Contenders

Craig Dollase

Craig, 36, is the son of veteran California trainer Wally Dollase. Like his father, he is based in southern California, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Originally an assistant to Wally, he went out on his own in 1997, winning with his very first starter at Hollywood Park. The following year, he was leading trainer at the same track's summer meet. He has tasted success at Churchill Downs, winning the 1998 Breeders' Cup Sprint (GI) with Reraise, and in the process becoming the youngest trainer, at 27, to ever win a Breeders' Cup race. His lone Kentucky Derby starter was Wilko, sixth in 2005. Other top stakes horses he has trained include Elloluv, Swept Overboard, Dancing Edie, Futural, and Momentum.

Corey Nakatani

Nakatani, 35, is a native of Covina, California. He was introduced to racing at age 16 by his father, who was a Japanese-American born in a WWII internment camp and spent time at Santa Anita when it was a relocation camp. Corey began galloping and breaking horses for the legendary Johnny Longden, and began riding in 1988 at Caliente Racetrack, moving to Southern California the next year. He has been a fixture on the southern California circuit since, winning riding titles at Santa Anita, Hollywood, Del Mar and Oak Tree. While he hasn't won the Derby in his eleven tries, he has won the Kentucky Oaks twice: 1991 on Lite Light and 1996 on Pike Place Dancer. He also teamed up with trainer Craig Dollase to win the 1998 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs with Reraise. He is married to Craig Dollase's sister Michelle.

J. Paul Reddam

Reddam, a native of Ontario, Canada, has had much success since he became involved with racing in the '80's. He has a PH.D. in Philosophy, and he formed his first racing syndicates with standardbreds some 20 years ago while teaching the same at Cal State University in Los Angeles. Has 40 or so horses in training with several different trainers. His filly Elloluv has earned over $1 million, finishing second in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI); Traver's (GI) winner Ten Most Wanted was one of the favorites for Derby 129. Reddam currently lives in Laguna Beach, CA and is the President of Cash Call, a consumer loan company. He also bought 75% of Wilko, the 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) champ, in October, 2004.

Brereton C. Jones (KY)

Jones, the governor of Kentucky from 1991-1995, was born in Gallipolis, Ohio on June 27, 1939. He grew up in West Virginia, going into the building and contracting business. He began his political career in that state as a member of the House from 1965-1969. He established Airdrie Stud, near Versailles, Kentucky, in 1972 on the grounds of historic Woodburn Farm, home of five Derby winners in the 1800's. Airdrie has some 2,700 acres, with over 100 broodmares and 11 stallions, including Friend's Lake, Proud Citizen, Harlan's Holiday and Indian Charlie, all Kentucky Derby participants. Jones has bred over 100 stakes winners, including 2000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile champ Caressing and two Derby starters; Dansil (4th in 1989) and Desert Wine (2nd in 1983).

Cash Included is part of freshman sire Include’s first crop of racing age. Include was lightly raced, with 20 starts in four seasons, but won half of those races, earning $1.65 million. He scored victories in the Pimlico Special (GI), defeating Albert the Great, the New Orleans Handicap (GII) and the Massachusetts Handicap (GII). He was also runner-up in the Clark Handicap (GII) at Churchill Downs. His first group of runners performed extremely well in 2006, with three Grade One placed fillies helping him to finish sixth on the First-Crop Sire List for the year. Besides Cash Included, other top offspring are Runway Rosie (winner of the Sharp Cat), She’s Included (3^rd in the Del Mar Debutante – GI), Panty Raid (2^nd in the Bourbonette - GIII) and Etude (winner of the Private Terms). In his career, Include got better with maturity, and if his foals follow that pattern, they could be a force to be reckoned with through this and following seasons.

Cash Included is one of three foals of racing age from her dam Henderson Band, with the subject filly her only runner. She does have a 2-year-old full sister to Cash Included. Henderson Band was unraced. She was bred by Brereton Jones, as was her dam Miss Henderson Co. That mare produced the French Group 2 winner Lord Flasheart, who was also second in the French Derby (GII) and third in the Sunset Handicap (GII-T) at Hollywood Park. Miss Henderson Co. is a half-sister to By Land By Sea. Another Brereton Jones bred horse, she was a multiple graded stakes winning filly in the late 1980s who won 10 of 13 starts including the Apple Blossom (GI) and Milady (GI).

Cash Included has a mix of speed and classic distance influences on her sire’s side, with Ack Ack and Baldski respresenting the speed and Nijinsky II and Tom Rolfe the distance. On her dam’s side, though her broodmare sire is the noted sprinter Chimes Band, the presence in the third generation of Silver Hawk, sire of Hawkster, 1-½ miles record setter on the turf, gives some balance to the bottom half of the pedigree page. – by Mark Hoard

CASH INCLUDED has made a very good appearance here in the mornings, and as one of the first Oaks arrivals to Churchill Downs, she’s had plenty of time to get acclimated to the boisterous surroundings. Despite running fairly well, she’s looking to break a four race losing streak that dates back to last September. The most disturbing thing about her is that she hasn’t seemed to progress in her races; kind of plodding along to pick up the pieces. Dollase is adding blinkers, which she has been training in, in an attempt to get her to focus on finishing better. She’s been facing top class company for her entire career, so this race won’t affect her in that respect. The 12-1 morning line seems about right for her, but if she gets a good trip settling behind the early speed, she has the potential to be a factor. Playable, but not as a top choice.