Eight Belles connections persevering; other Derby runners
doing well
They remain heartbroken over the loss of Fox Hill Farms’ EIGHT BELLES
(Unbridled’s Song), their star filly and runner-up in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby
(G1), but trainer Larry Jones and his wife, Cindy, were at Barn 43 at Churchill
Downs at 6 a.m. (EDT) Sunday morning after the emotional rollercoaster of
Kentucky Derby 134.
Eight Belles was euthanized after she shattered both front ankles as she was
galloping out about a quarter-mile past the finish line following her
second-place effort in the Derby.
Jones, who won the Kentucky Oaks (G1) just 24 hours earlier with Proud Spell
(Proud Citizen), said the hours following the race had been difficult and media
attention that immediately followed the filly’s mishap had been a challenge but
he understood the interest in the fate of Eight Belles, who was the first of her
gender to compete in the Kentucky Derby since 1999.
“Everybody meant well,” Jones said. “I can understand everybody wanting to
see what was going on here. The filly in the last week had won a lot of people,
and I think she won a lot of people over with the way she ran in the race.”
Eight Belles was attempting to become just the fourth filly to win the
Kentucky Derby in the 134-year history of the race. Although she did not win,
she was just the second filly to finish second in a head-to-head battle with
males in the Derby.
“We couldn’t be more proud of her, believe me,” Jones said. “She had trained
so well coming into this.”
What caused the fatal injury remains a mystery to Jones. He has watched the
replay of the Kentucky Derby several times and was impressed by the way Eight
Belles was striding out in the final yards of the race. He did not witness the
filly’s mishap, but said there was no indication as she galloped out that there
was any problem.
“We have some photographers that we really got to know last year with
(Kentucky Derby runner-up) Hard Spun, especially from the Philadelphia area,
that were on the first turn taking pictures as everybody was galloping out,”
Jones said. “We’ve got a lot of great pictures they say of her, and she’s got
her ears up and was not in any kind of distress galloping out around the turn. I
don’t know what happened and when. Just all of the sudden, it just went.”
Jones said Eight Belles would be cremated, but he was unsure of owner Rick
Porter’s plans for the interment of her remains.
The Kentucky-born trainer plans to leave Churchill Downs on Monday with Proud
Spell on a journey to Delaware Park, where his stable is participating at that
track’s current meet. Some of his horses were scheduled to run Sunday and Jones
said they would run, but most of his stable would get the day off following the
loss of Eight Belles.
“Your first impulse is to be overprotective of everything you’re around, but
with them being an athlete, you’ve got to still do the business and do it
right,” Jones said. “I have 48 horses in Delaware. We’re actually sending eight
to the track (today) — the other 40 this morning are walking.
“We’ve got three in today and we’re going to race them. You’ve got to get to
business as normal. We’re not scratching those other three, afraid to lead them
over. Are we going to be over-jubilant and all? No, it’s going to be very
depressing for several days around here. We’re going to do the work because we
have to, not because it’s going to be fun to do.”
Trainer David Carroll reported that Kentucky Derby third-place finisher DENIS
OF CORK (Harlan’s Holiday) came out of the race in good order and will now begin
preparing for the Belmont S. (G1) on June 7 at Belmont Park.
“He ate up good and his legs are cold this morning,” Carroll said of his
first Kentucky Derby starter. “He will skip the Preakness (G1) for sure and we are
looking at the Belmont. We would probably go up four or five days before the
race, whenever we can get a plane.”
Denis of Cork rallied from last place to claim third money under Calvin
Borel, who immediately dropped his mount over to the rail after breaking from
post 16, enjoying a trip similar to the one he made to win last year’s Derby on
Street Sense. Since post positions one and two were available when Carroll
selected his spot in the starting gate, the trainer was asked why the inside
spots weren’t taken in the draw to save ground early.
“It’s a valid point and we probably would have saved some ground,” Carroll
said. “I’m tickled to death with his race, but there was no way we were going to
beat the winner.”
Trainer Barclay Tagg spent Sunday morning getting his two Kentucky Derby
runners — fourth-place finisher TALE OF EKATI (Tale of the Cat) and 18th-place
runner BIG TRUCK (Hook and Ladder) — ready for their return to New York before
noon.
“They both came back well,” Tagg said. “There will be no Preakness for either
of them because I see no reason to run back in 14 days. I am going to point Tale
of Ekati to the Belmont Stakes and Big Truck, he’s a New York-bred so I may try
him in a state-bred grass race.”
Trainer Eoin Harty announced Sunday morning that COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow)
“survived the war in one piece” and would remain in Kentucky for a while before
a decision would be made on his next start. The bay colt finished sixth in the
20-horse field, representing the best finish for a Derby entrant who made his
previous start on a synthetic surface.
Harty told officials from the Maryland Jockey Club that a trip to Baltimore
for the Preakness was highly unlikely.
“He had a rough trip yesterday,” Harty said. “He took the worst of it coming
out of the gate. You usually expect all the crowding going into the first turn,
not two jumps out of the gate. But I thought he ran well considering all the
trouble he had.”
Trainer Nick Zito was pleased Sunday morning with the condition of his two
Derby starters, ANAK NAKAL (Victory Gallop) and COOL COAL MAN (Mineshaft), who
came out of their respective seventh and 15th-place finishes in good order.
“They came back OK. They look all right,” said Zito, adding that neither
horse would run in the Preakness but Anak Nakal will be pointed toward the
Belmont. “Anak ran a great race. (Jockey) Rafael (Bejarano) did a good job. If
he could have gotten a little break here or there, he could have been closer.
But he ran a good seventh.
“Obviously, he’s got a good chance in the Belmont being by (1998 Belmont
winner) Victory Gallop.”
Zito said he would give Cool Coal Man some time off before deciding on the
next start for his Fountain of Youth S. (G2) winner.
“I don’t think (the rail post position) helped him because he had to get away
from there and he showed too much speed early,” the Hall of Famer said. “He got
a little rank, but (jockey) Julien (Leparoux) did a good job. He did settle
down, but I don’t think he liked being in there. No excuses. He could have run
better.”
PYRO (Pulpit) and Z FORTUNE (Siphon [Brz]) were reported to be doing well on
the morning after their disappointing efforts in Kentucky Derby 134. Pyro
finished eighth and Z Fortune was 10th for trainer Steve Asmussen, who had
finished third in the 2007 Kentucky Derby with eventual Horse of the Year Curlin
(Smart Strike).
“They both came out of it well,” said Scott Blasi, the assistant who oversees
Asmussen’s Churchill Downs stable. “Everybody came of out it pretty good.”
Mike McCarthy, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, issued Sunday’s report on
the barn’s two Kentucky Derby starters, COWBOY CAL (Giant’s Causeway) and MONBA
(Maria’s Mon)
“Monba will go to New York today,” McCarthy said of the gray colt, who
finished last on Saturday. “(Ninth-place runner) Cowboy Cal got a little
laceration and we are going to give him some TLC. He will probably go to
Stonerside (farm) and get some time off.”
Trainer Bennie Stutts Jr. reported all was well with SMOOTH AIR (Smooth Jazz)
the morning after the colt’s 11th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.
“He ate up everything and has no temperature and that’s the main thing,”
Stutts said. “He got bumped around and climbed on; it’s the toughest race in the
world. What’s next will be up to Brian (Burns of owner Mount Joy Stables). I’d
like to give him maybe six weeks off and look for an easier spot.”
To which a hotwalker passing by with a horse in Dallas Stewart’s barn said,
“That won’t be hard to do.”
“He’s a tough little horse,” said Stutts, adding that Smooth Air would return
to Miami sometime this week. “He will win some races.”
VISIONAIRE (Grand Slam) came out of his 12th-place Derby finish in good
shape, according to trainer Michael Matz.
“He’s too good this morning,” Matz said. “He ate up everything and he will
leave for Fair Hill (in Maryland.) tonight. I am going to have to watch the
replays a couple of times. I don’t know what happened (with him in the race).”
Matz said there were no immediate plans for Visionaire’s next start.
On the morning after the Bill Mott-trained duo of COURT VISION (Gulch) and Z
HUMOR (Distorted Humor) finished 13th and 14th, respectively, assistant trainer
Kenny McCarthy said both horses emerged from the Derby in good order. Neither
horse is expected to run in the Preakness Stakes.
BOB BLACK JACK (Stormy Jack) is heading back to California on Monday after
running 16th in the Kentucky Derby after setting the early pace.
“He’s got a little superficial scrape on his leg,” trainer James Kasparoff
said. “We are going to go back home and regroup. He came out of it good, and
that’s all you can ask for.”
Later down the road as part of the regrouping may be a run on the turf.
“I’d like to try him on grass, but probably not until Santa Anita in the
fall,” Kasparoff said. “But for now I want to keep him on synthetic tracks and
there are plenty of Cal-bred races at Hollywood Park.”
Trainer Paulo Lobo reported Sunday morning that GAYEGO (Gilded Time) checked
out fine and showed no ill effects from his 17th-place Derby finish. The
Arkansas Derby (G2) winner is scheduled to return to his Southern California
home base on Monday morning.
“He missed the break and he was squeezed after that,” Lobo said. “He got rank
and when he passed me the first time I knew he was all done.”
ADRIANO (A.P. Indy) was scheduled to ship back to Fair Hill to rejoin the
rest of trainer Graham Motion’s stable on Monday. The colt finished 19th in the
Derby in what was only his second start on a dirt track.
“He is doing well this morning, but his days on dirt are probably over,”
Motion said. “If all goes well, we will look at the (July 19) Virginia Derby ([G2] at
Colonial Downs).”
Motion had not had a chance to see a replay of the Derby so as to fully
deduce what happened to Adriano in the race.
“I know he broke beautifully but then he got knocked around like a pinball in
the first turn,” Motion said.