HORSE RACING / TRIPLE CROWN RATINGS : Bee El Tee Sandwiched Between Derbies

Bee El Tee, formerly known as Romanee St. Vivant, a colt who was running for a $50,000 claiming price less than a month ago, has become a candidate for the Santa Anita Derby. “I’m still leaning toward the California Derby, but the Santa Anita Derby has become a possibility,� trainer Craig Lewis said. “This horse is improving rapidly.�

Bee El Tee had run in three claiming races, winning one, before Lewis stepped him up to 1 1/8 miles for a 1 3/4-length victory on grass last week in the Pirate Cove Stakes at Santa Anita.

The $500,000 Santa Anita Derby is April 8, a week before the $200,000 California Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Bee El Tee’s stablemate, Larry The Legend, is also a possibility for the Santa Anita Derby. Another option for Larry The Legend is the $600,000 Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway Park near Cincinnati on April 1.

Because Bee El Tee wasn’t nominated for the Santa Anita Derby, it would cost $20,000 to supplement him.

Bee El Tee and Larry The Legend were bought at the same auction, with money that Lewis had been awarded in a legal judgment. Larry The Legend cost $2,500, Bee El Tee $4,500. Both horses were named after wines before Lewis changed their names. Bee El Tee is not really named for the classic bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. The name comes from the letters of the first names of the children of Larry Lewis, the trainer’s brother. Larry The Legend is named after Larry Lewis.

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THE RATINGS

Horse S 1 2 3 Earnings 1.Afternoon Deelites 5 5 0 0 $528,125 2.Timber Country 9 4 1 3 $991,090 3.Thunder Gulch 8 4 2 1 $691,006 4.Suave Prospect 13 4 5 1 $358,850 5.Larry The Legend 4 3 1 0 $163,425 6.French Deputy 3 3 0 0 $66,000 7.Eltish 6 3 2 1 $377,189 8.In Character 4 1 2 0 $90,316 9.Petionville 4 4 0 0 $324,025 10.Jumron 6 4 2 0 $181,880

Advisory panel for The Times’ Triple Crown Ratings: Racing historian Jim Bolus, Trevor Denman, announcer at four Southern California tracks; Tom Durkin, track announcer in New York and Florida, and Dave Johnson, racing telecaster for ABC and ESPN.