Sweet Catomine Is Not Inspiring Fear

One rival trainer says that Sweet Catomine doesn’t have “scary” speed, and there also doesn’t seem to be much all-around fear of the champion filly in Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby. At least 12 horses may start, which would give the race its biggest field in 24 years.

The Santa Anita Derby and the Wood Memorial, which will be run at Aqueduct on Saturday, are expected to further whittle the list of contenders for the Kentucky Derby on May 7. The favorite in a wide-open Derby is not a horse but a trainer, Nick Zito, who could have four and possibly five starters at Churchill Downs.

Two of Zito’s hopefuls, High Fly and Noble Causeway, ran 1-2 in Saturday’s Florida Derby, and Zito said Sunday that they won’t run again before the Kentucky Derby. Although Zito is a master at winning big races with horses returning from lengthy layoffs, this Derby will severely test his mien. The last Derby winner with more than a four-week gap between races was Needles, who won in 1956 off a 40-day layoff.

Zito said that he hopes to run Bellamy Road in the Wood and Sun King, who might give him his best shot to win the Derby, is ticketed for the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 16. Another Derby prep April 16 is the Arkansas Derby.

Another Zito 3-year-old, Andromeda’s Hero, must earn his way into the Kentucky Derby in an upcoming race. The son of Fusaichi Pegasus, the 2000 Derby winner, will run in the Arkansas Derby or the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 23.

In California, Sweet Catomine will try to become the fourth filly -- and the first since Winning Colors in 1988 -- to win the Santa Anita Derby.

“Sweet Catomine might be the best filly we’ve had since Winning Colors,” said trainer Nick Hines, who’s running two horses, Allright and Customer, in the Santa Anita Derby, “but she doesn’t have Winning Colors’ scary speed. A lot of guys feel she has to prove it. It’s still an even playing field. There are no fear factors.”

Marty and Pam Wygod, who bred and race Sweet Catomine, are not committed to the Kentucky Derby.

“We’ll see how she does against the boys,” Marty Wygod said. “If she’s good enough, we’ll consider the Derby.”

The usual option for 3-year-old fillies is the gender-restricted Kentucky Oaks, run at Churchill the day before the Derby.

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Trainer Doug O’Neill’s dream weekend, which included three stakes victories at two tracks Saturday, continued Sunday at Santa Anita.

Harvard Avenue, a 5-1 shot, took advantage of a torrid pace to rally widest of all and out-finished 8-1 outsider Rushin’ To Altar by half a length to win the $200,000 Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Owned by breeder Ron Crockett and ridden by Garrett Gomez, the 4-year-old You And I gelding, who was last of nine down the backstretch, prevailed in 1:16.12 for the 6 1/2 furlongs. It was the third victory in 15 starts for Harvard Avenue, but his first since he won going one mile at Emerald Downs in Washington on Aug. 30, 2003.

On Saturday, O’Neill won the WinStar/Sunland Park Oaks and WinStar Derby at Sunland Park in New Mexico, and the Tokyo City Handicap at Santa Anita.

Hasty Kris, the 2-1 favorite who was looking for his third consecutive victory, finished sixth.

Times staff writer Bob Mieszerski contributed to this report.

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Triple Crown Ratings

Tribune Co. ratings for 3-year-olds leading to the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes:

Horse; Jockey; Trainer; St; W; P; S; Last race; Next race

1. Sun King; Edgar Prado; Nick Zito; 6; 3; 0; 2; Tampa Bay Derby (1st); Blue Grass Stakes (April 16)

2. High Fly; Jerry Bailey; Nick Zito; 6; 5; 0; 1; Florida Derby (1st); Kentucky Derby (May 7)

3. Consolidator; Rafael Bejarano; Wayne Lukas; 9; 3; 1; 1; San Felipe (1st); Blue Grass Stakes (April 16)

4. Greater Good; John McKee; Bob Holthus; 7; 5; 0; 1; Rebel Stakes (1st); Arkansas Derby (April 16)

5. Noble Causeway; Edgar Prado; Nick Zito; 6; 3; 3; 0; Florida Derby (2nd); Kentucky Derby (May 7)

6. Sweet Catomine; Corey Nakatani; Julio Canani; 6; 5; 1; 0; Santa Anita Oaks (1st); Santa Anita Derby (Saturday)

7. Survivalist; Richard Migliore; Shug McGaughey; 5; 2; 2; 0; Gotham Stakes (1st); Wood Memorial (Saturday)

8. High Limit; Ramon Dominguez; Bobby Frankel; 3; 3; 0; 0; Louisiana Derby (1st); Blue Grass Stakes (April 16)

9. Rockport Harbor; Stewart Elliott; John Servis; 5; 4; 1; 0; Rebel Stakes (2nd); Arkansas Derby (April 16)

10. Don’t Get Mad; Tyler Baze; Ron Ellis; 4; 2; 1; 1; San Felipe (3rd); Santa Anita Derby (Saturday)

Triple Crown panel: Bill Christine, Los Angeles Times; Tom Keyser, Baltimore Sun; Dave Joseph, South Florida Sun-Sentinel; Liam Durbin, Chicago Tribune; Paul Moran, Newsday