Tom Pedulla of America’s Grand Prix presents five key takeaways from the 149th edition of the $3 million Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.
OVERATE: Jockey Javier Castellano admits his failure to succeed at the Kentucky Derby has weighed on him. The Hall of Fame rider failed to gain 15 mounts as part of an 18-year quest. “Sometimes you feel a bit embarrassed when you’ve tried so many times without seeing results. And sometimes you come down a little bit,” says Castellano, 45. “But I’m not giving up. I’ve always been trying to be positive and trying to find the right horse to take part in one of the biggest races in the world.” handle your victory magician Couldn’t have been better. He was patient after the usual slow pony from the starting gate and waited for his time when he correctly predicted a strong speed. When it was time to go, Castellano finally had the right horse with him.
Javier Castellano celebrates winning the Kentucky Derby.
TEN YEARS LATER: Sam Herzberg, one of the owners of Mage, thinks his chances of winning a Derby may come and go when he has to scratch. Agate with black veins with an ankle injury 10 years ago. The injury occurred the day before the race. “I don’t need to tell you how depressed you feel when that happens,” Herzberg says. With a small operation, he questions whether he will ever make it to the Derby. Herzberg quickly bought in when blood dealer Ramiro Restrepo looked for a partner in Mage after going over budget for a 2-year-old during training. “I don’t know what to say,” Herzberg said of his reversed fortunes. “It’s just magic.”
VERY RESPECT: There are many questions about Two Phil after he dominated Jeff Ruby Steaks March 25 with a length of 5 1/4 at Race Park. Is the command victory merely an indication of how much he likes Turfway’s synthetic surface? How does he fare when he returns to the land? Well, son of Spin hard did everything but win the Derby by running a determined second for coach Larry Rivelli and jockey Jareth Loveberry. “Gosh, he’s been trying so hard and giving his all,” said first-time Derby coach Rivelli. “I’m so proud of this horse and the participants. It ran an incredible race.” For a moment, it looked like Loveberry made a winning move as they shot through a hole that opened on the last turn. “He’s proven himself to be a world-class horse,” says Loveberry.
#KentuckyDerby Two Phil’s runner-up this morning looked bright as he received some morning marshmallows after a huge effort yesterday @ChurchillDowns 🥰 pic.twitter.com/7uzjcbZatG
– Corrie McCroskey (@BH_CMcCroskey) May 7, 2023
QUICK RUBBER: Asking a still immature 3-year-old to run again in a Derby after just three weeks of rest is a considerable challenge. But that’s exactly what happened to the Purebred Winchell’ disarm after his solid third place attempt in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. And the promising child of gunman handled it extremely well, finishing fourth in the Derby for coach Steve Asmussen in the Hall of Fame. Given the circumstances, jockey Joel Rosario was encouraged by the result. “It’s a big step for him,” Rosario said. “He accommodated everything I asked him to do. It was a good race for him.” Bigger and better things are ahead for Disarm.
NOT THIS TIME: Hope is high that the winner of the UAE Derby (G2) is competent sotogake skin may have the qualifications to be the first horse in Japan to bring home a rose. After all, horses from Japan made their way around the world. But Japan had to wait another day after Derma Sotogake, its greatest hope, came in at a not-so-scary sixth place. A bad start and lack of a finish created a bad combination for driver Christophe Lemaire. “Gradually, we took the place in the last leg,” Lemaire said. “I was in the best position to move. He stayed but didn’t have the pace to get any closer.”
