TRIPLE CROWN RATINGS : Smith Unconcerned About Finding Mount for Derby

At a time when most jockeys are scrambling to find mounts for the Kentucky Derby, Mike Smith has turned down assignments on two top 3-year-olds to ride Concern in the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 15.

Smith was aboard Thunder Gulch for both of his victories at Gulfstream Park--in the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby. But the $500,000 Blue Grass Stakes, one of the last remaining Derby preps, is at Keeneland the same day as the Oaklawn race, so Pat Day will take over on Thunder Gulch.

Also on April 15 is the $500,000 Wood Memorial, and Shane Sellers has drawn the mount for the Aqueduct race on Talkin Man, who will be the favorite. Smith rode Talkin Man to a seven-length victory in the Gotham at Aqueduct last month.

Smith, who has led the country in purses and won Eclipse Awards the last two years, still is likely to come up with a Derby mount. Day is the regular rider for Timber Country, one of the favorites Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby, and if trainer Wayne Lukas runs both Timber Country and Thunder Gulch in the Kentucky Derby, Smith could be back in the picture. Also, Talkin Man’s trainer, Roger Attfield, said that Sellers’ assignment for the Wood is only a one-race commitment.

Though winless with five Derby mounts, Smith has been astride some live horses at Churchill Downs. In 1990, he finished ninth with Thirty Six Red, after they had won the Wood two weeks before; in 1993, Smith won the Blue Grass with Prairie Bayou, then they finished second to Sea Hero in the Derby; and last year, he rode Holy Bull, the 2-1 favorite, to a 12th-place finish. A favorite hasn’t won the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979.

Timber Country worked five furlongs Monday in :59 3/5. In other workouts for Santa Anita Derby probables, Petionville was clocked in 1:01 4/5 at Hollywood Park, and Lake George had a half-mile time of :46 4/5, the best of the morning, at Santa Anita.

Afternoon Deelites, who will be favored, worked six furlongs Sunday at Santa Anita in 1:14 1/5. There were 19 works at that distance, and 10 horses worked faster than Afternoon Deelites. Trainer Richard Mandella’s colt had the same time as the 19-horse average.

“He went great,” Mandella said. “We got him to slow down. He went a half in :50, then he went an eighth in :11 and change and then out three-quarters in :13. We got him to settle, which we wanted to do.”

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THE RATINGS

Horse S 1 2 3 Earnings 1. Afternoon Deelites 5 5 0 0 $528,125 2. Timber Country 9 4 1 3 $ 991,090 3. Thunder Gulch 8 4 2 1 $691,006 4. Suave Prospect 13 4 5 1 $358,850 5. Talkin Man 7 4 1 0 $377,967 6. Larry The Legend 4 3 1 0 $163,425 7. In Character 4 1 2 0 $90,316 8. Petionville 4 4 0 0 $324,025 9. Eltish 6 3 2 1 $377,189 10. French Deputy 3 3 0 0 $66,000

Advisory panel for The Times’ Triple Crown Ratings: Racing historian Jim Bolus; Trevor Denman, announcer at four Southern California tracks; Tom Durkin, track announcer in New York and Florida; and Dave Johnson, racing telecaster for ABC and ESPN.