HORSE RACING : Strike The Gold Is Derby Pick Here

Even though I don’t have anything against Churchill Downs, My Old Kentucky Home or the first Saturday of May, the Kentucky Derby isn’t one of my favorite races.

The reason is quite simple. I haven’t had much luck picking winners in the blasted race.

The only time I’ve been right in recent years was 1989, when Sunday Silence upset Easy Goer, and for lots of different reasons, it was a particularly satisfying victory.

Unfortunately, that was the only time I was right in the decade.

The 1990s didn’t start off any better.

My choice last year was Silver Ending, and the poor guy really hasn’t been the same since. The $1,500 yearling purchase has thrown in one stinker after another in recent months.

While explaining why I thought Silver Ending would win the 116th Derby, I also called Unbridled overrated and that probably helped propel him into the winner’s circle. It also helped increase my mail, none of which was laudatory.

Hopefully, things will be different this time around, and I’ll be able to better a percentage that pales in comparison to even the Clippers.

After much debate, the choice is Strike The Gold. Originally, I was going to pick Best Pal, but when he drew post No. 15 in a field of 16, I opted for the easy winner of the Blue Grass.

Strike The Gold, a lightly raced son of Alydar, appears to be coming into the Derby on the upswing, based on his last two races. He made Fly So Free work to win the Florida Derby, then came back and easily defeated the 2-year-old champion in the Blue Grass.

Trainer Nick Zito’s colt collared Fly So Free with more than a furlong to run and drew away in the run to the wire.

The pace figures to be legitimate, which will fit his come-from-behind style. He has a good post and, although most of his workouts have been slow, he seems to be handling the track fine.

The Dosage die-hards don’t like Strike The Gold, but the way he won the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass, he doesn’t appear to be a horse who will have trouble negotiating an additional eighth of a mile.

Best Pal, California’s best hope for another Derby success, has flourished at Churchill Downs. He has turned in one solid workout after another since arriving in Kentucky last month, and he should be ready to run his best race in what is his third start of 1991.

The Habitony gelding was beaten by only half a length by Dinard--who would have been our choice if he were running today--in both the San Rafael Stakes and Santa Anita Derby, and that alone makes him a strong contender.

His drawbacks are the post position and whether or not he’ll be able to go 1 1/4 miles.

Like Strike The Gold, Hansel is a colt on the rise. A distant third in the Florida Derby, the son of Woodman won the Jim Beam easily before beating three overmatched rivals by nine lengths in the Lexington on April 21 at Keeneland. He’ll be meeting much tougher competition today, but he may be up to handling it now.

Fly So Free is the most accomplished in the field with an Eclipse Award and more than $1.38 million in earnings, but he didn’t have any excuses when he was beaten by Strike The Gold last month. He put up no resistance when challenged, and perhaps he has already peaked.

The Time For A Change colt received no favors in the draw, either. He’s stuck on the rail, which has produced one winner--Ferdinand in 1986--in the last 27 years.

Sea Cadet figures to have the lead for a while, but the distance seems totally out of his reach. Corporate Report isn’t seasoned enough, Quintana drew Post 16 and has been beaten by the likes of Peace Of Nask and Screen Tale. Mane Minister simply isn’t good enough, and most of the others also don’t belong.

Besides the Kentucky Derby, which will be shown between the third and fourth races, Hollywood Park will offer two stakes races today.

The $110,350 Spotlight Breeders’ Cup Handicap, which will be run as the fifth race, brings together 3-year-olds going a mile on the turf.

Topping the field are River Traffic, who won the Laurel Futurity in his first U.S. start and, most recently, was third as the favorite in an allowance race at Santa Anita March 29.

Trained by Charlie Whittingham, the Irish River colt drew the outside post and will be ridden for the first time by Russell Baze.

Other contenders include Stark South, who beat River Traffic March 29 before finishing sixth in the California Derby; Gray Slewpy, who will try two turns for the first time after winning three of his first four starts; Sounds Fabulous, who has won two of three for trainer Don Warren, and La Puente Stakes winner Soweto.

The beaten favorite in his first two starts of the year, Sunny Blossom is the likely choice again in today’s $107,000 Los Angeles Handicap at six furlongs.

The rest of the field includes Doyouseewhatisee, Jorge Velasquez; Tanker Port, Eddie Delahoussaye; Jacodra, David Flores; Black Jack Road, Baze; and Yes I’m Blue, Julio Garcia.

Horse Racing Notes

Sunday’s $109,000 Wilshire Handicap drew seven entrants, including Santa Anita Budweiser Breeders’ Cup heroine Fire The Groom. Owned by Hollywood Park President R.D. Hubbard and trained by Bill Shoemaker, Fire The Groom rallied widest of all to win in her California debut. Gary Stevens again will ride in the Wilshire, which goes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Others entered are Appealing Missy, Chris McCarron; Agirlfromars, Alex Solis; Spring Daffodil, Laffit Pincay; Annual Reunion, Corey Nakatani; Gaelic Bird, Jose Santos; and Odalea, David Flores.