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Program # 5 |
Post Position:  |
Photo By: Four-Footed Fotos |
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Recent Developments |
Trainer Bob Baffert, now a three-time Kentucky Derby (GI) winner, said all was well with Kentucky Derby (GI) winner War Emblem on the morning after (May 5) the race and the colt would now take aim at the Preakness (GI), the second jewel of the Visa Triple Crown.
"It looks good," he said. "You can tell he ran hard. He's a little tired today (May 5). Yesterday (May 4) he was pretty wound up after the race, but today he's finally mellowed out a little bit. He can be tough, this son of a gun."
The Thoroughbred Corp's Kentucky-bred son of War Emblem walked under the shedrow on the day after he won the Kentucky Derby by a front-running four lengths in 2:01.13 - the ninth-fastest Derby in 128 years. Baffert will stick to the plan that resulted in Preakness (GI) victories for his previous Kentucky Derby winners Silver Charm (1997) and Real Quiet (1998). He will train War Emblem at Churchill Downs, work him early next week and then ship him to Baltimore.
"I'll train him here - this track (at Churchill Downs) is so good this year," Baffert said. "He (track superintendant Butch Lehr) had it great, he had it really great. This track is in awesome shape. I'm just going to train him, take him up there and what happens happens. That's the approach I'm taking."
On the morning after his third Kentucky Derby victory in six years, Baffert continued to talk about the emotional impact of his latest success in the race. It was an unusual Derby win for Baffert as War Emblem had been in his barn for less than a month. The trainer first laid eyes on the colt at Churchill Downs after The Thoroughbred Corp's Prince Ahmed bin Salman purchased him privately after a romp in the Illinois Derby (GII) at Sportsman's Park.
"I felt like I'd had this horse all my life," Baffert said. "When he turned for home, I felt like I'd had him since he was a baby. It just does that. And he's been a little bit of a project for me since I've had him here, because we had to work some things out with him. It was very gratifying, but it was also very emotional for me because of Jill (fiancée Jill Moss) and what we've gone through - the ups and downs and the disappointments and Jill's always there with me. This is for her and I. It's like we finally got our Derby."
Baffert said the victory with War Emblem was also satisfying because of the disappointments of recent defeats with such horses at General Challenge and last year's eventual "Horse of the Year" Point Given, who suffered his only loss of the campaign in the Kentucky Derby. "I may not have shown it, but those losses were tough," he said. "People don't realize what we really go through. And then to win it for the prince, you know, I told the prince 'You weren't supposed to win it last year.' That's just the way this thing works. It was a humbling experience for the prince.
"After Point Given, I wondered if I'd ever win another one of these things again - it's just too damn hard to win. And it seemed like the harder I tried to win, the harder it is to win it. And here this year I took a different outlook: I'm just going to get him and train that son of a gun the best I can and get him sharp and lead him up there and see what happens. And that's all you can do to win this race. That's why Wayne (trainer D. Wayne Lukas) ran second: he trained his horse, tried to get there and see what happens."
Baffert said the colt's previous owner, 84-year-old Chicagoan Russell Reineman, retained 10 percent of War Emblem. He said that Reineman would get 10 percent of the colt's Derby earnings and the $1 million bonus he received for sweeping the Illinois Derby and the Kentucky Derby.
"It was good for him," said Baffert. "He kept a piece in case this horse was to go on to win the Derby, he wanted to feel like he didn't sell the whole horse."
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As A 3-Year Old |
Won Kentucky Derby 128 in wire-to-wire fashion by 4 lengths in 2:01
Won the Apr. 6 Illinois Derby (GII) in wire-to-wire fashion by 6 1/4-lengths over Repent
Won a non-classified allowance race at Sportsman's Park by 10 3/4-lengths
Finished sixth of nine in the Feb. 17 Risen Star Stakes, beaten 9 3/4-lengths by Repent
Finished fifth of 12 in the Jan. 26 Risen Star Stakes, beaten 2 1/4-lengths by Easyfromthegitgo
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As A 2-Year Old |
Cleared the entry-level allowance conditon at Fair Grounds on Nov. 24
Finished seventh of 12 in the Manila Stakes (on turf) at Arlington on Oct. 20
Broke his maiden at first-asking on Oct. 4 at Arlington Park
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Derby Starter Analysis By: Steve Fugitte |
Purchased for big money by the Thoroughbred Corp after his runaway victory in the Illinois Derby last out. Speed horse has looked sharp in quick works for Bob Baffert but will need to deal effectively with several others who are his equal in the early speed department. New rider Victor Espinoza is red-hot out West and they have a good speed post in gate five. Still think it is impossible to win this year's event on the lead and won't be calling his number. |
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Pedigree Anlysis By: John Gaver III |
Born: February 20, 1999; Dosage Index: 3.40
Illinois Derby (GII) winner War Emblem is by the young sire Our Emblem, an impeccably-bred stallion who is by sire-of-sire's Mr. Prospector out of the multiple Grade I winner and champion mare Personal Ensign. Our Emblem is the sire of three crops and three stakes winners including Arkansas Derby (GII) Private Emblem, War Emblem and the minor stakes winner Uncle Puck. He also has It All Adds Up, who finished third in the Comely Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct. War Emblem is out of Sweetest Lady, who is by a fine sire of main track and turf routers, Lord At War (Arg). Sweetest Lady earned nearly $90,000 on the ractrack and hails from a female family that traces back to the useful turf stakes performer Lady of Peace and the graded stakes winners Bravest Roman and Proudest Roman. Sweetest Lady also has Pretty Gale, a half-sister to War Emblem, who is listed stakes placed at Fair Grounds. As a broodmare sire, champion Lord At War (Arg) is the sire of 13 crops and 81 producing daughters including the dams of: champion Poetically; Lasting Approval, an earner of over $500,000; E Dubai; Whiskey Wisdom; champion Primaly; Tali'sluckybusride; No Matter What and Malhado Island. War Emblem is an example of a speed (via Raise A Native) on stamina (via Lord At War) pedigree cross, or nick, and Our Emblem seems to be getting main track routers who can stay nine furlongs. The 10-furlong diatance of the Kentucky Derby (GI), however, seems to be pushing the stamina limitations of both Our Emblem and War Emblem's dam sire, Lord At War (Arg).
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