Fly So Free Is Early Favorite to Win Derby

It was so easy then.

In the 1970s, when racing was graced with stars such as Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, there was a well-defined order to things: The 2-year-old champion became a 3-year-old monster. Six 2-year-old champions in the ‘70s won the Kentucky Derby the next year.

But that was then. It’s been 12 years since a juvenile champion has won the Kentucky Derby. Except for Chief’s Crown (third in 1985) and Easy Goer (second in 1989), no 2-year-old champ has even been close since Spectacular Bid won the 1979 Derby.

Many racing experts believe the streak is about to end.

Less than eight weeks until the May 4 Derby, Fly So Free is a strong favorite. After ending last season with a romp in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile -- clinching the Eclipse Award for best 2-year-old -- he has been equally impressive in winning both of his 1991 starts. On Saturday, he’ll be odds-on to win the $500,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, the East’s definitive prep race to date.

Fly So Free, trained by Flint “Scotty” Schulhofer, was so dominant in winning the Fountain of Youth in his last start that several rival trainers are passing up the Florida Derby for other spots along the Derby trail.

Richman, for one, won the Louisiana Derby in his last start, then returned to trainer Bill Mott’s Gulfstream base. Mott has chosen to race his colt in the $500,000 Jim Beam Stakes, bypassing the Florida Derby because of Fly So Free.

And Moment of True and Subordinated Debt, the 2-3 finishers in the Fountain of Youth, are expected to run next in the Preview Stakes and Jim Beam, respectively.

A field of eight is expected for the Florida Derby; Jackie Wackie, a winner of nine consecutive races against lesser company, will be second choice to Fly So Free.

Another missing from the Florida Derby is Cahill Road, but that’s understandable. Cahill Road, a promising but lightly-raced full brother to last year’s Derby winner, Unbridled, is Fly So Free’s stablemate. For as long as possible, Schulhofer wants to keep the colts apart, perhaps avoiding a discouraging loss for Cahill Road.

Schulhofer, 64, has been a racetracker since he was 17 and a trainer since 1968. He has never been in such an enviable position as now--another Derby prospect, Scan, also has been campaigning in Southern California.

Scan is not one of the favorites in his next race, Sunday’s San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, but the race is so contentious that it could be hard to pick the betting choice, much less the winner.

That’s the way the winter has gone in California, where many talented runners have been pointing to Derby berths. The San Felipe, second of the three major Santa Anita preps, should help bring the picture into focus. Three weeks later, the Santa Anita Derby is the West’s final major prep.

The two remaining California races are crucial: Not only should they produce the most serious opponents for Fly So Free, but they could yield the Derby winner. From 1986 to 1989, every Derby winner had wintered in California.

Some of the West’s best this year are Apollo, Best Pal, Compelling Sound, Dinard, General Meeting and Split Run.

Florida and California traditionally harbor the top Derby contenders through March, but legitimate candidates occasionally surface on other circuits.

In Maryland, Broad Brush (third in 1986) and Private Terms (ninth in 1988) were recent Derby starters with widespread support. This year, trainer Carlos Garcia believes he has an exceptional colt in Haymaker, who should be a clear favorite in Sunday’s $175,000 Tesio Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, the only significant Maryland prep.

One more Derby possibility is the unbeaten filly Meadow Star, who was scratched from a Gulfstream allowance race last week. Meadow Star (seven for seven) has since shipped north and could make her 1991 debut in the Comely Stakes (March 30 at Aqueduct), restricted to fillies.