NICANOR FAR BACK IN DEBUT; ‘SINNER’ UPSETS HOLY BULL
By Ray Paulick
Nicanor – the 3-year-old full brother to the ill-fated 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, beat just two horses in his career debut at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, finishing far behind another first-time starter, Warrior’s Reward, in a one-mile maiden race on a fast main track.
Ridden by Barbaro’s regular rider, Edgar Prado, Nicanor appeared to be squeezed back at the start of the one-turn contest, racing at the back of the field in the early stages. He gained ground quickly after the opening quarter to move into fifth place and in heavy traffic as favorite Dubinsky carved out the early fractions, but Nicanor paid the price for that effort, fading before the field reached the turn for home and winding up a well-beaten 10th. Prado wrapped up on Nicanor when he was clearly beaten.
“(Nicanor’s) better than that," Prado said afterwards. "I’ve worked him in the mornings and he showed me a lot . He broke really fast and unfortunately grabbed his left quarter. We’ll just have to see how long it takes to heal, but I know he’s better than that.”
Said trainer Michael Matz: “He grabbed the quarter (heel) of the left front leg leaving the gate. He wasn’t comfortable, so Edgar just wrapped up on him.”
The winner, a 3-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro out of For All You Do, by Seeking the Gold, is owned by A. Stevens Miles Jr., trained by Ian Wilkes and was ridden to victory by Calvin Borel. He was bred in Kentucky by Jayeff B Stables and sold at the Keeneland September yearling sale for $180,000. Warrior’s Reward paid $63 for the win. Allrightsreserved was second, Single Malt third and favored Dubinsky faded to fourth.
Final time was 1:39.69 after fractions of :24.33, :48.03, 1:13.49, 1:26,86 and 1:39.69. Click here for the Equibase chart.
Nicanor had a steady string of workouts – none of which were particularly fast — at the Palm Meadows training center going back to early December. The son of Dynaformer out of La Ville Rouge, by Carson City, was bred in Kentucky by his owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who campaign in the royal blue, green and white silks of Lael Stables.
His debut was widely anticipated not only by racing people but by many in the general public who for months followed the ultimately tragic saga of the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner after his catastrophic leg injury shortly after the start of the Preakness Stakes. Barbaro died Jan. 29, 2007, two years and two days before his younger full brother made his first start as a 3-year-old. Nicanor’s coming out was previewed by the national news media, including the CBS Evening News, which focused on the colt and his famous brother, who began his career with six consecutive victories, culminating with a 6 ½-length win in the Kentucky Derby.
A HALF-HOUR BEFORE Nicanor’s debut, a field of 10 3-year-olds contested the $150,000 Holy Bull Stakes, a Grade 3 event over 1 1/8 miles, with 12-1 longshot Saratoga Sinner edging 30-1 Bear’s Rocket for the win.
Under red-hot Julien Leparoux (who had ridden seven winners over the last two days), Saratoga Sinner tracked Bear’s Rocket from the outset as the latter set fractions of :23.62, :47.88, 1:12.73 and 1:38.20 for the opening mile. Leparoux asked Saratoga Sinner at the top of the stretch and the colt wore down Bear’s Rocket in the final eighth of a mile, winning by three-quarters of a length and completing the distance on a fast track in 1:51.45. West Side Bernie, making his first start since finishing second in the Delta Jackpot Dec. 5, made a strong move on the turn for home but could do no better than third. Kentucky Jockey Club winner Beethoven was fourth, getting a wide trip from the outside post position in his first start since November.
Saratoga Sinner was coming off a maiden win Jan. 7 at Gulfstream Park, his fourth start for the Lally Stable and trainer Eddie Kenneally. The son of Harlan’s Holiday out of Naughty Linda, by Slew City Slew, was bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones and sold at the Keeneland September yearling sale for $130,000. Chart.
Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report
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Tags: Barbaro, gretchen jackson, gulfstream park, holy bull, julien leparoux, lael stables, michael matz, nicanor, Roy Jackson, saratoga sinner, warrior's reward
January 31st, 2009 at 5:21 pm
So he got beat? Happens to most horses, but I thought it was a BTL (better than looked) effort, and I woudn’t be that discouraged. As the guy used to say on Mod Squad, “Bad trip, man.”
January 31st, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Matz rarely has 2 yo winners first time out. Nicanor had a learning experience and will, I am sure ,come on a lot for the effort.
January 31st, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Sorry - I should have said 3 yo.
January 31st, 2009 at 5:38 pm
There was a reason Nic faded. According to Edgar Prado, he grabbed a quarter - when that happened, Edgar eased him up, “saving him for another day, another race.”
January 31st, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Odds are great that Nicanor will never be anything but an allowance horse. A lot of people have/had high expectations due to Barbaro’s record.
January 31st, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Nicanor—Worst 2-1 shot in months. I had the winner, but missed the Pick 3 because I took the two outside horses in the Holy Bull going 1 1/8 miles like a moron. Hard to gamble at Frank’s Place. Nicanor may get through his conditions, but that is about it.
January 31st, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Cut the horse some slack!! He was moving up fast after a poor start out of the gate and it sure looked to me and everyone that Prado was gonna have it wrapped up a la Barbaro style. Grabbing the quarter front out of the gate explains why that didn’t happen!!! So for all you nay sayers and grim wreapers Nicanor will have another chance to kick some serious butt ! Looking at the easy way he moved up I’d say Prado is right Nicanor is better than that!!
Even if he’s not…he’s one goodlooking horse and he has a baby brother that looks promising too?? If Stormcat can produce multiple winners I say why not Dynaformer and La Ville Rouge??? If they produced one Barbaro then why not something equivalent or better???? I know it’s possible….
January 31st, 2009 at 7:17 pm
He looks like he has some ability. Time will tell. I hope he didn’t tear off too much.
January 31st, 2009 at 7:51 pm
The prior post by Green Monkey, ironically, said it best with the odds and likely reality of what Nicanor will turn out to be. The collective ‘wishing, hoping and praying’ of any number of horses in this sport to be “a contenda” has long been the story of horse racing.
The sobering fact is that only a thin percentage - regardles if sired by Storm Cat or just Old Nobody - will ever qualify for in a graded stakes race let alone win one.
Even with that said it shouldn’t take away from someone proudly declaring themselves a fan of his or any horse for that matter. There are horses who are “just claimers” who are wonderful horses with grit, heart, and a can do attitude with plenty of people who are happy to root them on.
I just happen to like horses who earn their praise - like the since retired ‘Evening Attire’ vs. just being a fan of a particular unproven horse because he’s out of XYZ, trained by So-and-So and/or owned by Mr. Blah-Blah.
January 31st, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Glimmerglass said it well. The horses I prefer to watch are the claimers and allowance horses that are here for a while. Mananan McLir was one of my favorite west coasters. Plagued with injuries, he still did well and his last Santa Anita meet brought some thrilling races. He’s now at Tranquility Farm.
Arromanches was another one to watch in NY. Too many to list.
If Nicanor proves not to be a “success” who knows what the Jacksons will do with him. Time will tell. He did bring a lot of people to the track who may not have come. Too bad he didn’t start on an “off” weekend. I’m sure GP was already filled to capacity.