Prince Of Thieves Is Class of Class

With the Kentucky Derby a little more than two months away, trainer Wayne Lukas and jockey Gary Stevens may have the horse to duplicate their success with Thunder Gulch last year.

Prince Of Thieves is the 3-year-old at the head of the local class right now. A three-quarter brother of 1995 Preakness winner Timber Country, the son of Hansel moved himself to the front with a decisive victory in the Santa Catalina Stakes on Feb. 4.

Although helped by a track that favored the outside and those coming from off the pace, Prince Of Thieves improved immensely from his 1996 debut, and he has the looks, style and stride to flourish at 1 1/4 miles, the Derby distance.

A look at the rest of one man’s top 10 among the horses stationed here:

2--Alyrob. After Jewel Princess’ victory in the La Canada Stakes on Feb. 11, trainer Wally Dollase told a group of reporters not “to give up on” Alyrob. Anyone who has is wrong. After beating a good allowance field for his second victory in three starts, the Alysheba gelding was compromised by a less-than-ideal trip and a track he didn’t care for in the Santa Catalina. Besides, the way Dollase has gone this meeting--seven stakes victories already--you ignore one of his horses at your own peril.

3--Smithfield. Trainer Charlie Whittingham has won the Kentucky Derby twice in the last 10 years with Ferdinand (1986) and Sunday Silence (1989), and he might be going to Churchill Downs again. Smithfield has only a maiden victory, but he ran well in second-place finishes to Alyrob and Prince Of Thieves in his most recent races. He was caught inside on tracks where that wasn’t the place to be, and he was also pressing the pace, which doesn’t appear to be the way he wants to run. The son of Halo looks as though he wants to sit back early and make a late run.

4--Matty G. The upset winner of the Hollywood Futurity had to give away a lot of weight when making his first start of the year in the Santa Catalina, and he also was running on a track that wasn’t kind to speed. He’ll improve off the race, but the question is whether he’s a one-dimensional horse who has to be in front to do well.

5--Hennessy. His 2-year-old accomplishments are the reason he is placed here, because he has yet to surface this year. His capability to get the classic distance is very much in doubt, and he did end 1995 with a four-race losing streak.

6--Grindstone. The dark horse from the Lukas stable. He returned after a lengthy layoff with a better-than-he-looked second behind Budroyale last week. Never less than three-wide throughout the race, Grindstone made up ground through the stretch after some slow fractions. A son of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled, he should be making some noise before too long.

7--Honour And Glory. Like Hennessy, he might not want to run the Derby distance, but he has shown his quality in two sprints this year. He took the San Miguel easily, then was beaten in a photo finish in the San Vicente after being hooked in an early speed duel. Passed by winner Afleetaffair near the wire, Honour And Glory was trying to come back at the wire. Some observers thought he might have won.

8--Afleetaffair. How far this California-bred will run and where he’ll run next are two things that remain to be seen. Still, it’s hard to knock a 3-year-old who has yet to be worse than second.

9--Tiger Talk. Unbeaten in two starts, he showed some grit to win an allowance race against two other promising youngsters, Sandtrap and Margeds Dancer, last week, but how he’ll do when he stretches out is another story.

10--Cavonnier. Another Cal-bred who tries hard every time, he won the El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows in January at 1 1/16 miles, but that wasn’t much of a race. Cara Rafaela, the beaten favorite that day, was the beaten favorite again in the Las Virgenes last Sunday. Sergeant Stroh, who was second in the El Camino Real, was 104-1 and had broken his maiden in an $8,500 claimer.