Derby Is Still a Gray Area for Unshaded

Unshaded was the only starter in Saturday’s $357,400 Coolmore Lexington Stakes who wasn’t nominated for the Triple Crown series.

But Unshaded could very well be in the starting gate at Churchill Downs 13 days from now after an impressive victory in the Lexington at Keeneland in Kentucky.

Owner James Tafel will have to decide whether to supplement Unshaded to the Derby for $150,000.

In the race Charismatic won a year ago before his shocker in the Derby, Unshaded--a 6-1 shot--trailed the field for most of the way, then rallied wide under jockey Shane Sellers and drew away to beat 3-1 second choice Globalize by three lengths. He completed the 11/16 miles in 1:43 3/5.

“We overcame three obstacles today,” trainer Carl Nafzger said. “We hadn’t run [since a Feb. 26 victory at Gulfstream Park], we moved from allowance to stakes company and he was running over a speed-favoring track with tight turns. That’s a lot to overcome.

“The colt is inexperienced and is still learning. It will be up to Mr. Tafel to decide [about the Derby].”

Globalize, who had won the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park last month, outfinished 20-1 shot Harlan Traveler by a head for the place and a nose back in fourth was 2-1 favorite Commendable. Commendable’s trainer, Wayne Lukas, indicated afterward his colt will go on to the Derby and the same is probably true for Globalize, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

Sellers, who rode Unshaded for the first time on Saturday, hopes his owner opts to run the first Saturday of May.

“He’s . . . just learning what he is doing out there,” Sellers said. “I don’t know what they are planning on doing, but I sure wouldn’t mind if they decided to go to the Derby. He’s improving all the time and he just ran on pure talent today.”

Unshaded is a son of Unbridled, who won the Derby 10 years ago.

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Trainer Neil Drysdale won the $400,000 San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap at Santa Anita for a second consecutive year on Saturday, but Single Empire did not.

Single Empire, the defending champion and 7-10 favorite, had to settle for second behind stablemate Sunshine Street in the meet’s longest race.

Ridden for the first time by Jerry Bailey, Sunshine Street, who had won only once in 17 starts entering this year, made it three victories in a row with a two-length decision in 2:49 for distance of about 1 3/4 miles.

Trailing through the pedestrian pace for most of the race, Sunshine Street moved five wide to join the rest of the field and asserted his superiority in the final quarter-mile.

“Sunshine Street had a nice, clear run on the outside, but Single Empire . . . [jockey] Kent [Desormeaux] said that what he came through [on the inside] he got hammered and he felt it kind of knocked the breath out of the horse,” Drysdale said. “[Single Empire] ran the rest of the way just on guts.”

Single Empire finished a length in front of Chelsea Barracks, the longest shot in the five-horse field at nearly 36-1, then came 7-2 third choice Star Performance and Company Approval. Jack Grandi was scratched earlier in the day.

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Happyanunoit, arguably the best female turf runner in the nation at the end of last year, will make her first start of 2000 for trainer Bobby Frankel in today’s $250,000 Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita.

A field of six was entered for the Grade II, but the Santa Barbara boils down to three runners.

Besides Happyanunoit, the 2-1 morning line favorite who ended 1999 with victories in the Vinery First Lady at Keeneland and the Matriarch at Hollywood Park, the lineup also includes Spanish Fern and Caffe Latte. Spanish Fern is also trained by Frankel and enters off a win in the Santa Ana Handicap. Caffe Latte made a successful return to the races earlier in the month in her first outing for trainer Bob Baffert.

Completing the field, in post position order, are Histoire Sainte, Marie De Bayeux and Country Garden. Histoire Sainte won her U.S. debut at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans on March 4 and Country Garden was third in the Santa Ana.

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Full Moon Madness won for the third time in four races this year, with a decisive victory in the $106,100 Valiant Pete Handicap at Santa Anita.

Full Moon Madness, Owned by the Corey Family Trust and trained by Bob Marshall, tracked the early pace under Desormeaux, then came away in the stretch to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:08 4/5 for the six furlongs.

Champ’s Star rallied to beat 9-10 favorite Love That Red by a nose for second and it was another nose back to Roaring Red. Lesters Boy was last in the field of five California breds.

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Louisiana Derby winner Mighty will not run in the Kentucky Derby because of a minor leg injury. Trainer Frank Brothers said that the colt has a strained knee that he may have suffered in a disappointing seventh place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 16. . . . Ruby Rubles made it three wins in a span of two weeks with a gate-to-wire score in the $126,300 Bed O’ Roses Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Aqueduct. Trained by John Parisella for Rick Pitino’s Celtic Pride Stable, Ruby Rubles has now won four in a row. She completed the mile on a muddy track in 1:36 4/5 and beat 19-10 favorite Up We Go by 2 1/4 lengths. Morning-line favorite Honest Lady was scratched because of track condition. . . . At Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, Tahdoka Hills was the winner of the $300,000 Lone Star Derby and Sir Bear edged Forty One Carats to win the $300,000 Texas Mile.