LOUISVILLE – The first Saturday in May is finally here, so sip your mint julep, shed a tear when they play “My Old Kentucky Home,” place your bets, and brace yourself for “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” They’re running for the roses today at Churchill Downs.
The 132nd Kentucky Derby offers a total purse of $2,213,200, with $1,453,200 going to the winner. But that’s only part of the prize. At the end of the grueling mile-and-a-quarter, the bravest, fastest and luckiest 3-year-old in the full field of 20 thoroughbreds will become a racing immortal. NBC will televise the Derby live from 5-6:30 p.m.; post time is 6:04.
Two topics have dominated the backstretch buzz this week at Churchill. First, with speed horses Sinister Minister, Sharp Humor, Keyed Entry, Brother Derek, Sweetnorthernsaint, Barbaro and Lawyer Ron breaking from the gate, the early pace figures to sizzle. Second, there is so much quality to this year’s field, not even Pegasus himself would be a sure thing.
The initial betting odds yesterday afternoon reflected the crowd’s confusion. Santa Anita Derby winner Brother Derek, the 3-1 favorite on the morning line, was 8-1. Lawyer Ron, winner of six straight and co-second choice at 4-1, was 9-1, with undefeated Florida Derby winner Barbaro, also 4-1 in the program, at 6-1.
Sweetnorthernsaint and Sinister Minister were each getting played at 7-1, with Point Determined close at 9-1. Four other horses were 18-1 or less.
As for the pace, it could be as fast as last year, when the front-runners set brutal fractions of :45.1 for the first half-mile and 1:09.2 for six furlongs that left them gasping down the stretch, setting the stage for Giacomo to come from far back at 50-1.
How fast they do go depends on Sinister Minister, one of three runners trained by three-time Derby winner Bob Baffert. Through most of the week, rumors abounded the speed-crazy Blue Grass winner would scratch because of a bruised foot. Yesterday, Baffert acknowledged the colt popped an abscess on Tuesday.
“Everything’s OK now,” Baffert said. “He’s back on it now. Man, is he back on it.”
In fact, Baffert, despite cold-watering his chances all week, suspects Sinister Minister might be the next War Emblem, the 20-1 shot he saddled to win the Derby gate-to-wire in 2002.
Or perhaps Sinister Minister will run like his sire, Old Trieste, who set a wicked pace in the 1998 Derby before fading to 10th. In any case, Sinister Minister jeopardizes the chances of any horse that tries to run with him, especially Brother Derek and Lawyer Ron, who already are compromised by their far outside posts.
Stone-cold closers Jazil, Steppenwolfer and Storm Treasure would benefit from a fast pace but face a traffic jam trying to rally through the bulky field. That means the most likely winner will be a colt who can race in mid-pack, then still throw a knockout punch down the lane.
A.P. Warrior – whose trainer, John Shirreffs, saddled Giacomo and is hoping to join Baffert and five other horsemen in the elite group to win back-to-back Derbys – is one such candidate. So are Baffert’s Bob and John and Point Determined. Among the speed horses, Barbaro and Illinois Derby winner Sweetnorthernsaint have shown the ability to relax while racing from just off the pace.
Finally, there are a number of human-interest stories that add drama to this Derby. Brother Derek is trained by Dan Hendricks, who has been confined to a wheelchair after a motocross accident two years ago left him paralyzed. Barbaro’s trainer, Michael Matz, is an Olympic medal-winning equestrian who survived a horrific airline crash in 1989 and rescued several children from the wreckage. Lawyer Ron, trained by 71-year-old Bob Holthus, is racing for the memory of his owner-breeder, James Hines, who drowned in a swimming pool accident last February.
Derby day forecast
69 degrees
Partly cloudy 10% chance of rain
TV: Ch. 4, 5 p.m.
Post time: 6:04 p.m
TODAY’S DERBY FIELD (s,l)s Derby field
PP Horse Jockey Trainer
1. Jazil Jara McLaughlin 30-1
2. Steppenwolfer Albarado Peitz 30-1
3. Keyed Entry Valenzuela Pletcher 30-1
4. Sinister Minister V. Espinoza Baffert 12-1
5. Point Determined Bejarano Baffert 12-1
6. Showing Up Velasquez Tagg 20-1
7. Bob and John G. Gomez Baffert 12-1
8. Barbaro E. Prado Matz 4-1
9. Sharp Humor Guidry Romans 20-1
10. A.P. Warrior Nakatani Shirreffs 15-1
11. Sweetnorthernsaint Desormeaux Trombetta 10-1
12. Private Vow Bridgmohan Asmussen 50-1
13. Bluegrass Cat Dominguez Pletcher 30-1
14. Deputy Glitters Lezcano Albertrani 50-1
15. Seaside Retreat Husbands Casse 50-1
16. Cause to Believe Baze Hollendorfer 50-1
17. Lawyer Ron McKee Holthus 4-1
18. Brother Derek Solis Hendricks 3-1
19. Storm Treasure D. Flores Asmussen 50-1
20. Flashy Bull M. Smith McLaughlin 50-1
Morning
Line
Latest
Odds
20-1
11-1
42-1
7-1
8-1
36-1
12-1
5-1
25-1
15-1
7-1
40-1
23-1
75-1
48-1
26-1
9-1
9-1
52-1
40-