Bambera Si, Christine Yes … Lentenor No

South Florida is hotter than usual today, as five graded stakes highlight a marvelous racing card at Gulfstream Park. The racetrack’s most important race, the Grade 1 Florida Derby, is the headliner, but it may be a couple of fillies who steal the spotlight. Much talked about, but not yet tested in American stakes racing, Christine Daae and Bambera take the first step to major goals this afternoon in the Bonnie Miss and Rampart Stakes respectively. Also of great interest to many will be the acid test for Lentenor in the Florida Derby. Lentenor of course is a full brother to the ill fated Barbaro and is owned and trained by the Jacksons and Michael Matz who ran the Florida and Kentucky Derby winner of 2006. How will these potential stars do in their indoctrination to graded stakes racing? Let’s take a look at their chances… ***The remainder of today's column can be found on Youbet.com*** Click Here

Lentenor Lift-Off?

Born with his own fan base, to say Lentenor has been watched closely throughout his young life would be a major understatement. The attractive bay son of Dynaformer and La Ville Rouge has yet to disappoint his throngs of followers. His latest race was a sharp maiden score over the Gulfstream Park turf course in a maiden special weight. Today the competition will get more contentious for Lentenor, as he takes on winners for the first time. Eleven other three-year-olds are entered for the race, including several promising turfers. The Kiaran McLaughlin trained pair of Saint Eligius and Krypton, and turf winners Stately Victor, Doubles Partner, and Becky‘s Kitten head the opposition. Make no mistake, though, all eyes will be on Lentenor. Lentenor has made a solid progression in each of his three starts. He began his career last Fall with a good effort on Keeneland’s synthetic surface. At a distance probably not best suited for him, seven furlongs, Lentenor showed promise in waiting, angling out, and running on well late for a third place finish. In his second career start, he tried turf for the fist time in a 1 1/16 maiden race at Aqueduct. Despite a very testing trip, Lentenor kept trying and was second only defeated by half a length. It looked light he might blow by at the eighth pole, but he appeared to have gotten a little tired late, after taking much the worst of the racing luck during the race. Once again it may have been a defeat, but it was an improvement over the first race and was enough to keep hopes high. In his third race, Lentenor showed everything you would want to see from a future stakes horse. Closer to the pace this time, he stalked the early leader, pounced on the turn, and then turned away strong opposition as they straightened out. He won going away and the time for 1 1/16 race was solid. The win sets him up nicely for today’s race and points him out as strictly the horse to beat. Coglianese Photo With a winning performance today, Lentenor will likely step on to the path of his older, full brother, Barbaro, who left the comforts of the turf course to tackle bigger things on the dirt. In 2006, Barbaro used a victory in the Florida Derby to propel himself to a tour de force win in the Kentucky Derby. Lentenor’s connections of trainer Michael Matz and owner’s Roy and Gretchen Jackson are the same team who campaigned Barbaro. In Barbaro they had a wonderful horse who’s life was cut tragically short. He took them to monumental highs, and then unspeakable lows. His connections proved to be of great class throughout the saga, and millions would love to see them rewarded with another top horse. I, for one, would love to see Lentenor given a chance in the Florida Derby. Barbaro was a beautiful horse, and I understand why so many have rooted so vociferously for his brothers Nicanor and Lentenor. I took the attitude, to wait and see what kind of horses they were before rooting too hard. I had no intention of becoming a big fan/believer only because they were brothers of Barbaro. Clearly Nicanor had talent, but has had health issues. In Lentenor, I see even more potential. I have studied the films of his first three races closely, and I really think the Jacksons and Matz are on to something here. Lentenor has the look of a horse that is getting better and better with development. If he remains healthy, I have little doubt that he will become a stakes horse. It is a little too early for me to tout him as a Derby horse yet, but I certainly can not dismiss him either. Today, I expect a victory, and after that the possibilities become a whole lot more exciting.