Prado kept composure
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For a split second, Edgar Prado had to be one worried jockey.
Barbaro stumbled out of the starting gate in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, but quickly regained his balance and went on to give Prado his first Derby victory in his seventh try.
Four years ago, Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem stumbled out of the gate in the Belmont Stakes, never regained his form and lost his Triple Crown bid.
The stumble looked scary, but Prado never lost his composure and quickly maneuvered Barbaro into ideal striking position.
In a textbook ride, Prado placed Barbaro behind speed horses Keyed Entry and Sinister and in a group just behind Sharp Humor and Showing Up. All the while, Prado kept him free from traffic in the bulky 20-horse field.
“Every step of the way, he was running so easy,” Prado said.
He turned Barbaro loose on the final turn and the 3-year-old took control, winning by 6 1/2 lengths and giving Prado his long-awaited Derby win. His previous best result was third with Peace Rules in 2003.
Prado, who has two Belmont wins – Sarava in 2002 and Birdstone in 2004 – has been one of the nation’s top riders the past few years. With Hall of Famers Jerry Bailey, Gary Stevens and Pat Day recently retired, the 39-year-old could become the next go-to jockey.
Prado arrived in the United States in 1986 and made stops in Florida, Maryland and New York.
“It took a long time,” Prado said. “I worked hard and paid my dues.”
Prado dedicated the race to his mother, Zenida, who died earlier this year in Peru.
“She came to the Derby a couple of times,” he said. “We weren’t able to get it done. She was the inspiration in my life. She gave me a lot of support. She really made me the person I am.”
Dead heat for fourth
The Derby dead heat for fourth place between long shot Jazil and morning-line favorite Brother Derek was only the second in the race’s history, but the first to involve a share of purse money or pari-mutuel payouts.
Oil Capital and Hawley tied for fifth in 1950.
The dead heat resulted in two superfecta payouts, one with each colt in the group.
The superfecta that included Jazil paid $84,860.40. The one that included Brother Derek paid $59,839.
Yum, yum
This was the first Derby to have a sponsor’s name attached to the event.
That sponsor was Louisville-based Yum Brands, the parent company to Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell. Yum slapped the company’s logo on everything from signs above the toteboard to saddlecloths.
Trucks from Pepsi, Budweiser and Coors, as well as a collection of food and souvenir stands, advertised their products in the infield as if it were a billboard park.
English Channel wins
English Channel, a rising star in the grass division, won the $454,900 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on the undercard at Churchill Downs.
The 4-year-old trained by Todd Pletcher is unbeaten in two starts this year, having captured the Canada Turf Handicap at Gulfstream Park in his season debut.
English Channel, ridden by Garrett Gomez, improved his career mark to seven wins in 11 starts, all on the grass.
Three unlucky for Baffert
Three is definitely not Bob Baffert’s number in the Derby.
He failed to win with his three starters – Point Determined (ninth), Sinister Minister (16th) and Bob and John (17th).
The same thing happened in 1999, when Baffert’s trio of Prime Timber, Excellent Meeting and General Challenge failed.
This and that
The crowd of 157,536 was second largest in the Derby’s 132-year history. It trailed only the 1974 record of 163,628.
•Barbaro is the 99th Kentucky-bred colt to win the race, and the first dark bay/brown champion since War Emblem in 2002.