HORSE RACING : Full Field Set to Challenge Favored Arazi in Kentucky

To listen to the talk, you’d think Louisville was a one-horse town.

Arazi dominates conversations about the Kentucky Derby next Saturday at Churchill Downs, the site of his stirring victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Nov. 2.

The Derby, however, will be anything but a one-horse race.

In fact, it appears there will be a full field of 20 3-year-olds for the first time since 1984 when Swale won.

“The race has become an event,” said Neil Drysdale, trainer of A.P. Indy, the Santa Anita Derby winner. “People like to participate.”

As of the weekend, there were 22 probables. The field is limited to 20 starters based on money earned in graded stakes.

Arazi topped the list with $1,069,178. No. 20 was Al Sabin, with $15,000. Probables John The Bold and Thyer have earned no money from graded stakes.

John The Bold, however, was entered for the graded Federico Tessio Saturday at Pimlico. The purse breakdown is $75,000, $35,000 and $17,500 for the first three places respectively, but trainer Bill Boniface has indicated the colt must win to get to the Derby.

The Kentucky-bred Thyer, who has raced twice in England this year, was scheduled to fly to Louisville Sunday with Arazi, also a Kentucky-bred, and British-bred Dr Devious.

Dr Devious, who has raced in England, Germany and Italy, or possibly Thyer would be the first Derby winner to not have previously raced in the United States.

Canonero II came out of Venezuela and won the Derby in 1971, but that Kentucky-bred colt had raced twice in the United States as a 2-year-old.

Arazi won five of six starts in France before making his debut on the dirt and around two turns in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders Cup Juvenile.

Between Arazi’s race in France Oct. 5 and his U.S. debut, American Allen Paulsen sold a half interest in the colt to Sheik Mohammed al Maktoum of Dubai reportedly for $7 million to $10 million.

Arazi’s victory at Churchill Downs earned him an Eclipse Award as the champion 2-year-old of North America and made him the favorite for the 1 1/4-mile Derby, a role he has maintained despite arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from both knees.

“Arazi came to this country and destroyed all the 2-year-olds, but this year is 1992, not 1991.” said Jacinto Vasquez after winning the Blue Grass Stakes April 11 with Derby contender Pistols and Roses.

The last favorite and the last 2-year-old champion of the previous year to win Derby was Spectacular Bid in 1979.

“I am more and more impressed with him,” Steve Cauthen was quoted as saying after Arazi worked 1 1/8 miles Tuesday at the Chantilly track in France.

Cauthen rode Arazi in his only start this year, a 5-length win at about a mile on the grass April 7.

After that race, Cauthen, who has been based in England since 1979, said “I’ve ridden a lot of great horses, but he’s the first I’d compare to Affirmed.”

Cauthen was aboard Affirmed when it became the 11th, and last, Triple Crown winner in 1978.

Besides A.P. Indy and Pistols and Roses, other U.S. contenders for the Derby include Technology, winner of the Florida Derby; Pine Bluff, winner of the Arkansas Derby; Devil His Due, winner of the Wood Memorial, and Lil E. Tee, winner of the Jim Beam.

Devil His Due and Disposal, who has raced only twice this year, did not race as 2-year-olds.

The only Derby winner not have raced as a 2-year-old was Apollo, who won the eighth Derby in 1882.