Doug Oneill Goes to Florida, Not Dubai??

[theiman]

O'Neill brothers had help choosing Florida over Dubai

By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
AP Racing Writer
Updated: 11:25 p.m. PT March 28, 2007

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (AP) -When their wives spoke, the trainers listened - and that's why brothers Doug and Dennis O'Neill will be at the Florida Derby instead of the Dubai World Cup on Saturday.

"They didn't want us going over there,'' Dennis O'Neill said this week on a conference call. "They think it's still too close to Baghdad. Everybody says that security is not an issue and on and on, but I think you still have it in the back of your head going 17 hours over there. That was a little bit of an issue.''

The O'Neill brothers sent three horses to Dubai, including their top star Lava Man, who will be running in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free. While their wives' concerns sealed the deal, other topics discussed included staying home to watch over their Kentucky Derby hopefuls - Notional, Great Hunter, Liquidity and Cobalt Blue.

Notional's final Derby prep comes in the $1 million Florida Derby. And with the four horses based at Hollywood Park, there was added incentive not to leave the States for even a few days.

"The Derby is the Derby. I don't think anything is close,'' O'Neill said. "We're not smart enough to think we'll ever be in this position again - with four possible contenders. We realize we are in an incredible spot. I don't think we want to lose touch with what's going on here, staying on top of these horses.''

The brothers planned to be on a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to South Florida on Friday. They'll watch the races from Dubai on television, then turn their attention to Notional.

The colt owned by Paul Reddam - he also owns Great Hunter and Liquidity - finished sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but won his first two races this year - the San Rafael and the Risen Star.

Notional is the 4-1 third choice in the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby, a race in which Scat Daddy and Stormello will go at it again - four weeks after Scat Daddy beat Stormello by a nose in the Fountain of Youth.

Bill Currin, who co-bred, co-owns and trains Stormello, is looking forward to the rematch.

"I'm not looking to duck anybody,'' Currin said. "I have one objective and that is to win the Kentucky Derby. You're not going to win it by picking and choosing soft spots. This is not a claiming race. This is about champions.''

Scat Daddy was the 5-2 morning-line favorite, with Stormello at 3-1. Scat Daddy will be ridden by Edgar Prado because regular rider John Velazquez will be in Dubai. Stormello gets a new rider for the same reason - Victor Espinoza takes over for Kent Desormeaux.

Notional, meanwhile, will be ridden again by Robby Albarado, who avoided trouble in the colt's Risen Star victory at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 10. In that race, favorite Circular Quay was making a move along the inside at the top of the stretch when he all but stopped as the horse in front of him clipped heels and tossed the rider.

The Florida Derby looks like it might set up well for Notional's running style of settling in behind the early speed horses and then making his move in the stretch.

"Doug and I would be a little disappointed if he didn't win, but you hope he's finishing well and coming on good and it sets him up for the Derby five weeks out,'' O'Neill said. "That would be perfect for him.''

The field, from the rail out, is Notional, Imawildandcrazyguy, Scat Daddy, Adore the Gold, Stormello, Chelokee, Boogie Boggs, Johannesburg Star and Birdbirdistheword.

FINISH LINES: In addition to Lava Man in the Dubai Duty Free, the O'Neill's are running Spring At Last in the $1 million Godolphin Mile and Harvard Avenue in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen. O'Neill assistant Leandro Mora is handling the horses in Dubai. ... Two-time Derby winning trainer Nick Zito, still looking for a Derby horse this year, sends out long shot Boogie Boggs in the Florida Derby.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17843627/

The biggest purses in the world and he goes to Florida for a prep race?
Strange call IMO