seeing him gallop last April at the farm party in Middleburg and loved his action. He is a well-built and balanced colt. Paula Parsons and her staff did a great job getting him to the racetrack.”

The final time for the seven-furlongs was 1:25.13. His Beyer rating was 88 for the victory.

“He ran about as well as I could want today,” said trainer Jimmy Jerkens. “We now have three weeks to the Gulfstream Park Handicap (Mar. 3), and that might work out.”

Corinthian has now defeated his rival, Belmont Stakes winner Jazil in all three of their meetings.

“We were second best today,” said Jazil’s trainer Kieran McLaughlin. “We ran into a buzzsaw. I think we found ourselves closer to the front because the pace was so slow, but there wasn’t much we could do. The winner was awesome. There aren’t a lot of excuses.”

Corinthian was a leading contender for the 2006 Triple Crown before suffering a hairline fracture while training towards the Wood Memorial. Once the fracture healed, the big chestnut developed a virus that led to a bad case of skin disease while training towards the Travers Stakes.

At that point, it was decided a patient approach would be taken.

“It was disappointing when we stopped on him after the allowance at Saratoga because he showed so much brilliance as a three-year-old,” said Centennial President Don Little, Jr. “We felt that in order to enhance his value as a stallion prospect he needed time to mature into a major player in the older handicap division.”

Corinthian’s final time for the 1 1/8 miles of 1:48.04 was just two ticks off the track record. In addition, it was 2/5 of a second faster than Horse of Year Invasor covered the same distance while winning the Donn Handicap last week.

“After watching yesterday’s brilliant performance, it ultimately proves we made the right decision,” said Little, Jr.

Corinthian, a son of the Claiborne stallion Pulpit out of the Easy Goer mare Multiply, earned a Beyer of 106 in victory.

The three-year-old son of Woodman rated off the pace while saving ground in the early stages. He advanced toward the leaders around the turn before being forced to check in midstretch while waiting for room. Once he swung outside, he quickened nicely to split horses and draw off decisively, covering the mile in 1:40.55, earning a Beyer rating of 73.

Trained by Rodney Jenkins and ridden by Oliver Castillo, the colt earned $17,100 for the Genesis LLC. partnership.