NICK'S PICKS, SATURDAY JULY 7TH

ROMANS' VIRGINIA DERBY DILEMMA

Many trainers would like to have trainer Dale Romans dilemma.  Romans trains the best three-year old turf horse in America right now, Silver Max, the winner of his last six starts on the turf.  He also has the Kentucky Derby show horse Dullahan, Cozetti, Finnegan's Wake, Quick Wit and News Pending, who have all had at least one start this year on the turf .

Romans thinks he'll bring two to the $600,000 Virginia Derby with another pair going to next Saturday's Arlington Park's $200,000 American Derby.  So which talent may appear in New Kent?

"That's a good question.  I haven't decided myself.  I'm pretty sure Cozetti will go to Arlington and that Finnegan's Wake will go to Virginia.  Where the rest land is what's up in the air," said Romans Friday evening on Off to the Races. 

Silver Max will be entered in the American Derby on Wednesday "to see how it comes up and then we'll decide what to do, whether to go there or Virginia."  The challenging distance of 1 & 1/4 mile Virginia Derby is a concern for Romans who compares Silver Max to another Virginia Derby winner.  "I don't know that I've had a horse like him on the turf since Kitten's Joy." Stay tuned.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"He was so learned that he could name a horse in nine languages; so ignorant that he bought a cow to ride on." - Benjamin Franklin

HORSES AROUND

Colonial Turf Cup winner TURBO COMPRESSOR  and runner up AIR SUPPORT who won last year's Virignia Derby hook up again in the $500,000 United Nations at Monmouth Park Saturday.  Virginia-bred BLUESKIESNRAINBOWS won the $150,000 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park on July 4th.  CAMP VICTORY, another Virginia-bred, won the Triple Bend (G1) at Hollywood Park last Saturday.