Trainer Enlists Dad For New Star Filly

LOUISVILLE, May 1 -- John Salzman trained 2001 filly champion Xtra Heat, one of the best female sprinters in racing history, and when she retired in 2003, so did he.

His son Tim Salzman, 36, of Westminster, Md., took charge of the horses at the family's Laurel Park barn, and recently a new star has come along -- Bsharpsonata -- who will run Friday afternoon in the Grade I $500,000 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

The day has developed into an unofficial holiday in Louisville, and the race draws in excess of 100,000 people to the track.

Because of the son's responsibilities in Maryland, the elder Salzman has been called back into duty with Bsharpsonata, who has been winning some of the top 3-year-old filly stakes races in the country.

"Dad has been on the road with her for six months," Tim Salzman said. "I was doing the day-to-day with her back in Maryland. They [Kentucky-based owners John Sykes and Tony Ferguson] wanted to take her elsewhere, so it was either give her to another trainer or Dad could go and maintain her. It's not a bad deal, because Dad goes to Florida in the winter anyway. So he went down there with one horse."

Bsharpsonata, a bay daughter of Pulpit, has won five stakes races in 10 starts and is the co-fourth choice behind favored Proud Spell in the Oaks. She was a scourge in South Florida this winter, taking the Tropical Park Oaks, the Forward Gal and the Davona Dale. In her most recent start, she finished second by a neck to Little Belle in the Grade I Ashland on the Polytrack at Keeneland, a surface on which offspring of Pulpit have not fared particularly well.

Tim Salzman expects big things in the Oaks, in which Maryland-based jockey Eric Camacho will ride Bsharpsonata.

"I'm very confident," he said. "What has she done wrong to show us she's not at the level the others are? Who has Eight Belles beat that's on the caliber that I beat? We beat Country Star. We beat Proud Spell. We beat the horses they're making favorites."

Asked how it feels for the family to get its hands on another top horse after having Xtra Heat, Salzman said: "It's real exciting. I was told you only get to be around one in a lifetime, but knock on wood, I've been around two of them."

Big Brown Powers Up

The only Kentucky Derby horse to work out Thursday morning was the favorite, Big Brown.

Under exercise rider Michelle Nevin, the colt walked out of Barn 22 and headed to the track followed by an entourage of fans, reporters and photographers, who looked like they were leading a boxer down the aisle into a prize fight.

Big Brown warmed up and then whistled three furlongs in 35 2/5 seconds. Afterward, Nevin, a native of Ireland, appeared breathless.

"This horse is like a powerhouse underneath you," she said. "He was dragging me out of the irons. I was like, 'Whoa, buddy.' "

Asked if she had any worries about the Derby, Nevin said, "Not after that."