Noon
Street Party
Between the paddock and the Paddock Pavilion, there’s a “Street” party going. Signing copies of the book “Kentucky Derby” are jockey Calvin Borel, trainer Carl Nafzger, and breeder/owner James Tafel. The team won last year’s Kentucky Derby with Street Sense.
Also with them is Churchill Downs’ John Asher.
Business is pretty brisk. A steady stream of fans go through the line getting autographs. Some have books, some just have the day’s program. It’s no big deal.
On offer today is a special, “gold” limited edition of 250 that are going for $60 a pop. After today, it’ll be $125 according to marketer Leonard Lusky.
Behind the table sit Gus Tafel and Wanda Nafzger, wives to the stars.
“Did I think he’d be this famous? No.” Gus says with a laugh. It’s gotten her something, though. An autographed copy of the book. –E.H.
9:45 a.m.
Thunder Over Louisville
Jockey agent Ron Anderson looks out over the backstretch and takes in the vista that is the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs. He was a longtime agent for Gary Stevens throughout the ‘90s and was with Jerry Bailey through his great run at the turn of the century. On Saturday, he’ll be represented by Garrett Gomez, who’ll be aboard Court Vision for trainer Bill Mott.
Anderson won’t be on hand for the Derby. “I’ve been on the road since last October and I need to get back home,” he says.
As an agent, Anderson has won three Kentucky Derbys. Two with Stevens (1995 with Thunder Gulch and ’97 with Silver Charm) and one with the late Chris Antley (Charimatic, ’99).
A favorite?
“Either Silver Charm or Charismatic,” Anderson says diplomatically.
What about Thunder Gulch?
“We were in Hong Kong when we picked that one up,” he says. “We had won the Santa Anita Derby with Larry the Legend and two days later he got hurt. (Trainer D.) Wayne (Lukas) called me. I was with Gary and I said, ‘We’re going to ride Thunder Gulch.’ And he said, ‘I’m not going to ride him.’ He had ridden him in the Remsen when Wayne first got Thunder Gulch from John Kimmel. He lugged in so bad the last part of it, he couldn’t ride him.
“Gary had kind of lost touch because he was riding over in Hong Kong,” Anderson continues. “I knew the horse was OK. I didn’t tell Wayne we wouldn’t ride the horse, I told him we would. Gary never refused to ride a horse while I worked with him, but this was the only one. I went back to L.A. and I got Mike Smith, who had been riding him, to call Gary and tell him it was OK.”
And…it was…more than OK on that day. – E.H.
9: 30 a.m.
Geaux Tigers
Mike Barnes is a big LSU fan. He can’t help but hide it. The exercise rider’s helmet has the distinctive “LSU” logo that adorns the Tiger’s football helmets.
“I bleed purple and gold,” the Louisiana native says. “I’ve been a fan since birth.”
The 31-year-old is an “all-around fan. Baseball, football, basketball, track.
“I did get to go to the LSU/Kentucky game this year,” he says with a sheepish grin. In an upset, Kentucky defeated the then No. 1 LSU Tigers at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington in three overtimes. “It was a long ride out of Lexington.”
LSU did bounce back to win the national championship. If you don’t believe, Barnes has a copy of the game on a DVD in his room above trainer Bob Holthus’ barn. Barnes hasn’t been with Holthus since birth, just the last six years. – E.H.
8:40 a.m.
Yellow Fever
The old saying goes, “if you don’t like the weather in Kentucky…wait 15 minutes.” With a forecast that is less than promising for Monday, Derby and Oaks hopefuls galore hit the track Sunday morning under ideal conditions: cool, sunny, and dry.
Before the renovation break, Court Vision was vision, working five furlongs in a minute and change. After the renovation break, the yellow saddle towels representing Derby runners were everywhere. Visionaire, Colonel John, Adriano, Bob Black Jack, and Tomcito all saunter through the gap by the chute to take to the Churchill Downs oval to stretch their legs.
Perhaps most telling was the towel worn by Proud Spell during her :58 2/5 drill. She was wearing the traditional pink one reserved for starters in the Kentucky Oaks. Moments later, breeder/owner Brereton Jones announces she’ll not go in the Derby, but in the Oaks instead.
Her stablemate in Larry Jones barn, Eight Belles, does work with a yellow Derby saddle towel. And work she does, going five furlongs in :58 1/5. –E.H.
8:15 a.m.
A Little Light Lifting
Inside Barn 43, trainer Larry Jones is getting ready to work his two fillies, Proud Spell and Eight Belles, for either the Kentucky Oaks or the Kentucky Derby. He works with a leather punch to adjust the stirrup length on a new saddle for jockey Gabriel Saez.
Then, he gets on his pony and take a lap or two around the shedrow. Jones’ daughter, Amanda, watches while holding her daughter Haven Shenski.
“You ready?” Larry asks Amanda as he makes another lap. He stops and lifts his 5-year-old granddaughter up and puts her in the saddle with him. They take two more laps of the shed several steps ahead of Proud Spell.
“That was fun,” Haven says after dismounting back into the arms of her mother.
Following Proud Spell’s work, breeder/owner, and former Kentucky Governor, Brereton Jones weighs in on his filly and his trainer.
“She’s right at the right stage of her development for this race and I could not not ask for her to be doing any better,” he says. He’s talking about the Oaks for Proud Spell.
“Larry Jones, and his wife, are two of the most fabulous people and their whole staff is fabulous. It’s a great team that they have. They deserve to win the Derby and they deserve to win the Oaks. If they’re both in the same race, they can’t do that. Let’s try to win both of them for them. That would be the ultimate…and to do it with two fillies, you’d have to say, ‘Ben Jones, move over.’”
It sure would make Haven proud of her Papaw. – E.H.
7:25 a.m.
Stall Tactics
Trainer Al Stall Jr. watches as one of his horses, County Clerk, stands on the track in the chute.
“Fix that, that figure 8…slide it down a little,” he says to the exercise rider, who adjusts the equipment.
He then exchanges the latest battles with the new security crew at Churchill Downs with fellow trainer Tony Reinstedler. When they arrive, usually around 5:15 a.m., they enter Gate 10. Gate 10 was closed this morning.
Stall then switches gears to talk about this year’s Kentucky Derby.
“I think Colonel John looks like a standout,” the trainer says in his New Orleans drawl. “He looks really comfortable here. When’s his work? Today? If he turns in a ‘Barbaro’ type work, or even a ‘semi-Barbaro’ type work, I’ll be all in. He just looks really good to me. He’s got dirt all over him top and bottom. He just looks like a Derby horse to me. He’s big, long, and stretchy, and just has a smooth way of going…I like (trainer) Eoin Harty’s spot.” -E.H.
Last Week
Field Tripping
Living in the heart of the Bluegrass, it’s easy to catch Derby fever. For the sake of the Thoroughbred industry, let’s hope it’s contagious. Few things on this earth help to spread the spring ailment better than a trip to Keeneland – even on a dark day.
On Tuesday morning, Classroom VI from Providence Montessori School in Lexington was led on a field trip to the local track. The Keeneland Association does a great job of putting their best foot forward with groups, and Howard McKenzie has to be one of their better showmen. He leads the way down to the apron as a few horses continue to gallop out on the track in the bright sunshine.
“No, you can’t ride one the horses,” McKenzie patiently tells one of the children.
The kids tour the winner’s circle. They take turns getting on the jockey’s scales – they all make weight.
As a bonus to the morning’s field trip, one of the parents has arranged for a quick overview of one of the trainer’s barns. The kids—first, second, and third graders--troop out of the track through the paddock and down the path to Barn 35, home of the Steve Asmussen stable.
“No, you can’t ride one of the horses,” assistant Scott Blasi patiently tells one of the children.
Even though it is shipping day, Blasi takes the time to chat with the kids. He discusses the Derby and their chances with Pyro. The children hang in there for the most part, but some lose focus when Blasi starts to describe to them the joys of being a horseman: the hours, the travel, the hard work.
While they can’t ride one of the horses, they are introduced to the colt in stall No. 2. It is the No. 1 horse on the planet: Curlin. He’s getting done up in his travel bandages for his journey to Churchill Downs that afternoon. Curlin nibbles at his hay rack while Blasi describes last fall’s exploits and their recent trip to Dubai.
The next generation of racing fans, or better yet, owners and breeders, peer up at the Horse of the World. You can feel his aura.
I feel better about the future already. -E.H.
Scott Blasi addresses the next generation
