HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. (AP) -Barbaro's brother could be one strong run away from the Kentucky Derby.
Lentenor makes his stakes debut Saturday in the $750,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. A victory or second-place finish would give Lentenor enough graded-stakes earnings to run in the May 1 Kentucky Derby.
``We're sort of at the point now where we want to give him a chance somewhere to see if he can qualify for the Kentucky Derby,'' trainer Michael Matz said. ``The fact he worked well (March 15) with other horses and came out of it well went into the decision.''
Matz also trained Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner who broke down in the Preakness and was euthanized early in 2007 after a gallant fight.
The Florida Derby is 1 1-8 miles and will be the first time Lentenor is running on dirt. The bay colt will face 10 others in the Grade 1 race, including Rule, the 5-2 wagering favorite, and Radiohead, the 3-1 second choice.
``I definitely think he's the type of horse that can run in the bigger races,'' Matz said. ``It's just a matter of the timing and whether he gets enough experience to do this quick enough. That's the whole thing about it.''
Jockey Alan Garcia was aboard Lentenor during the March 15 workout and will ride the colt Saturday.
``I really liked the way he went,'' Garcia said. ``He's a nice, big horse like his brother. I know a lot of people will be following him and watching him, so I'm very excited to be riding.''
Lentenor, whose big brother won the Florida Derby by a half-length as the favorite, has raced only four times. After finishing second in his debut Oct. 31 on Keeneland's synthetic surface, the colt ran three times on the turf, breaking his maiden Jan. 20 at Gulfstream. Barbaro and Lentenor were bred and owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson.
When asked about the public fascination with Barbaro, Matz said: ``I think Barbaro was - I don't know what the word is - such a special horse that everybody cared. He just caught the attention of the public.''
Lentenor is 6-1 on the morning line in a race in which seven of the 11 starters have won only one race.
Rule is coming off consecutive victories - the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot on Dec. 4 and the Grade 3 Sam F Davis on Feb. 13. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Rule will be ridden by John Velazquez.
Radiohead was a stakes winner in Britain before being purchased last fall by IEAH Stable, owners of 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. Radiohead, trained by Rick Dutrow, finished seventh Nov. 7 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile but won impressively Feb. 27 at Gulfstream at a mile in his first race on dirt.
Trainer Nick Zito, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, will saddle Ice Box and Miner's Reserve. Soaring Empire's owners include Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.
