Unbridled S Song

The Kentucky Derby favorite is a head case.Unbridled's Song, heavily favored to win the 122nd Derby on May 4, is excitable and temperamental. When paraded in front of 140,000 screaming fans at Churchill Downs, he just might blow a gasket.Yet the formidable gray colt is widely regarded as the most talented thoroughbred of his generation. His Achilles' heel may be his pre-race problems."Never before in Derby history has there been more discussion about a horse's behavior in the paddock and post parade," said Jim Bolus, a Kentucky Derby historian from Louisville.

Two Maryland racehorse owners -- who last weekend were one race away from the Kentucky Derby -- will not send their horses to Churchill Downs for the first Saturday in May.Herb Kushner, owner of Romano Gucci, and Stuart S. Janney III, owner of Draw, say their horses will not run in the Kentucky Derby. On April 13, in final auditions for the Derby, Romano Gucci finished third in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York, and Draw ran fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky."

NEW YORK -- Even before today's final major Kentucky Derby preps are run, Unbridled's Song is a winner.By meeting a small, relatively weak field in the $500,000, 1 1/8 -mile Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, he should triumph with less than an all-out effort, emerging with energy in reserve for the Kentucky Derby three weeks away."

HALLANDALE, Fla. After his convincing victory in Saturday's Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, Unbridled's Song will run next in the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct on April 13 and the Florida Derby also-rans will run elsewhere.No one seems anxious to tackle the gray, almost black, son of Unbridled again anytime soon, at least not before the Kentucky Derby on May 4."He's the real deal," his trainer, Jim Ryerson, said yesterday, the morning after Unbridled's Song demolished what was touted as the deepest Florida Derby field in decades.

HALLANDALE, Fla. - Unbridled's Song snatched back the title of Kentucky Derby favorite yesterday with an emphatic 5 3/4 -length victory in the $500,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.The gray son of the champion Unbridled stalked the pacesetter Appealing Skier for three quarters of a mile and then, on the final turn, under a brilliant Florida sun, pulled away and charged alone to the finish line.On this day, he was invincible. It wasn't always so.After winning the 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile last October in only the third race of his career, Unbridled's Song finished second in his first two starts of 1996.

HALLANDALE, Fla. - The forecast for today's Florida Derby calls for 80-degree temperatures, sunny skies and muddled conditions for handicappers.This premier prep for the Kentucky Derby features potential superstars but no obvious standout. It's the kind of race that makes the journey to the Triple Crown races one of the most challenging and captivating in sports.The top two Kentucky Derby hopefuls Cobra King and Unbridled's Song will meet here for the first time. Although 9-to-5 and 2-to-1, respectively, in the morning line, they raise more questions than they answer.

... TC The Triple Crown prep season gets serious today when early Kentucky Derby favorite Unbridled's Song takes on seven rivals in the $200,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.Despite the defection of Appealing Skier, a strong field is due to test Unbridled's Song, including the D. Wayne Lukas entry of Editor's Note, Victory Speech and Gold Fever.New Farm's Appealing Skier, trained by Ben Perkins Sr., beat the Derby choice in the seven-furlong Hutcheson Stakes on Feb. 4. That was considered a tuneup for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion.

Of the 354 horses on the early-nomination list for this year's Triple Crown, Unbridled's Song was considered the leader.The Kentucky Derby future book favorite was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile champion during a light 2-year-old campaign.But yesterday's $75,000, Grade II Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park showed that he is not invincible.The son of 1990 Derby winner Unbridled ran well in his first race since the Juvenile last October, but was beaten by a half-length by Appealing Skier in what amounted to a tuneup for the Fountain of Youth Stakes in three weeks.