Morning Line : Pyro

Wednesday: It's All in the Draw

ehammonds — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:37:00 GMT

11:10 a.m.
Pill Popping

The best drama in Louisville today takes place in the racing office on the backside at Churchill Downs. It’s the pill pull to see what order post positions will be drawn later this afternoon in the made-for-television post position show on ESPN. A few minutes after 11 o’clock, Darrin Rogers, the new media director for Churchill Downs gets everyone’s attention.

The connections of 24 3-year-olds have ponied up $30,000 to pass the entry box. Only 20 can start, so Halo Najib, Tomcito, El Gato Malo, and Kentucky Bear are on the outside looking in in terms of graded stakes earnings and cannot start in the Derby. Then there are the equipment changes: blinkers off for Z Humor and Anak Nakal and blinkers on for Court Vision and Bob Black Jack.

Horsemen nervously shuffle around awaiting the random drawing. Trainer Barclay Tagg, who has two entered for the Run for the Roses with Tale of Ekati and Big Truck, recalls how he wound up with post six for Funny Cide in 2003.

“I wanted either six or 12, and (trainer) Bobby (Frankel) went up and took 12 with Empire Maker,” Tagg said. “That made it easy—I took six.”

Tagg reports Funny Cide is currently at Tagg’s stable in New York.

Jack Wolf of Starlight Stables, in with Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Monba softly chants “one, one, one, one.”

He’s probably not alone.

The dreaded No. 20 pill is drawn fifth and matched to a sheet of paper that says “Gayego.”

Trainer Paulo Lobo shakes his head.

The next pill he sees may likely be an Excedrin. –E.H.

10 a.m.
Doin the Monba

Todd Pletcher's pair of Derby runners arrive from Keeneland...here's Starlight Stable's Monba and assistant trainer Michael McCarthy

8:20 a.m.
The Big Tease

You never know what you’ll see on the backside at Churchill Downs on Derby week. A case in point:

In the corner of the Recreation Center behind the media center, a pair of women are receiving makeovers from some professional-looking beauticians. One woman is getting her face done while another is getting her hair done. Wow, there a lot of teasing going on there.

Jack Sturgeon is overseeing this…ahhh…makeshift transformation. His friend Jo Ross will do about 16-18 facials between now and the Derby. It’s big business. Jack tells us they are here to show what is going with Derby fashions this year.

We’re introduced to Gabriel Amar, the Derby hat designer par excellence. He’s the owner of the Frank Olive Hat Company. He’s touted as the most represented designer for Derby hats. He projects he’ll have thousands of hats sold for this year’s Run for the Roses.

This year’s model?

“First off, they need to be light; this year it is about being lightweight,” Amar says. That makes sense considering the size some of the women will be wearing this year.

How about colors?

“Aegean Blue; citreen, red,” Ross tells us. “Because it is the Kentucky Derby, spectator colors like black and white, navy and white.”

Interesting. What about Big Brown?

“Brown is good, too,” Amar says. –E.H.

Some kind of fashion

8:12 a.m.
En Garde

Jefferson County Sherriff's Deputy Howard Bische stands guard outside Barn 38. That would be trainer Steve Asmussen's home base, the location of Derby contenders Pyro and Z Fortune. Bische got in this morning at 5:45 a.m., and he'll be here until 6 p.m. It's a 12-hour shift, voluntary overtime, keeping a close watch on the Derby contenders and those around them.

Across the backside, the deputies have fanned out to cover a wide range of barns. Each Derby horse gets an assigned deputy. They come in today, leave Sunday.

Bische has been assigned to Z Fortune, which is fine with him, no complaints. He'll follow the horse to the track when it works. Follow him to the paddock when he schools. Follow him outside when he's getting a bath. Follow him pretty much everywhere, except into his stall.

"Last year I had Curlin, so you never know," Bische says. "It's not that bad of a job."

He steps aside for a moment to caution a wayward fan. "Ma'am? Could you step away from the concrete, please?"

En Garde! - C.N.

8:00 a.m.
Button It Up

Tan-coated Churchill Downs employees surround the trunk of a vehicle near the backside press center. Norma O'Berst, a member of the Churchill Downs Host program, is handing out buttons.

"Court Vision! Colonel John! Tale of Ekati! Monba! Big Brown!" she yells.

Corresponding hosts shout back. "Here!" "That's me!" "Yep." "Right here!"

O'Berst tosses ziplock bags full of the pin-backed circles to her team. The hosts will distribute them to owners of Derby contenders.

O'Berst used to make the buttons herself, on a hand-punch. This year, popular demand has necessitated the use of commercialized methods; Churchill has mass-produced the pins with the intent of selling them on Derby day, $1 each. To the owners, however, they're complimentary.

Once the buttons are distributed, O'Berst stops to talk about the host program.

"The program began 20 years ago, when (former track president) Tom Meeker saw it implemented at another track," she says. "The object was to make sure that the owners, who were all wrapped up in getting their horse to the Derby, had someone to help them experience the city and answer questions and get them from one event to the next, like the post position draw or the Derby winners' circle."

And hand out buttons. - C.N.

7:50 a.m.
The Book on Colonel John

Doug Cauthen of WinStar Farm hands us a copy of Colonel John’s ”Official Field Guide to Kentucky Derby 134.” The 28-page color brochure is a pretty clever little book.

As a marketing tool for the farm and for their stallions, WinStar had 200 copies produced. It’s no surprise the main stallion is Tiznow, the sire of Colonel John.

WinStar also has part ownership in another Derby starter, Court Vision. Court Vision’s recent half-mile work in :46 and change while wearing blinkers was “one of the two most impressive moves I’ve seen,” Cauthen reports.

The other?

According to Cauthen, that came last winter in Miami. Their budding star at the time was Any Given Saturday, and the colt worked in company with Cowtown Cat in :58 and change that day.

Cauthen and the WinStar team are loaded for the Derby, especially following Colonel John’s sub :58 move on Sunday. –E.H.

6:55 a.m.
Got the Horse Right Here

Paulo Lobo stands outside of Barn 33 and speaks to a small group of reporters led by the Louisville Courier-Journal's Jennie Rees and The Blood-Horse senior correspondent Steve Haskin. He trains Arkansas Derby (gr. II) winner Gayego, the Gilded Time colt whose prior racing experience came only over synthetic surfaces.

"Everybody is talking about the transition, but these horses are bred for dirt," Lobo says. "What they should be worried about is moving from dirt (to a synthetic surface) like when they have the Breeders' Cup in California."

A few moments later, speaking of a recent work, he remarks, "and then he went :36 and change easy - easy, not open. It was like, ‘Sheesh!.'"

We think he likes his horse. - C.N.

Tuesday Evening
Dinette Set

The Trainer’s Dinner at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Louisville is a Kentucky Derby staple on the Tuesday night before the Kentucky Derby. Sponsored by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders (KTOB) and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA), the event brings together Louisville business types, Kentucky horsemen, and the trainers and connections of the Derby participants for a night of fun, food, and conversation.

This year, as is apropos, honors Carl Nafzger, a two-time Derby-winning trainer. He sent out Unbridled to win the 1990 edition and last year’s winner Street Sense. A video tribute draws plenty of applause…as does the introduction of Penny Chenery, owner of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat.

Of this year’s trainers, here are some of the excerpted highlights:

Co-emcee Chris Lincoln mistakenly introduces Pyro and Z Fortune’s assistant trainer as Michael McCarthy.who is the assistant to Todd Pletcher, not Steve Asmussen. Scott Blasi, Asmussen’s assistant, does a nice job of making a save of the awkward moment.

Eoin Harty, trainer of Colonel John says: “I had a lot of good times here with Bob (Harty was a former assistant to three-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert). It was a great experience. I’m fortunate to be up here tonight doing it on my own. I think Colonel John is doing well. He trained very fast here the other day. That’s what I can base my opinions on, so I’m quite confident.”

Jim Kasparoff, trainer of Bob Black Jack: “When I got this horse, I thought he was a route horse. He wasn’t built like a sprinter. He was long and a really, really relaxed type of horse. The first time I sent him out, he was able to relax and sit and he showed a different dimension. We hope with the extra distance, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Michael Matz, trainer 2006 winner Barbaro and this year’s hopeful Visionaire. Last year, his contender, Chelokee, didn’t make the cut last year by earnings: “With Barbaro, everything fell in place and it just went great. Last year, with Chelokee, one problem arose after another and it just wasn’t supposed to be. This year, we’re glad to be here and hope we have good luck.”

Bennie Stutts, trainer of Smooth Air: “I’m here because of the horse and because of the family that owns him, the Burns family from Chicago. They sent this horse to South Florida to me. There’s a reason for that…and I’m here now.

“You ask me if I’m excited? When I got this horse in the spring, I was thinking about the Stallion Stakes at Calder. I had no idea about this.”

Several trainers were no-shows at the dinner, including Steve Asmussen, Rick Dutrow, Todd Pletcher, and Nick Zito. –E.H.

Super Tuesday

ehammonds — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:34:00 GMT

2:00 p.m.
A Site to See

An electronic press release arrives in our in box. WinStar Farm announces they have set up a Web site for their Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Colonel John. One of the favorites for Saturday's Kentucky Derby, fans can go inside the WinStar camp for daily information at www.coloneljohn2008.com

Sir, Yes Sir!

1:10 p.m.
Open Seating

Its 46 degrees in Louisville on Tuesday; after the first race, there's plenty of open seating outside

9:20 a.m.
The Dirt on Polytrack

Trainer Nick Zito is holding court with a ring of media members outside his barn. The two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer has two starters for Saturday’s running: Cool Coal Man and Anak Naktal. As outspoken as any other trainer in the game, Zito is talking about the subject of the year: synthetic surfaces.

We have a feeling he’s not a big fan.

Three weeks ago at Keeneland, even-money favorite Pyro, Big Truck, and Cool Coal Man all ran up the track in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) over Polytrack. All three will seek to bounce back in the Derby.

Zito has made his career by being the New York trainer whom the state of Kentucky has embraced. Throughout his great run in the Derby, that started with Strike the Gold in 1991, he has made a point to use Keeneland as steppingstone.

“I took my New York act to Keeneland and they adopted me in Kentucky,” Zito says. “For me not to run there, breaks my heart. But how can I run? I don’t have turf horses. I don’t have horses that like the Polytrack. It’s obvious. But I’ll do good over here (Churchill). I did good in New York and I did good in Florida. I’ll do good where there’s dirt and grass.

“You can’t even make it up – for those horses, not one of them to hit the board. But it’s a good subject. It keeps people talking. Racing needs that. Forget the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is an event. For the sport in general, you have to talk about things like this. It’s a big issue. You’ve got 200 years of breeding that is going to be affected. They never ran on those kind of surfaces. Right now the Triple Crown is on dirt…and that’s good.” –E.H.

Zito dishs dirt on synthetic surfaces

8:30 a.m.

Brown Town

Big Brown takes to the track at Churchill Downs Tuesday morning

8 a.m.
Ultimate Combo

Right by the main gap on the backstretch the Louisville Thoroughbred Club has set up a fundraising stand selling sausage and biscuits to the crowd on the backstretch. President, founder, and “benevolent dictator” of the club--Manny Cadima—mans the station. Taking a closer look, Manny shows us a bottle of “My Racing Heart" perfume.

Pork sausage and perfume…now that’s the ultimate combo.

We catch the scent from a spritz he puts on a piece of paper. Hey, not bad.

“We hooked with an outfit here in town called the Perfumery,” Manny says. “It’s $60 a bottle. It is also available in the Derby Museum and in the Churchill Downs gift shop.”

Cadima is now joined by Kate Wilt, executive director of My Racing Heart, a charitable foundation for retired racehorses.

“We have the Thoroughbred club, and we have our partnerships, which we call Thoroughbred Racing Nation, and the My Racing Heart Foundation, which is the latest edition” Cadima says. “So, we go from breeding them, to racing, and to retirement. We think we’re the first syndicate that has done that.”

“We realized we had our broodmares that were going to be aging out,” Wilt says. “We needed to start thinking about their retirement needs. It dovetailed into other interests that our charities had.”

“It’s one thing to talk about retirement, you have to actually be able to fund it,” Cadima said.

That’s where the perfume and sausage comes in.

During the course of the week, they hope to raise a few thousand dollars.

Sweet. –E.H.

Kate Wilt and Manny Cadima

7:37 a.m.
Quiet, Please

Trainer Graham Motion is available without any wait this morning, and there are no other reporters to share questions with. His barn has been quiet this week, which is fine with him. His starter, Adriano, has not raced since a March 22 score in the Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) over Polytrack. He's not exactly what you'd call a lock to win the Kentucky Derby.

And Adriano may not be quiet on Derby day. Although he's pleasant in the barn, he knows what happens at the races. And he gets excited about it.

"He's a very nice horse, very pleasant to be around in the barn, and anyone could get on and ride him when he's quiet, but he has a tendency to get very hot-blooded at the races," Motion says. "He gets riled up, so I try to be very repetitive about everything with him, and he's handling that quite well. I think it's a sign of class and maturity that he's responding well, he's growing up and still has a bit to do. He's only a May foal, so he's not really even three yet."

Motion says his colt will definitely school in the paddock, perhaps as many as three times, before the Derby. The pagentry of the crowd and the tension of the afternoon are definitely distracting, even to the most professional runners.

"He tends to get hot, that's something he's always done even around the barn, so hopefully it'll stay cooler," the trainer remarks. "I think he'll be managable, though." -C.N.

7:35 a.m.
Blanket Security

Roger Franklin and Dennis White are very, very happy as they close up their folding chairs and pack blankets into backpacks. It's the end of their eight-hour security shift at barn 42, where trainer H. Graham Motion keeps Adriano and four others prepping for the weekend's races.

"I can't wait to go home and get into a nice, warm bed," Franklin says. "It was pretty cold there around 4 a.m."

Franklin passed the dull hours by watching DVDs on his portable player. Showing this morning: Open Season and The Notebook.

"It's just something to pass the time," says Franklin. "The horse was fine, I got up to check on him every 10 minutes. Then I'd get back under my blanket."

Next time, we'll know to bring popcorn. -C.N.

7:30 a.m.
Parade Rest

Trainer Eoin Harty stops outside of Barn 41 to talk about Colonel John, his Derby starter. The Colonel is walking the shedrow after taking a light morning jog once around the track. He is not cranked up, but his strides are rapid and fluid as he swings along. He's definitely feeling his oats.

"He had a really easy morning, and he was full of himself," Harty sid. "I was just glad I got him around in one piece without him doing something stupid. When you combine a day off with this cooler weather, it puts them on their toes."

Colonel John worked impressively Sunday, blowing through five furlongs in :57 4/5. This morning, he's on parade rest. -C.N.

7:20 a.m.
Towers of Power

Television satellite towers near the media center on the backstretch

7:10 a.m.
Standing Tall

In the stand by the main gap on the backstretch, Elliott Walden, the vice president of WinStar Farm is standing with the crew from the IEAH Stables. The IEAH crew got into town yesterday – they figure to cut wide swath through Louisville as owners of two Derby starters: Big Brown and Court Vision. WinStar is in on Court Vision and also owns Colonel John.

Richard Schiavo of IEAH braces the 38 degree weather. Michael Iavarone, wearing a borrowed jacket, braces the fact he’ll have 104 people to take care of Derby weekend.

“We came here unprepared for the cold, “Schiavo says. But they are prepared for the festivities: trainer’s dinner tonight, draw downtown Wednesday. “Thursday, we have most of our people coming in," he says.

“To come here is exciting, to be lucky enough to run one, let alone two, is beyond belief.”

Court Vision gallops by. Colonel John is on the track. It doesn’t get any better than this. –E.H.

6:50 a.m.
Barn 23

Big Brown, the “big horse” for this year’s Kentucky Derby stands in stall 12 in Barn 22. The whole area around his stall has been cordoned off with yellow police tape. A security guard is doing her best to keep away the evil doers.

Across the way, in Barn 23, trainer Steve Margolis is working with his stable of 30 horses. One of his charges, Change Up, may run in Saturday’s Humana Distaff (gr. I). Margolis used to be stabled in the new “House of Brown,” but is now across the row in a bigger barn.

He got a good look at Big Brown this winter while he was at Gulfstream Park.

“He’s a beast to look at,” Margolis says. “He’s a big, monster looking horse. He’s a beautiful horse; he has a lot of presence to him.”

However, Margolis won’t make a Derby prediction until they draw post positions Wednesday night.

“I’ll tell you what, though, I happened to be over there when Colonel John worked the other day (Sunday), because I was working a few of my own, and that horse, man, he didn’t even look like he was going that fast. He went in 57 and change. I saw him come from the eighth pole home and he looked good.” –E.H.

6:10 a.m.

I Heart Proud Spell

Outside of Larry Jones' barn, assistant Casey York keeps an eye on Eight Belles and Proud Spell. Jones is nowhere to be found. He's taking it easy this morning, won't be at the track until around 7 a.m.

"This is about the only vacation time he gets," York says. "After we go back to Delaware, he's back to getting on 12 head a day. This morning, he only has to gallop two after the break."

Those two would be the fillies, Eight Belles pointed toward a start in the Derby and Proud Spell heading to the Kentucky Oaks.

"I'll tell you one thing, if Proud Spell was the size of Eight Belles, then they'd really be in trouble," York remarks. "Eight Belles is big, she's built like a linebacker. Proud Spell's only knock against her is her size. That's one of the reason we're running her in the Oaks - if she got smashed around a couple times, it would just take the air right out of her. Eight Belles can handle a couple knocks and keep on running. But let me tell you something about Proud Spell - she may be little, but she's got heart." - C.N.

Pop the Cork

5:55 a.m.

Trainer David Carroll is in high spirits this morning. Yesterday, he learned that his horse will make it into the Derby field on the graded earnings list, thanks to the defection of Padua Stables' Behindatthebar. Denis of Cork worked well Monday morning, skipping over the Churchill Downs surface in :48 flat for a half-mile. Today he will walk the shedrow.

A longtime favorite of online Blood-Horse readers has been the "Derby Names" story, about the origins of each Derby contender's title. Carroll gives us the history behind Denis of Cork's.

"Mr. (William) Warren loves to name his horses after people, and he's good friends with priest in Ireland from County Cork whose name is Father Denis Casey, so he named the horse after him."

How appropriate is it, then, that Irish-born Carroll be assigned the traiing duties for the colt?

"Ah, it's ironic. I'm from County Meath and we don't like Corkmen," he says. "But I sure do like Cork horses." -C.N.

Monday Evening
John With a Capital “E”

What is the Monday night before the Derby without dinner at John E’s Restaurant? The horsemen’s hangout has been a staple on this evening for years. With the sponsorship of Woodford Reserve and most of the Derby trainers on hand for a live radio broadcast with Paul Rogers, Caton Bredar, and Chris Lincoln, that makes for an instant Daily Double with the Thoroughbred set.

Some of the notable people and quotes from the evening:

First up was trainer Carl Nafzger, winner of the Derby last year with Street Sense and in 1990 with Unbridled. Last week, it was announced that Nafzger will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“You think of who you are in there with: Whittingham, Nerud, you name them all…but then you think of the responsibility this sport has put on you,” he said. “Now, you’re representing the sport. It’s a humbling experience…and then you just keep your mouth shut.”

As for winning the Derby twice, he said: “I thought winning the Kentucky Derby the first time was the greatest trip I ever took,” he said. “It changed me from Carl ‘Who’ to Carl ‘Says.’ The second time around, it was…you know the train you’re on, you just slow down, and say, ‘I’m going to enjoy this.’ It’s a powerful ride.”

Ronnie Lamarque, co-owner of Recapturetheglory with trainer Louie Roussel, stole the show with his comments, remembering his glory ride 20 years ago with Preakness and Belmont (both gr. I) winner Risen Star.

“Twenty years ago, we were here with the greatest horse in America, Risen Star,” he said. “This year, we’re under the radar. We get no respect. 50-1-, 80-1, who cares? Anything can happen on the racetrack.”

"Our horse won a race called the Illinois Derby. They call it a ‘merry-go-round’ race,” he says. “They went around the track and no one improved their position. Maybe they were in the wrong place because we were standing at the finish line and it looked like a great merry-go-round to me.”

Then, as if on cue, Lamarque broke into song: “Way down yonder in New Orleans/Risen Star was the king of kings/Star was the talk of the town there/Oh, you know what I mean…”

Steve Asmussen is asked about both Pyro and Z Fortune.

“Pyro has a lot of experience; knows what is expected of him,” the trainer says of the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) winner. However, in his next start, Pyro ran 10th over the Polytrack in the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I).

“As far as the synthetic surfaces go, I’ve figured out how to train on them, but you have to figure out how to race on them.”

Assistant trainer Mike McCarthy subbed for Todd Pletcher, who will send out Monba and Cowboy Cal (one-two finishers in the Blue Grass) next Saturday.

“Todd has been sick for the last four or five days,” McCarthy reports. “I guess he has strep throat. He’s fairly happy about that because the last time he had strep throat, he won a classic with Rags to Riches. He’s hoping lightning strikes twice.”

Jockey E.T. Baird (Recapturetheglory) was the only rider on hand, and he spoke out about his late father, R.L. “Bobby” Baird, who rode Raymond Earl in the 1978 Derby with Affirmed and Alydar and was fifth to Needles aboard Pintor Lea in the 1956 running.

“When he rode against Steve Cauthen, who was the youngest rider (Affirmed), at the time, my father was the oldest rider,” he says. “They were side by side in the gate, and he went to the lead. Sensitive Prince went by him down the backside and Affirmed ended up winning it.

“My dad told me he really thought he had a chance in 1956,” Baird says. “He always told me he might have won it that year, but the horse took a bad step and ended up breaking a foot. The day he passed away, he said that was his Derby to win.” –E.H.

E.T. Baird with Erica Nordean

Twice on Sunday

ehammonds — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 10:30:00 GMT

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