War Pass, the winner of the 2007 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, has a small fracture in the sesamoid of his left front ankle, according to trainer Nick Zito. The three-year-old colt will likely be out of action for several months.

The injury may have occurred in the colt's most recent race, a second-place finish in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5.

The three races are the Queen Elizabeth II Stales for three-year-olds and up, the Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile for two-year-old fillies and the Juddmonte Royal Lodge for colts and geldings. Each will be conducted on turf at one- mile.

"Ascot is one of the world's greatest racing venues, and for centuries has been the hallmark of the finest competition in international racing," said Breeders' Cup president and CEO Greg Avioli. "It is an honor and a privilege for us to be able to include these tremendous races from Ascot in this year's challenge."

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The favorite in the Santa Anita Derby finished fifth. The favorite in the Wood Memorial got edged at the wire. The favorite in the Illinois Derby finished fifth. The favorite in the Blue Grass Stakes finished 10th.

Of the final six major prep races for the Kentucky Derby this year only two favorites hit the wire the first. Big Brown went wire to wire in the Florida Derby and Gayego pressed the pace before taking the Arkansas Derby.

Sent off as the 2-1 favorite, Gayego settled into second behind the leader Tres Borrachos in the 13 horse field. Running right behind the top two was Isabull and My Pal Charlie.

The top four runners kept their positions up the backstretch and into the far turn. On the turn for home Tres Borrachos began to tire allowing Gayego to take the lead heading into the stretch.

Pyro, the winner of the Louisiana Derby, went into the race with a chance to become the favorite for the Kentucky Derby with any type of solid performance at Keeneland. He was sent off as the even-money post-time favorite after opening as the even-money top pick in the morning-line.

Setting the pace in the Blue Grass was Cowboy Cal ridden by John Velazquez. Stalking the leader was Stone Bird, Monba and Stevil. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan settled Pyro into seventh in the 12 horse field.

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Move over Big Brown and Pyro. There's a Colonel on the loose ready to do battle on the first Saturday in May. Colonel John won the Santa Anita Derby by only a half-length, but the manner in which he won was extremely impressive.

The son of Tiznow ran his final three-eighths of a mile in an astonishing 35 1/5 seconds, including a 12 second final furlong, to stamp himself as a major player in the Kentucky Derby.

The Arkansas Derby has proven to be a major indicator of success in recent Triple Crown races.

Smarty Jones turned his 2004 win into victory in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. The following year, Arkansas Derby winner Afleet Alex captured the Preakness and Belmont Stakes after a third-place finish in the Run for the Roses.

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Pyro has been made the even-money favorite and will start from post seven with Shaun Bridgmohan returning to ride. Bridgmohan has been the only jockey to ever be on the colt's back.

Pyro has career earnings of $1.05 million with three wins in six starts, going two for two this year. In February he easily won the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds. Last year he was second to War Pass in both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Champagne Stakes.

Florida Derby winner Big Brown was the 3-1 morning-line favorite and closed as the 3-1 favorite. Pyro, who will start in Saturday's $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, finished as the 5-1 second pick after opening 4-1.

Colonel John's victory in the Santa Anita Derby moved him into the third spot at 6-1 when wagering closed Sunday night. He was 12-1 in the morning-line based on his win in the Sham Stakes.

Trained by Eoin Harty, Colonel John was the 5-2 second choice in the 11 horse field behind 9-5 favorite El Gato Malo. Both three-year-olds were coming out of the Sham Stakes where Colonel John defeated El Gato Malo by a half- length.

With Corey Nakatani in the saddle, Colonel John settled in far off the pace that was set by Coast Guard and Bob Black Jack. Racing third was Polonius with Signature Move in fourth.

Recapturetheglory was sent off as a 15-1 longshot in the seven horse field with Denis of Cork the even-money favorite.

Recapturetheglory, ridden by E.T. Baird, took the lead out of the gate and led the field around the first turn and up the backstretch. Running second was Golden Spikes with Z Humor in third and Denis of Cork fourth.

War Pass, winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, was trying to redeem himself after a last place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby. Tale of Ekati was also attempting to get back into contention for the Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Nick Zito, War Pass took the lead coming out of the gate and led the field around the first turn and up the backstretch. Last year's champion two-year-old was setting blistering fractions.

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Four weeks until the 134th Kentucky Derby and things should begin the shake out this weekend. On tap Saturday are the Wood Memorial, Illinois and Santa Anita Derbies.

Until now none of the three-year-olds considered contenders for the Run for the Roses has separated himself from the rest. Pyro has posted impressive wins in Louisiana and Big Brown burst onto the scene with a commanding win in the Florida Derby.

War Pass, winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, will try to get back atop the contenders list for the Kentucky Derby. He suffered his first loss last month in the Tampa Bay Derby with a last place finish behind six rivals.

"Over the past three weeks there's been a lot of second guessing," said owner Robert LaPenta, "There's been a lot of conversation, a lot of conjecture. There's no factual evidence, so I preface it all by saying this is conjecture and theory. I think it all started with the fact that he broke poorly out of the gate. And the reason for that is subject to conjecture. You know, was there some type of plan to get him out of the gate slow, horses rearing up, horses that normally wouldn't

Trained by Eoin Harty, Colonel John will start from post five with Corey Nakatani in the saddle. Nakatani has been aboard the colt in three of his first five starts.

"Eoin knows what I think of the horse," said Nakatani, who is winless in 12 tries in the Santa Anita Derby and has never won the Kentucky Derby in 12 attempts. "He knows I have the utmost confidence in Colonel John going into the Triple Crown races. I know how far he's developed and where he's at. I thought he was probably at 80-percent in the Sham, so he should move forward in the Santa Anita Derby. Eoin probably was on the same page as me going into the Sham, and then I got hurt. Fortunately, I got him back and I'm looking

Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., Big Brown registered a five-length win in last Saturday's Florida Derby. He is undefeated in three career starts and is a new addition to the wagering.

Pyro is expected to make his final start before the Run for the Roses in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 12.

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Since 2005, not many horses have won from post 12 at Gulfstream Park. In fact, you can't even count them on one hand, because the amount has been a big fat zero. That's until last Saturday, when Big Brown came home a decisive five-length winner in the Florida Derby.

Not only did the son of Boundary overcome a disastrous post to cross the wire first, he did so with a flair reserved for the greats of the game. Breaking from the 12th hole, jockey Kent Desormeaux seized the lead approaching the backstretch, but not before going four-wide in a fast 22 3/5 first quarter.

In 2002 War Emblem followed his win in this race with victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

"We just like to keep the Illinois Derby in the national spotlight," said Stakes Coordinator Debbie Lindsay. "It's a great race at a good time of the year, because it's four weeks until the Kentucky Derby. That makes it a graded prep race for decent money and I think most of the horsemen recognize that."

Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., Big Brown broke sharply from the far outside post in the 12 horse field. He quickly took the lead on the clubhouse turn. Pressing the early pace was Fierce Wind and Nistle's Crunch.

The 3-2 favorite continued up the backstretch on the lead as Fierce Wind began to back-up and Nistle's Crunch took over second with Face the Cat third and Elysium Fields in fourth.

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - This year's balloting for 2008 Horse of the Year is complete and defending title-holder Curlin is the unanimous choice. The four-year-old colt blew away the competition by doing the same thing against 11 rivals in Saturday's $6 million Dubai World Cup.

Curlin, ridden by Robby Albarado, posted a 7 3/4 length win in the 1 1/4 mile race at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. The margin of victory was the most ever posted in the world's richest race. The final time of 2:00.15 was the third fastest, less than a second off the record of 1:59.50 held by Dubai Millennium.

Curlin was sent off as the 2-5 favorite in wagering in the United States after being the 3-5 in the program. From the original 13 horse field there was one scratch, Happy Boy, reducing the starters to 12.

The field broke well from the gate at the start of the World Cup. Taking the early lead was Well Armed followed closely by Asiatic Boy, Curlin and Premium Tap. Premium Tap returned after finishing second to Invasor in the 2007 running.

The 3-1 morning-line favorite is trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.'s Big Brown. The colt will start from the far outside post with Kent Desormeaux again riding.

Owned by IEAH Stables and Paul Pompa Jr., Big Brown has been impressive in his two wins. Last September he broke his maiden by 11 1/4 lengths and earlier this month won by 12 3/4 lengths at Gulfstream. Desormeaux was aboard for the colt's second career start last time out.

"I think the draw is okay, because of the configuration of the race track, and he will put himself in a good position," said Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. "He's done everything right since he's been here. He's been training well."

The 2007 Horse of the Year and winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Classic has earned $5.2 million with seven wins in 10 career starts. He also won the Arkansas Derby and Preakness Stakes last year and later added the Jockey Club Gold Cup versus older horses. Curlin won a prep race in Dubai in advance of the World Cup.

Pletcher said that the same hairline fracture that put the filly on the shelf last September is the reason for the retirement. Rags to Riches sustained a hairline fracture of the right front pastern when she finished second to Lears Princess in the Gazelle Stakes at Belmont Park.

Owned by Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Rags to Riches became the third filly to win the Belmont Stakes over eventual Horse of the Year Curlin. Last year she won the Santa Anita and Kentucky Oaks and was voted champion three- year-old filly.

Should all 13 thoroughbreds start, it would match the most runners for the race, equalling the record established in 2000. In that race Dubai Millennium set the track and stakes mark of 1:59.50.

Curlin, the winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Classic, had his final workout on Monday. While in Dubai the four-year-old has been under the care of Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen.