Making an impact in thoroughbred racing often requires time, patience and luck. Usually, it takes a lot of all three.
But Resolute Racing’s John Stewart was able to make an unexpected impact on the sport. Appearing at Keeneland’s September 2022 Annual Sale, Stewart made a series of standout purchases, including the two-time champion female sprinter Good night olive .
Now, he has achieved another milestone: His first Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up. Just one touch will exit the eighth position on May 4 at Churchill Downs.
“I told Gavin (O’Connor) in September that for the 150th Derby, I really wanted a horse in the Derby. And he said, ‘John, you’ve got to put your expectations into action. really. It’s just not like that.” reality.’ So, did I expect that? No, but I took a chance,” Stewart said.
Stewart credits his decisiveness, which has served him well as a businessman. That determination is also a clue to the origin of the name of his racing activity.
He said his bidding style had been described as settled.
“There are a lot of people, as I’ve pointed out often, who come in, spend a lot of money, make a lot of money and then disappear. … I’m evaluating my abilities. successful in improving the sport. So, of course, I want to win races,” Stewart said. “Everybody does, but that’s not how I measure success. If I win the Derby, win the Triple Crown, I win these races, that’s not how I measure success. I judge success is based on having a positive impact on That’s what I really want to do.”
Coach Brad Cox, who instructs Just a Touch, said that Stewart is not a night player.
“First of all, he seemed very patient and willing to do what was right for the horse,” Cox said. I’m sure it will lead to big, big things for him in the future.”
Co-owned with Qatar Racing and Marc Detampel, Just a Touch is lightly raced with just three competitions to his name. Only one TO password with two fewer starts at Derby. The 3-year-old has made steady progress with each race. He took his first win by six 4 1/4 furlongs – Stewart then bought 25% of the colts from Qatar Racing’s Sheikh Fahad Al Thani. He then went one mile in the Gotham Stakes (G3), finishing second by two lengths; and then 1 1/8 miles in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), finishing 1 1/2 lengths back.
Just a Touch prepares for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
Jockey Florent Geroux told Stewart after Blue Grass that he had not pushed the colt hard enough. With the lead already out of reach, Geroux didn’t think they would be caught out.
“He’s still a young horse (and) horses learn with each race. Someone on Twitter pointed out about Just a Touch, and I think it’s true, that when he decided he wanted passing other horses he would be in danger because his times are very fast and I think they are right.”
As for how Stewart thinks the Derby goes, he believes that Dornoch it will be very difficult to beat if he breaks the first hand on the first turn. A horse that combined size and speed would be “extremely dangerous” in that case.
It’s also possible that some of the more experienced 3-year-olds have peaked while Just a Touch still seems to have room to grow.
“I felt really good about his chances and then the draw we got,” Stewart said. “I think with Honor Marie next to us and Forever Young in the middle group, there’s enough speed to set a good pace and we hope we can keep up the pace. There’s no way we’re going to be leading the horses and start leading.
“If we were sixth in the first leg, we wouldn’t have won the race. We needed to stay close, we needed to be third or fourth.”
Stewart didn’t think much about winning. For someone with more than a year in the industry, the fact that he was a Derby runner-up is a triumph.
“He definitely jumped into the deepest part of the pool and it looked like he was swimming really well. … It would be huge for John and his operation to be part of the winner Derby the first year,” Cox said.
Win or lose, amid all the hoopla that accompanies the Kentucky Derby, Stewart is happy to be part of the conversation and hopes the day will help the sport move forward.
If nothing else, he plans to stick to his guns.
Byron King contributed to this story.
