Denis of Cork's owner: My bad

From William K. Warren, owner of Denis of Cork

I take sole responsibility for the decision to run in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne. Denis of Cork's poor showing was not due to the jockey, Julien Leparoux, or my trainer, David Carroll. The disaster was my fault alone.

I have never made such a bad decision in horse racing as the one I made to take Denis of Cork to Hawthorne. After the race, Suzanne was devastated and I was in total shock. The race was a complete failure and has probably eliminated Denis from the Kentucky Derby.

In mapping out Denis' campaign, I made two very grave errors. First, I paid too much attention to the fact that the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes are three races over five weeks, and I wanted Denis of Cork to participate in all three races.

The five-week schedule is truly a demanding challenge for any three-year old. I worried over that possibility, and thus worked backward from the date of the Kentucky Derby to a race four weeks beforehand and the only two that came up were the Illinois Derby and the Wood Memorial. I did not want Denis of Cork to race this coming weekend because he would have had only three weeks rest before the Kentucky Derby. Hindsight shows we should have raced in The Rebel at Oaklawn.

Second, my research and analysis of the races at Hawthorne in late March showed that 50% of the races were won by horses coming from off the pace and 50% went wire to wire. Thus, I felt the racetrack would be fair to both types of horses.

However, the day of the race, it was evident that in the first six races, the horses that won went to the lead and stayed wire to wire. There was a definite speed bias, particularly along the rail. Simply stated, the Hawthorne racetrack was not a fair track. They never even watered the track between races which would have enabled Denis of Cork to gain traction. The track was cuppy and light, and definitely not suited for any horse coming off the pace. I compromised Denis of Cork's chances of winning by sending him to Hawthorne. He will not do well on a speed bias track.

Those that are invited to participate in the Kentucky Derby qualify by their earnings. At this point in time, I think it is very, very remote that Denis of Cork will be in the Kentucky Derby. I have pre-paid over $86,000 for 18 hotel rooms and transportation. I feel at this time I need to cut my losses and pare back reservations. Thus, I am cancelling everything except for the rooms for my family. Regretably, the best of plans have gone astray, and I herewith apologize to everyone who placed a bet on Denis of Cork. I'm sorry. The only thing we can do now is look forward to his future races where he has an opportunity to win.


Tomcito breezes at Churchill

Tomcito, a well-beaten third in the Florida Derby, his debut, in the United States, traveled to Churchill Downs on Wednesday for a five-furlong work as the son of Street Cry took a test run on the track over which the Kentucky Derby will be run on May 3.

The Peruvian colt traveled by van from trainer Dante Zanelli’s base at Keeneland and worked over a “fast” track. Manfredy Guzman, a former jockey in Peru, was in the saddle as Tomcito covered the distance in 1:01.40. Churchill Downs clockers caught Tomcito in fractions of :13.40, :26.20, :38 and :50 and he galloped out six furlongs in :1:14.40. The move ranked fifth among 18 works at the distance.

“We wanted him to just recognize the track and know where the finish line was,” Zanelli said. “We wanted to do an easy three-quarters, and that’s exactly what he did. He finished strong – he finished 11-and-three the last eighth and he galloped out well. He’s really moving forward big time. He’s improving every day and he’s doing it really well.”

Tomcito has been mentioned as a candidate for the $325,000 Coolmore Lexington at Keeneland on April 19, but Zanelli said he is taking a “wait and see” approach on that race. He would prefer not to run again prior to the Kentucky Derby, but Tomcito might not have sufficient earnings in graded stakes races to make the maximum 20-horse field in the Derby. Tomcito is currently 24th in earnings among eligible horses but several ahead of him are unlikely starters.

“We’re going wait and see what happens this weekend (in Derby prep races),” Zanelli said. “We’ll have to do what we have to do, but we think the five weeks between the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby would work for us. He is professional, he knows what to do and he has experience from last year.”
Zanelli said Tomcito would remain at Keeneland until shortly before the Derby.

Tomcito has a career record of 4-1-1 in six races with earnings of $154,139. Unlike his Kentucky Derby rivals, Tomcito has already run and won at the Kentucky Derby distance of a mile and a quarter and the Belmont Stakes distance of a mile and a half. He has graded stakes earnings of $151,292. The Kentucky Derby field is limited to 20 horses, with preference given to horses with the highest total earnings in graded stakes races.


Duh?

At its annual meeting in Austin, Texas, in late March, the board of directors of the Racing Officials Accreditation Program (ROAP) approved a Code of Conduct for licensed accredited stewards and judges.

The Code of Conduct would prohibit wagering on any horse race conducted in the United States, participating in the sale, purchase or ownership of racehorses, and selling equine insurance during their appointment as a steward or judge. These recommendations will be forwarded to the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) Model Rules Committee for formal approval and subsequently to racing commissions for their consideration.

“Stewards and judges must at all times conduct themselves with integrity and act in a professional and ethical manner both professionally and personally,” said ROAP Chairman Stan Bowker. “The Code of Conduct approved by the ROAP board establishes and defines the ethical and behavioral guidelines within which licensed stewards and judges are expected to conduct themselves.

“With the advent of simulcasting and account wagering, there may be some stewards and judges who have wagered on races that occurred outside their jurisdictions,” Bowker said. “While we do not believe we have a serious problem with our stewards and judges, the NBA did not think so either until one of its officials came under scrutiny. The regulation of wagering requires the utmost in integrity and ethical standards and we want to make certain there is no question in the minds of the public and participants that the judgment of our stewards and judges is not being compromised in any way by outside influences tied to wagering.”