Today's The Day...

Nicanor, full brother to Barbaro, will be making his first start in race 8 at Gulfstream Park.

Let's hope that this will be the first race of a long and illustrious career.

(about the race result)

Quote Of The Day

“I wish he could run tomorrow.”

Michael Matz, trainer of Nicanor, a full brother to ill-fated 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Barbaro, in the Delaware News Journal on how anxious he is to see the three-year old Dynaformer colt race for the first time. The bay colt is progressing toward his career debut, which could come at the end of January or in early February

“He’s got some big shoes to fill. It’s a hard thing to do, being the younger brother of Barbaro. It will always be, ‘There’s Barbaro’s brother.’ and not ‘There’s Nicanor.’ But he’s a good enough horse. They’ll remember his name.”

Trainer Michael Matz, in the New York Times, on three-year-old colt Nicanor, a full brother to 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Barbaro who is expected to make his first career start in the near future.

Nicanor

Nicanor, a full brother to ill-fated 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Barbaro, is steadily progressing toward his career debut.

On December 28 at Palm Meadows Training Center, Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s homebred three-year-old Dynaformer colt drilled three furlongs from the starting gate in :36.50 handily for trainer Michael Matz. The workout ranked second of 15 timed moves at the distance.

“He hadn’t broken from the gate in a while,” Matz said. “He is quite good at the gate and he’s doing fine. If everything continues to go well he should be starting at the end of the month.”

Nicanor has been breezing steadily since November. Out of multiple graded stakes-placed winner La Ville Rouge, by Carson City, the bay colt has developed a strong following before even making his first start. Many of the same devoted fans who followed every update on Barbaro’s battle for survival after he broke down in the 2006 Preakness Stakes (G1) have actively followed the progress of Nicanor and his two-year-old full brother, Lentenor...

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*on a side note, I got to "meet" Nicanor at John Stephens farm in Ocala where Nicanor underwent his early training.