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Fusaichi Pegasus moves in a slot to 15
Associated Press
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Wednesday, May 3
The race wasn't won or lost with today's draw. I think
the best horse will win the race on Saturday because
there is speed, horses who come from off the pace, and
closers. It'll set up that way and the best horse will win
-- and Fusaichi Pegasus is awfully good.
The 16th post shouldn't be a problem for Fusiachi
Pegasus. Remember, Charismatic won the Derby out of
16 last year, and Menifee was the runner-up out of 18.
Those two ran 1-2 out of the auxiliary gate. So, there
were no groans today when horses drew out there.
Jenine Sahadi chose the 11th spot for her horse The
Deputy. I don't think it matters to much where The Deputy starts. He can do pretty much
whatever he wants to, maybe even come a little bit off the pace if he chooses. Chris
McCarron , his rider, has been in many Derbys and knows what to do with this horse. And
The Deputy never turns in a bad performance -- no matter where he draws.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Fusaichi Pegasus, the curious colt who
likes to look around, will view the start of the Kentucky Derby
from the No. 16 post.
He also is the early 9-5 favorite to get a good look at the winner's blanket of roses when 19, not the full field of 20 3-year-olds, contest the 1¼-mile Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
The last favorite to win the Derby was Spectacular Bid in 1979.
The full field drawn Wednesday was trimmed by one Thursday morning when California-based colt Globalize, who had drawn the No. 1 post position, was scratched from the Derby.
Globalize's injury occurred when the pony escorting him off the
race track kicked the 3-year-old just below the hock, a large bone
above the shin bone.
The gash was 2½-3 inches wide, according to trainer Jerry
Hollendorfer, who added he thought the colt might need stitches to
close the wound.
Globalize had completed a 1½-mile gallop and was being led off
the track when the "all of a sudden I heard a crack and I knew he
had been kicked," said jockey Mike Smith, who was aboard the colt.
Globalize, second in the Lexington Stakes and winner of the
Spiral Stakes, was listed as 50-1 in the morning line.
Wednesday afternoon, trainer Bob Baffert, who won the Derby with Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet in 1998, drew the first pick for post position, and he selected the No. 8 post for Captain Steve, the third-place finisher in the Santa Anita Derby, who will be ridden by Robby Albarado.
Trainer Neil Drysdale, who calls Fusaichi Pegasus playful, not temperamental, had the 12th pick and chose No. 16 for the bay colt bought for $4 million as yearling by Fusao Segiguchi of of Japan. With Globalize scratched, the favorite will now start in the 15 post.
"He's a good gate horse," said Drysdale, who added he saw no
reason to have the colt stand in the gate any longer than
necessary.
Drysdale said he is not concerned that the hoopla of Derby Day
might unhinge the colt because he really isn't temperamental.
"He likes to play around," Drysdale said of Fusaichi Pegasus,
who took his time getting into the gate and then the winner's
circle at the Wood Memorial. He also reared up and fell, unseating
his rider, while leaving the Churchill Downs track last Thursday.
"I'd be worried if he went out there and was placid," Drysdale
added. "I'd be very concerned. He has no maliciousness in him at
all. He's very well behaved around the stable."
Fusaichi Pegasus, ridden by Kent Desormeaux, has won four
straight races since finishing second in his debut Dec. 11.
| | Fusaichi Pegasus was his usual high-strung self Wednesday morning on the Churchill Downs track. |
War Chant, the more serious stablemate of Fusaichi Pegasus, will
start from post 9. Jerry Bailey will ride the Santa Anita Derby
runner-up.
Santa Anita Derby winner The Deputy, who could make Jenine
Sahadi the first female trainer to win the Derby, was the 4-1
second favorite. He will be ridden from the No. 11 post by Chris
McCarron.
"From there Chris should be able to get a good position,"
Sahadi said. "Everything worked out fine."
Blue Grass winner High Yield, trained by D. Wayne Lukas and
ridden by Pat Day, will start from No. 18. Lukas won the 1999 Derby
with Charismatic from the same post.
Florida Derby winner Hal's Hope, who finished last in the
eight-horse Blue Grass, drew the No. 5 post. He was bred and is
owned and trained by 88-year-old Harold Rose and is ridden by
43-year-old Roger Velez, appearing in his first Derby.
The 5-1 third choice is a four-horse entry grouped because of
ownership tie-ins. They are High Yield and Commendable, trained by
Lukas, and Trippi and Impeachment, both trained by Todd Pletcher, a
former Lukas assistant.
Lukas also will saddle Exchange Rate, and Pletcher also will
start More Than Ready and Graeme Hall.
Another entry will be China Visit and Curule, owned by the
Godolphin Racing stable of Sheiks Mohammed Maktoum and Hamdam
Maktoum of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Another contender will be Anees, the 1999 2-year-old champion
and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner. No 2-year-old champion has won
the Derby since Spectacular Bid and no winner of the Breeders' Cup
Juvenile, first run in 1984, has won the Derby.
Completing the field are Aptitude, Wheelaway, Deputy
Warlock and Ronton.
Trippi, named after Charlie Trippi, an All-America running back
at Georgia in 1946, led all the way in the Flamingo on April 8 at
Gulfstream Park and remained unbeaten in four starts, all this
year. The only Derby winner not to have raced as a 2-year-old was
Apollo in 1882.
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