El Kabeir Gets Early Start on Derby Trail

By Jerry Bossert



El Kabeir has earned 11 points toward a berth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), but is looking for more as he heads the field in the $200,000 Jerome Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 3 from Aqueduct Racetrack.



The Jerome offers Derby points to the top four finishers on a 10-4-2-1 basis in the mile and 70-yard contest over Aqueduct's inner dirt track. Though very early in the game, El Kabeir is third on the Kentucky Derby leader board. A win or a second would vault the son of Scat Daddy   past both Carpe Diem (14) and Texas Red (12).



Owned by Zayat Stables, El Kabeir scored a gutsy wire-to-wire victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs Nov. 29, holding on to win by a head over Imperia after taking a two-length lead in the stretch.



"The Zayats thought Churchill was the spot to see if he could get two turns and ship and obviously he got over that hurdle and has handled it really well," trainer John Terranova said. "I think he's a really good colt. Very talented. He's high energy and he's starting to mature and get stronger."



El Kabeir showed plenty of talent when he broke his maiden at Saratoga Race Course in his second start Aug. 30 by 10 3/4 lengths. He next took a giant step in the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park Oct. 4. He was bet down to 5-2 odds but never threatened, finishing a distant fourth behind winner Daredevil over a sloppy, sealed track.



"The Champagne was a throwout," Terranova said. "The track was a mess. He was trapped down on the inside."



Terranova added blinkers to gray Florida-bred for his next start, and El Kabeir responded with a clear second-place finish in the Nashua Stakes (gr. II) over Aqueduct's muddy main track Nov. 2. El Kabeir finished five lengths behind Blofeld, but 5 1/2 lengths ahead of the third-place finisher after setting the pace in the one-mile race.



"We added the blinkers and he was a little keen early on over a tiring track," Terranova said. "Blofeld is a very nice colt."



Off of that strong effort, the decision was made to try the Kentucky Jockey Club, where El Kabeir went right to the front under jockey Calvin Borel and prevailed narrowly while covering the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:44.82.



Borel has the return mount in the Jerome.



"Calvin seemed to fit him well and was able to rate him well on the front end," Terranova said. "We're more than happy that he wants to stick with him."



Although nothing is "set in stone," Terranova said he would like to keep El Kabeir in New York on the road to the Triple Crown.



"He's been training great and seems to be thriving here," the trainer said. "We'll keep moving forward as long as he lets us, and hope he gets us there (to the Kentucky Derby on May 2)."



El Kabeir is the starting highweight in the Jerome, carrying 122 pounds, and will break from the outside post in the nine-horse field.



Nasa ships in from Parx Racing for trainer John Servis having won two of four career starts including the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes Dec. 6. It's a race that his sire Smarty Jones   won late in in 2003 before going on to capture the Kentucky Derby.