Overcoming impressions

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Alpha's the most huggable horse in the Kentucky Derby. Take Charge Indy, as an ancient scribe once said of the great Exterminator, looks like a hat rack. And you know why Union Rags never stands perfectly still? So he won't be mistaken for a monument.

Derby impressions fill in the gaps and provide the images necessary for appreciation, if not understanding. Some might say the Derby picture is becoming more focused, but it won't become clear until Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs, and maybe not even then. Actually, though, the Derby at this point isn't so much a picture as an impressionist painting, a fuzzy reality glimpsed through the sunrise, racing's soleil levant, where a doubt accompanies every impression.

Impression: Alpha is a handsome, nifty and athletic horse who glides over the ground.

Doubt: But can such a slight and diminutive colt be tough enough to succeed in the 20-horse field of the Kentucky Derby, where the frenetic run to the first turn can lead to more bumping than a grade school fire drill?

"I couldn't be happier with where we are," Alpha's trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, said, explaining that an infection, which momentarily clouded Alpha's prospects, has completely cleared up. He missed only two days of training. And Alpha's gate misbehavior, which last year compromised his performance in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, is a "thing of the past."

Alpha's classic pedigree suggests he'll love Saturday's 1¼ miles. After all, his grandsires are A.P. Indy, who won the Breeders' Cup Classic, and Nijinsky II, who swept the United Kingdom's Triple Crown.

"He's bred for it, and he's made for it," McLaughlin said. "He'll definitely get a mile and a quarter, but it's just how long will it take him."

And maybe the little guy is tough enough. After all, to finish second in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, Alpha overcame a troubled trip that nearly dropped him in the first turn, where he had to be checked sharply as Casual Trick crowded to the rail. That's where Alpha cut his left foreleg, which became infected. But he never capitulated, not for an instant, and he was tough enough to rally, nearly getting to Gemologist in the stretch. But is he fast enough? And how long will it take him? The doubt lingers.

"This is a deep and talented group, a group of real quality," McLaughlin said. And then, as if to stress the point, the trainer nodded toward the other end of Barn 42, where Union Rags is stabled. "If I could saddle an entry, he'd be the other horse I'd want. He's the horse to beat."

Impression: Physically, Union Rags stands out. Powerful but balanced, he appears to possess more athleticism than horses his size typically do, and he turned in one of the best workouts of the week.

Doubt: A colt of high energy whose engine rarely seems to idle, Union Rags has been washy and lathered this week for his gallops, and so how will he respond to a crowd of 150,000 and to an avalanche of cheers?

"I think he's going to run his race," said his trainer, Michael Matz. With Union Rags, getting washy isn't necessarily indicative of nervousness, Matz said; that's just who he is. "He's going into the race good."

The Derby field appears to be laden with speed -- in the form of Bodemeister, Hansen and Trinniberg -- and that, Matz said, should work to the advantage of Union Rags. He has lost only twice in his career, and in both the winner got clear on an early, unchallenged lead.

"I can't say I expect to win," Matz said, "but I didn't come here not to lose. And now it's up [to] the Guy up there."

Union Rags had a troubled trip in traffic when third in the Florida Derby, where, because of a slow pace and a speed bias, he had little chance. And after he raced wide here last year in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, his rally left him a head behind Hansen.

If not for troubled circumstances, he'd be unbeaten. But doubt still lingers because Union Rags, despite looking bigger and stronger than he did a year ago, hasn't yet taken his performances to a higher level.

And so it goes, impressions and doubts hand in hand. Impression: Gemologist is a long-bodied colt who looks like he could run from Louisville to Lexington. Doubt: Although he has won all five of his races, he has enjoyed an ideal trip in each; perfect trips are rare in the Derby.

Impression: Dullahan is a powerful colt who also looks as if he'll never find a race that's too long. Doubt: But his high action suggests he's more suited for turf, and he hasn't looked very comfortable on the track here at Churchill.

Impression: Daddy Nose Best has been one of the most impressive horses here this week (along with Union Rags and the Kentucky Oaks filly On Fire Baby). Doubt: He just ran the best race of his life; can he duplicate it or even step forward?

Every horse here has made an impression, stirred some doubt. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said this could be the strongest group of Derby horses he has seen "in many years." Matz said the field is so talented and competitive that the trip could determine the outcome.

And so at this point, this Derby looks like an impressionist painting. It's a Monet. Even now, with two days remaining before 20 horses are called to the post, the 138th Kentucky Derby is a masterpiece.

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