Demolition Derby
Lowell Sun racing correspondent Paul Daley considers the possibility of disaster caused by the outsize Kentucky Derby field in this week’s Sun column, reprinted with permission here.
By 7 p.m. on Saturday May 6, 2006, the 132nd running of the Kentucky Derby will have been completed. As usual, it is my fervent hope that all participants, human and equine, return to the unsaddling area in one piece.
My annual apprehension stems from the fact that, for the 54th time, more than 14 horses will bound out of the two Churchill Downs’ starting gates towards the first turn, all vying for the position of winning America’s most famous race, not to mention a piece of the $2 million purse.
The siren’s song of a place in the record books can be a very seductive melody indeed, tempting as many as 20 young men to possibly react from their hearts rather than their heads in jockeying for the same coveted ground-saving positions entering the backstretch.
What scares me so much this year is that at least seven horses, Brother Derek, Lawyer Ron, Barbaro, Sinister Minister, Sweetnorthernsaint, Sharp Humor, and Keyed Entry, all seemingly have the need to lay on or close to what is expected to be a very swift pace. Thankfully, each of their riders, except for Lawyer Ron’s John McKee, has a lot of Derby experience. In fact, Keyed Entry’s Patrick Valenzuela (Sunday Silence, 1989), Sweetnorthernsaint’s Kent Desormeaux (Real Quiet, 1998 and Fusaichi Pegasus, 2000) and Sinister Minister’s Victor Espinosa (War Emblem, 2002) have each won the Run for the Roses at least once.
Having said that, there presently are eight riders slated to ride in next week’s race who total eight Derby starts among them — Cornelio Velasquez, Brice Blanc, McKee, Rafael Bejarano, Russell Baze, Jose Lezcano, Fernando Jara, and Patrick Husbands. For the latter three riders, this will mark their initial Derby start. Even if they don’t win the race, they could help determine the outcome with a rash decision at a most inopportune time. This is where the experience of having been there before helps, just as at the half-mile pole in the Belmont Stakes, where many neophyte jockeys realize they still have a lifetime of riding left and no horse underneath them.
The Derby, contested at a mile-and-a-quarter, signifies the first time that a three-year-old horse is asked to negotiate such a demanding distance. When one scans the largeness of past fields (an average of 18.3 starters since 2000), it appears that most owners feel they have a champion until proven otherwise, much like opening day in baseball. Why, then, do we card upwards of 28 prep races leading to the first Saturday in May? Shouldn’t they serve as sifters of talent? Fourteen horses and one gate should be the limit.
Granted, there have been occasional renewals with few participants. Only five horses faced Citation in 1948, nine battled Count Fleet in 1943 and the starter’s gun sent just nine after Spectacular Bid in 1979. However, the majority of the 131 runnings have been heavily laden with deadbeats who are never heard from again. How else does one explain 13 horses testing Secretariat in 1973, 20 facing War Admiral in 1937 or 14 confronting Seattle Slew in 1977? Sure, he was a $17,500 yearling purchase, but he won his six pre-Derby starts by a combined 34 lengths. Shouldn’t that have sent a few owners searching for an easier spot? Evidently not, for the 11 Triple Crown winners have faced an average of 13.45 starters in their Kentucky Derby victories.
Though it is too late to do anything about the situation this year, should Churchill Downs’ management allow unwieldy fields to continue, a tragedy will occur someday because of semi-skilled riders, horses pushing beyond their physical limits, starting gate problems, or a rodeo ride into the clubhouse turn. Any, or all, are potential killers. Let’s analyze these factors.
Since 2000, we’ve witnessed rides by such jockeys as Glen Corbett, Eddie Martin Jr., Jose Valdivia, Larry Melancon, Donnie Meche, Roger Velez, and Marlon St. Julien, among others. Needless to say, none will be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame at Saratoga. For them, it is a moment in the sun, which many times leads to some extremely rough riding, especially against the favorites. All want to say they had a part in the outcome of the Derby. Enough said.
Secondly, when two starting gates are employed, as they must be upon the 15th entrant, a large gap is created between the last horse in the inside gate and the first horse in the outside gate. This poses a huge problem of herding. In 1989, for instance, Northern Wolf, alone in the second gate, saw daylight in the gap between the two gates, dove to the left at the break, bothering Easy Goer, Sunday Silence and several other horses in a chain reaction which could have produced equine and human carnage. One of these years, it will.
However, the likeliest spot for potential disaster remains the first turn. At this point, the race is still wide open, with all jockeys hustling for best position. If precious lengths are lost around the turn, the outcome may be history. In 1987, Alysheba’s Derby, Masterful Advocate, ridden by Laffit Pincay Jr., was slammed into the rail on the first turn. Even worse, Herb McCauley and War nearly catapulted the rail, joining the infield revelers. Alysheba, the eventual winner, was compromised at the gate by bumping, being squeezed back to 14th place early before rallying late with his athletic move reminiscent of Afleet Alex in last year’s Preakness Stakes.
Poor Little Current. In the centennial Derby of 1974, Lou Rondinello’s valiant colt was forced to check no less than five times in the roughly-run race of 23 contestants, losing all chance, as did Judger and several others. Little Current bounced back to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. History should have recorded him as a Triple Crown winner. By the way, the Derby size was limited to 20 contestants after this bumper-horse race.
Please, Kentucky Derby committee, let sanity and logic prevail next year. Further limit the size of fields to 14 starters and one gate. Leave demolition derbies to auto racing.
Copyright © 2006 by Paul Daley. Reprinted with permission of the author.
