Machen nips Dominus at the wire in Derby Trial

Courtlandt Farms' homebred MACHEN (Distorted Humor) didn't prosper in

two-turn Kentucky Derby (G1) preps at the Fair Grounds meet, but relished a

cutback in trip in Saturday night's $231,400

Derby

Trial S. (G3) at Churchill Downs. Uncorking a furious late rally under the

opening-night lights, the Neil Howard pupil just nailed Dominus (Smart Strike)

in the last stride, completing the one-turn mile in 1:35 2/5. A generous 6-1

chance, Machen furnished his loyalists with $15.40, $8 and $5.60.

Machen, who had collected $32,000 in combined graded earnings from his fourth

in the February 19 Risen Star S. (G2) and fifth in the March 26 Louisiana Derby

(G2), boosted his graded total to $169,730. That would not be enough to propel

him into the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field at the moment, and in any event,

Howard was quick to dampen creative speculation. Speaking to HRTV immediately

after the race, Howard was adamant that Machen would stick to the shorter

distances that suit him best, and identified the August 27 King's Bishop S. (G1)

as a long-range goal.

The early pace in the Derby Trial was a contested one. Travelin Man (Trippi),

the 8-5 favorite, dueled with Dominus through fractions of :23 1/5 and :46 3/5.

Dominus collared Travelin Man for good at the six-furlong mark in 1:10 3/5 and

put his pace nemesis away in the stretch, in a huge effort for the recent Santa

Anita maiden winner.

Machen, meanwhile, had been rating about four lengths back beneath Edgar

Prado. Bumped in traffic and floated out wide on the turn, he didn't let that

interfere with his explosive stretch run. Machen rallied down the center of the

track and gained ground fast, rapidly emerging as the only threat to an

otherwise home-free Dominus. The only question was whether the wire would arrive

in time to save Dominus. It did not, for Machen got up in the nick of time by a

neck.