Football
Jeremy Plonk, Horse 22y

Saarland's Road to the Roses: Week

What does it take to get a horse to the Kentucky Derby? To find out, ESPN.com is tracking a top 3-year-old -- 2001 Remsen Stakes winner Saarland -- for as long as he is a viable candidate for Derby 128. Trainer Shug McGaughey has granted writer Jeremy Plonk daily access to his barn to construct a detailed diary of Saarland's journey on the Road to the Roses, recording his activities as well as those of the people that care for him. Here is how the Cynthia Phipps-owned sophomore spent the ninth week of 2002.

Tuesday, Feb. 26
There's a grin around barn 14 today as the stable takes pride in another victory and gets good news on the health of one of its top 3-year-olds. Week 9 on the road to the Triple Crown looks to be much more positive for Team Saarland.

Saarland gets a day off from the Gulfstream Park racetrack this morning after his best workout of the year a day prior. He walks 45 minutes inside the shedrow with hotwalker Christian San Martin leading the way. The big horse will resume his preparation tomorrow for the March 17 Gotham Stakes in New York.

The staff beams at yesterday's win by Jackpot, Saarland's workmate who returned to the races after a 10-month layoff to win by 3 ¾ lengths. You'll recall that Jackpot is horse that tossed his rider in a dual workout with Saarland a few weeks back and rolled solo through the drill. Jackpot's stellar 4-year-old return provides another testament to trainer McGaughey's patience game, a craft he has mastered over the years.

In Kentucky, word comes from renowned veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage that Maybry's Boy will be just fine. After bone scans and a throughout work-up, Bramlage found no damage to Maybry's Boy. The stable reports some minor immaturity in the bones of Maybry's Boy, which may have led to his recent slide. He'll get 30 days of light training in Lexington at Bill Harrigan's farm, where most of the McGaughey horses spend their "lay-ups" when not at the track.

"We couldn't find anything major wrong with him down here, and Dr. Bramlage agreed," McGaughey says. "The horse will get a little break and be back after 30 days. He just needs time now."

Wednesday, Feb. 27
Saarland begins this week's training regimen with a 1 ½ mile gallop around the Gulfstream oval. He's three days away from his next major workout, slated for Saturday. "You could see a big difference in Saarland the past week or two," says Juice Krajewski, the exercise rider who has joined Saarland every morning the winter. "He's really coming into his game, going around there and playing a lot more. You can tell that he is liking it now. There's no fighting. He gets right into the bridle and works."

Thursday, Feb. 28
On perhaps the coldest morning of the South Florida winter, Saarland heads back to the track at his 6:40 a.m. timeslot amid temperatures in the low 40s. Turtlenecks and fleece sweaters earn high marks, as does McGaughey's top-rated 3-year-old. He continues his cardio workout with another 1 ½ mile gallop under Krajewski.

Friday, March 1
The calendar flips to March, and Saarland prepares for his next major drill on Saturday. Once again, his 1 ½ mile gallop this morning is completed with enthusiasm, and the stable continues to hold his racing mentality in check. He's been "sitting on go" for more than a week now, and 16 days remain until he gets unleashed. Saarland likely will get two chances to prove his Derby mettle, in the Gotham Stakes and the April 13 Wood Memorial - both in New York.

"In a perfect world," says assistant trainer Robbie Medina, "you would have liked to seen him race last week. But the race didn't fill. What can you do? Even without it, he's good enough. He ran big races last year - the Breeders' Cup, Remsen and Champagne. We still think he can definitely win the Wood off of just one (prep) race."

Saturday, March 2
Trainer McGaughey waits until after this morning's first renovation break and brings Saarland to the track at 7:20 a.m. for his scheduled workout. The colt logs his 12th major move since New Year's Eve (62 days), but today has to negotiate a bit of a different rival - the wind. Gusts of 30 mph breathe down on the horses as they complete their training this morning. The strong McGaughey says. "That big headwind into his face made him work a little harder. He worked by himself and came around there good. Honestly, I couldn't be happier with him."

In California, Came Home romps to victory in the Grade 2 San Rafael Stakes. His credentials remain stellar, losing only once in six starts. But Came Home lacks in pedigree, his mother a top-flight sprinter, but many fear unlikely to produce a colt that can withstand the Kentucky Derby's 1 ¼ miles. It's that very pedigree angle that has folks so high on Saarland, his daddy winning the 1990 Kentucky Derby (Unbridled) and his mama a Grade 1 winner at 1 ½ miles (Versailles Treaty). Now he's just two weekends away from once again displaying that pedigree on raceday.

Sunday, March 3
It's exactly two weeks until the Gotham, and Saarland takes it easy this morning in Stall 55. His big dates lie ahead with a major road trip being planned. Saarland walks 45 minutes by hand this morning with hotwalker Christian San Martin. His Saturday workout earned a well-deserved day away from the track. It's now Saarland's calm before the storm. Between now and the first Saturday in May, things will be cranked up and amplified. Traveling, racing, re-evaluating, training and more training. Get ready for the grind, big fella.

Monday, March 4
On a warm and humid morning, Saarland gallops an easy 1 ½ miles this morning and catches exercise rider Juice Krajewski by surprise. "Usually when it's this hot, I don't expect him to do much," Krajewski says. "Today, he was strong and really pulling me. He really gets into it now. He'll be 10 times more on his game when he gets to New York and the cool weather. He loves it cool. When he was getting ready for the Remsen, I remember two days before the race he almost got away from me he was feeling so good. Here you can ride him with your stirrup medium to long, in the cool weather, you better jack them up."

Travel arangements
The week ahead promises to be a busy one for Saarland. Trainer Shug McGaughey says that the colt will get an easy workout mid-week. A three-furlong breeze or a "two-minute lick" will be the short order as his Gotham Stakes preparation begins. "Two-minute licks" are strong one-mile gallops that are to be completed in roughly two minutes. In race-speed, a mile is generally eclipsed in about 1:35.

The coming weekend is where business picks up. Saarland likely will be re-shod on Saturday, three days sooner than scheduled due to his pending travel. On Sunday, McGaughey will give his colt the final major workout before the Gotham Stakes. Saarland will drill at Gulfstream Park in the morning before departing for New York a few hours later. McGaughey is slated to join Saarland in New York.

McGaughey says that no charter flights are slated from South Florida to the Big Apple this weekend. He could ship the horse by Fed Ex, yes - believe it or not, it's quite popular in the racing world as well. However, Fed Ex flights require the horse to be at the airport three hours early and touch down in Newark, NJ. That requires a van ride from Newark to Long Island's Belmont Park, where McGaughey's New York stable is based year-round.

All factors considered, Saarland will be vanned Sunday from Florida to New York. It's a 24-hour ride in which the horse will be accompanied by groom Gilberto Torres. If you see a Sallee company van cruising North on Interstate 95 Sunday into Monday, it could very well be Saarland. Give him a wave.

Meanwhile, McGaughey reports that his Florida contingent likely will be represented in the Florida Derby by D'Coach. You'll recall that D'Coach wintered in New York and vanned to Florida a few weeks ago. Now he and Saarland do the flip-flop. Jockey John Velazquez will follow Saarland to New York for the Gotham, while Javier Castellano will be the jockey aboard D'Coach in the Florida Derby.

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