Reliving the 1996 Ky Derby and Triple Crown
This story is mostly about one of the most memorable Kentucky Derbys I have ever witnessed, which proved to be the opening act to a drama-filled Triple Crown unlike anything I had seen before. Providing lead coverage for the Daily Racing Form, this is my eyewitness account of the numerous storylines leading into those wild five weeks in 1996. ~ Steve Haskin
Reliving the 1996 Ky Derby and Triple Crown
By Steve Haskin
It’s hard to believe this is the 30th anniversary of the most eventful, exciting, and historic Triple Crown with which I have ever been associated, either professionally or just as a fan. And I’m talking 60 years.
To set the stage, I have to take you back to a time when there was no TVG and no daily coverage of the Kentucky Derby on a national scale other than my daily Derby Doings story in the Daily Racing Form. Derby Doings was started by Joe Hirsch in 1956, providing the first ever daily coverage of the Derby (news and workouts) in the weeks leading up to the race. When health prevented him from continuing in 1994, he turned the feature over to me, which was the biggest honor I had ever been bestowed, especially coming only three years after a 20-year career as the DRF librarian and writing freelance for publications such as the Thoroughbred Times, Thoroughbred Record, and Stud & Stable in England.
Because few racing fans knew what it was like being on the Churchill Downs backstretch, I decided to take them behind the scenes and provide a more visual look at the daily activities, such as describing the works in detail and sharing my observations, such as the physical attributes of the horses, as well as their personality. I was still on a bit of a high, having just a few weeks earlier covered the inaugural Dubai World Cup won in dramatic fashion by the incomparable Cigar.
Little did I know that in two years, the Daily Racing Form would be sold and I would be moving on to the Blood-Horse in December, 1998, where I would continue my daily Derby coverage and begin the Derby Dozen rankings each week starting in January.
To give the reader a better idea of what the 1996 Triple Crown was like and the impact it had on the sport, I am going to preface the story in headline form to best summarize the wild chain of events of that year’s Kentucky Derby and the extreme highs and lows from the entire Triple Crown.
* Kentucky Derby favorite Unbridled’s Song, suffers recurrence of a foot injury and will race with cumbersome egg bar shoes.
* Derby favorite Unbridled’s Song draws post 20.
* Racing is introduced to its newest media star, the little-known California trainer Bob Baffert, who saddled the Cal-bred Cavonnier, winner of the Santa Anita Derby.
* Wayne Lukas becomes the first trainer ever to start five horses in the Kentucky Derby.
* Wayne Lukas wins an unprecedented sixth consecutive Triple Crown victory, taking the Kentucky Derby with Grindstone. –
* Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone is retired with bone chips in his knee just five days after the race.
* Nick Zito sends three horses to Pimlico well before the Preakness. They are the only three horses in the stakes barn (Saratoga Dandy targeting the Sir Barton Stakes, Star Standard running in the Pimlico Special, and Louis Quatorze going in the Preakness). (Zito would win all three races).
* Louis Quatorze, 16th in the Kentucky Derby, equals the Preakness record of 1:53 2/5 (later given to Secretariat, who it was determined ran 1:53).
* Nick Zito, the last trainer to win a Triple Crown race before Lukas began his streak, ends it in the Preakness with the record-equaling victory by Louis Quatorze.
* Wayne Lukas starts another Triple Crown streak, winning the Belmont Stakes with Editor’s Note, who out-dueled future Hall of Famer Skip Away, with the filly My Flag, a daughter of Easy Goer, out of Personal Ensign, finishing third. (His streak ended there, giving him an amazing seven Triple Crown victories in eight starts).
* Cavonnier, beaten a nose in the Kentucky Derby, is pulled up in the Belmont, suffering a bowed tendon. (He would return after a 2 1/2-year layoff and win the Ack Ack Stakes in his first start back).
Those were some of the headlines, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby, which is the basis of this column, so let’s go back and tell the story of those days and the impact they would have on the sport.
Going into the 1996 Triple Crown, the two most recognizable trainers in the country were D. Wayne Lukas, who had won the 1988 Kentucky Derby, as well as the 1994 Preakness and Belmont and the 1995 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont, and Nick Zito, winner of the 1991 and 1994 Kentucky Derby.
Now here was Lukas in ’96, saddling five Derby horses and Zito saddling two. But the favorite in the race, Florida Derby and Wood Memorial winner Unbridled’s Song, and second choice, Santa Anita Derby winner Cavonnier, were both trained by relative unknowns, Jim Ryerson and Bob Baffert.
Although Lukas and Zito, as usual, commanded a good deal of the attention, the main focus of the media was on the Ryerson and Baffert horses stabled in trainer April Mayberry’s barn. At the far end of the barn was the magnificent-looking gray Unbridled’s Song, the one potential superstar in the field. The son of Unbridled was not only brilliantly fast, he had an enormous stride and seemed to do everything easily. He was game enough to outduel the Lukas-trained Hennessy in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and brilliant enough to demolish the field in the Florida Derby by almost six lengths, earning a sensational 114 Beyer speed figure, and four weeks later win the Wood Memorial.
Unbridled’s Song outduels Hennessy in the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
At the other end of the barn was Cavonnier and his witty white-haired trainer Bob Baffert, who provided the media with constant belly laughs and wildly entertaining quotes. No one had ever seen anything quite like him.
Considered mainly a sprint trainer, Baffert burst on the Derby scene when Cavonnier, making his 13th career start, scored an impressive victory in the Santa Anita Derby, overcoming a troubled trip and drawing off to a 1 3/4-length victory.
Cavonnier, trained by Bob Baffert, wins the 1996 Santa Anita Derby.
The irony of Baffert sharing a barn with Unbridled’s Song was that he still had vivid memories of watching the colt sell at the 1995 Barretts March 2-year-old sale at Pomona for a whopping $1.4 million to flamboyant and outspoken owner Ernie Paragallo.
“I saw him walk out of his stall and he just kept coming; there was no end to him,” Baffert recalled. “He was such a big majestic horse, my reaction was ‘Wow!’ There was no way I could afford this colt. Back then they didn’t let them rip around there in the breezes like they do now, and he looked like he was galloping going in :10 flat. It was ridiculous.”
More than three decades later, when asked for his impressions of the record-shattering Flightline 2-year-old colt who had recently sold for a mind-blowing $10.5 million at this year’s OBS sale, and who he would be training, Baffert said the only horse he reminded him of was Unbridled’s Song.
So now here he was in the same barn as this magnificent colt who was so far beyond his reach he couldn’t imagine ever being able to buy a horse like him.
One morning, I drove with Baffert to watch Cavonnier’s final Derby work, in which he breezed five furlongs in 1:01 in the slop. Driving back to the barn, the subject of Unbridled’s Song came up, and Baffert uttered words I have never forgotten, as no trainer would ever dare be so brutally honest and uniquely descriptive. But this was Bob Baffert, who said of Unbridled’s Song, “I would swim across a river of gasoline with a blow torch up my ass to train a horse like that.”
Because he looked at the colt with such reverence, he kept a close eye on him as he walked by him in the shedrow every day. Then one morning, about a week before the race, Baffert called me over and said to me in private, “You know, Unbridled’s Song is wearing a bar shoe.”
That, of course, sent up a warning flare. There was a rumor that had begun to circulate after the Wood Memorial that Unbridled’s Song had come out of the race with a bruised foot, but nothing ever came of it, and the colt went about his daily training with no problems.
The question now was, how do you confront Ryerson? Buzz Chace, a former equine dentist turned bloodstock agent and consultant to Ernie Paragallo, was standing outside the barn. With Chace being the colt’s unoffical spokesperson and lliason to Paragallo, I went up to him, having known him well for several years, but knew not to ask him directly if Unbridled’s Song was wearing a bar shoe. In a case like this you have to make it sound as if it is common knowledge. So I asked him, “How long has Unbridled’s Song been wearing a bar shoe?” It was obvious that I caught him off guard, and he replied, “Bar shoe? What bar shoe? I don’t know anything about a bar shoe?”
Another reporter, Jennie Rees of the Louisville Courier-Journal, had heard the same thing from her husband, who was a trainer. So, when Jim Ryerson came out to give his daily news briefing, Jenny asked him point blank if the colt was wearing a bar shoe. With a bit of a smirk on his face, which Ryerson often seemed to have, he explained that they were dealing with a quarter crack that was under control and the bar shoe was just for protection.
After a bit more prodding, he explained that the colt had injured his foot in the Wood Memorial. He believed he had hit something and taken out a chunk of the bulb of his heel. His groom, Jose Perales, had discovered it while picking out the colt’s feet after the Wood. Unbridled’s Song was given a tetanus shot, and an acrylic patch was put on to help the foot heal. Because there was some warmth in his foot, they had to drain it as well.
Unbridled’s Song, shown winning the 1996 Wood Memorial.
Ryerson added that the colt had worked several days earlier at Churchill without the bar shoe and the foot was “cold as ice” afterward.
That’s the way it stood until Ryerson returned to the barn one afternoon early in Derby week and checked the horse’s foot. He noticed tenderness in the area, so he pulled off the shoe and soaked the foot. He put the colt on antibiotics, something no trainer wants to do that close to a race, especially the Kentucky Derby.
Blacksmith Hans Albrecht, feeling the old shoe was aggravating the heel, replaced it with a Z-bar shoe, which, with its Z-shaped extension inside the shoe, provided additional protection. It wasn’t looking good for the Derby favorite.
The following morning (Tuesday), the foot seemed better and Unbridled’s Song had a good gallop with his new shoe. At first, he was a little tentative with it but appeared to get used to it quickly. Ryerson did say that the colt would not breeze Wednesday, as originally planned, which was not good news. If he had to miss the breeze altogether, they would be forced to come up with an alternate plan.
Earlier, my former Daily Racing Form colleague and closest friend, Ed Fountaine, who was doing a diary with Ryerson for the New York Post, wanted to thank him and told him that he and I wanted to take him and Buzz out to dinner. It was the Tuesday before the race, and we arranged to meet them at the popular Pat’s Steak House. It would not be what we expected. Buzz looked out the window and chain-smoked all night without saying a single word. Ryerson was more convivial, but obviously had no desire to engage in conversation. To say it was uncomfortable would be a gross understatement. It got so bad that Ed and I would take turns going to the men’s room and staying there as long as possible, leaving the other to just stare at both of them. Buzz never once stopped looking out the window into the darkness, the smoke from his cigarette bouncing off the window and hovering over my salmon.
Ed and I knew something must have happened that afternoon or evening, and as we would learn, Unbridled’s Song’s foot had taken a bit of a turn for the worse, and here they were having to go to dinner that night with two journalists.
While all this was happening another series of events were taking place that would have a profound impact on the sport. A week before the Derby, Baffert had flown to Phoenix to saddle Mike Pegram’s The Texas Tunnel in the Great Arizona Shootout Trial at Ruidoso Downs. At the same time, brothers J.B. and Kevin McKathan had found a 2-year-old colt in the Ocala April 2-year-old sale that they loved and wanted Baffert to buy. They sent a tape of the colt to his hotel in Louisville, but there was a weather delay flying back and by the time he returned the bidding was over. Attending the sale was Buzz Chace and Ernie Paragallo. Chace also loved the colt and bid on him, but soon realized the consignor was bidding him up and backed out. As a result, the colt RNA’d for $100,000. J.B. McCathan then called Baffert and told him they could still get him. Baffert told him to offer $80,000 and the deal was done.
Now he had to find someone to sell him to. He knew Chace had liked him enough to bid on him and asked him if he was interested in buying him for Paragallo, who was due to arrive in Louisville the following morning. Chace told him he would ask him when he arrived, but he was pretty sure he would take him. “Just see me in the morning and we can close the deal,” Chace said.
When Baffert arrived at the barn he heard about Unbridled’s Song’s setback and knew he had to act fast. He asked Chace if he had a chance to talk to Ernie. But Chace now had more important things on his mind and said to Baffert, “Forget it. Forget it. This isn’t the time. Sell it to somebody else. I don’t even want to bring it up to Ernie.”
With that seemingly sure deal no longer doable, Baffert considered his friend Mike Pegram, but Pegram had so many horses at the time, and Baffert always bought yearlings for him. He then noticed a note he had left for himself to call Bob Lewis and give him an update on his horse Criollito, who was scheduled to run in the upcoming Churchill Downs Stakes. So Baffert called Lewis and mentioned to him that he had just bought this 2-year-old and really loved him, and asked if he was interested. Lewis agreed, and paid the $80,000 for the colt and $5,000 for the McKathan brothers.
And we all know how that colt, named Silver Charm, and Baffert would go on to impact the sport and Triple Crown history.
Getting back to the main story of the 1996 Kentucky Derby, that Tuesday night following our infamous dinner, Ryerson called Paragallo and told him he was thinking of changing plans and working Unbridled’s Song a half-mile Wednesday morning.
Unbridled’s Song and trainer Jim Ryerson
When Ryerson awoke he could have played it safe and galloped the colt again after learning the track had turned wet following an early morning shower. But he felt it was time to find out once and for all just where they were with him. This was the Kentucky Derby. If Unbridled’s Song’s foot wasn’t able to stand up to the punishment of a half-mile work over a wet track, he had no business being in the race. His status for the Derby would be determined by how he worked. Ryerson called Paragallo, who gave him the OK. He then called jockey Mike Smith, who had flown in the day before, and told him to come to the track to work the horse.
There was a foreboding atmosphere knowing that the Derby favorite with a nagging foot bruise and wearing bar shoes was about to work over a wet track to determine whether or not he was going to run.
Unbridled’s Song was under tack by 6 a.m., and the Z-bar shoes had been replaced with two egg-bar shoes, which are full egg-shaped shoes that cover the entire foot and provide better balance and support. While some vets believe they don’t hinder a horse’s performance, many horsemen equate the transition to going from running shoes to combat boots. They certainly are not desirable, especially in a race like the Kentucky Derby.
Ryerson had been up most of the night worrying about the work. As Unbridled’s Song made his way on to the track, Ryerson went up to the clocker’s stand, located midway down the backstretch, and waited nervously.
“We’ll know in a few minutes,” he said. The time wasn’t important. Ryerson just wanted to see how the colt went with the egg-bars, which he no doubt would have to wear in the Derby, and how the foot stood up to the pressure.
In the clocker’s stand were trainers Phil Thomas and Gary “Red Dog” Hartlage, who had their watches ready to time Unbridled’s Song’s work. The track had no lights back then, and because it was still dark, all anyone could see of the work were the split seconds when the colt passed under lights situated at the poles.
Unbridled’s Song broke off at the half-mile pole. It was near-impossible to catch the opening split from their vantage point in the dark, so Thomas and Hartlage just timed his final three-eighths. As they checked their splits, they couldn’t believe what they saw and were convinced they had blown the time or were clocking the wrong horse.
“No, that’s him,” Ryerson assured them. As Unbridled’s Song passed the finish line, Thomas looked at his watch first and said, “Good God, I got his last three-eighths in :33 4/5; that can’t be right.”
“I got the same time,” Hartlage said. Ryerson then checked with the clockers, who told him they had caught the colt in :46 flat for the half-mile, galloping out five furlongs in :59 1/5. It was a spectacular work for any horse, but for one wearing two egg-bar shoes and nursing a sore foot it was unheard of. One independent clocker caught him pulling up six furlongs in 1:11 and change, with Smith finally able to rein him in after a mile in 1:37 and change. And this was three days before the race.
Everyone was buzzing about the final time of the work and the way he galloped out, but Ryerson remained apprehensive. The most important part was still to come.
“The time means nothing,” he said. “It’s all how he comes back,”
Then, out of the fading darkness, a gray figure appeared bouncing along next to his lead pony Leo. “He looks alright…he looks alright!” Ryerson said, his voice rising with renewed enthusiasm. When Smith gave him a big thumbs up leaving the track, it put the finishing touches on an emotion-packed morning and one of the greatest Derby works anyone had ever seen.
Unbridled’s Song cooled out beautifully and veterinarian Foster Northrup said the colt came out of the work in excellent shape. Ryerson now had an idea how much the egg-bar shoes would affect the horse in the Derby. But the Derby is a far cry from a half-mile work.
As if things hadn’t been bad enough for Unbridled’s Song, he wound up drawing post 20 in the Derby, a post from which no horse had ever won. Baffert couldn’t believe it. When I saw him immediately after the draw, all he said was, “How can any horse stabled in the same barn as me have such bad karma.”
Meanwhile, over at the Wayne Lukas barn, he was trying to do something no trainer had ever done — saddle five horses in the Derby. All of them were either stakes winners or stakes placed, with his best chance appearing to be with Louisiana Derby winner and Arkansas Derby runner-up Grindstone, who was coupled with Editor’s Note as part of an entry owned by William T. Young’s Overbrook Farm.
But another warning flare was set off as I was leaving Lukas’ barn one morning. Grindstone’s groom was walking with someone directly in front of me, and I could hear the other person ask him how his horse was doing. All I heard him say was “knee no good.” Whoops.
Because of Unbridled’s Song’s injury and having to wear egg-bar shoes, he was sent off as the 7-2 favorite in the Derby. Breaking from post 19, following one late scratch, he came out running and pressed the brutal early pace set by one of the Lukas entries, Honour and Glory, and Hollywood Futurity winner Matty G. through fractions of :22 1/5, :46 flat, and 1:10 flat. While both those top-class stakes horses stopped to a walk, finishing 17th and 18th, Unbridled’s Song made a quick, spectacular move outside horses to take command and open a clear lead on the far turn. It was shaping up to be one of the great performances ever in the Derby, as he turned for home still several lengths clear of the field.
But as soon as he went to change leads, you could tell there was little left. Cavonnier, despite being struck across the face by Halo Sunshine’s jockey Craig Perret’s whip, charged past him on the inside, but Unbridled’s Song continued to battle on, and was still only a head back at the eighth pole. But here came Lukas’s late closers Grindstone and Prince of Thieves. Between the blazing fractions, the egg-bar shoes, that big early move, and running farther than he probably wanted to go, Unbridled’s Song had little left, but never stopped trying. At the end, he finished fifth, beaten only 3 3/4 lengths, and a neck and a nose for third. It was an amazing performance considering all the obstacles the colt had to overcome.
For Cavonnier, despite the whip incident, he looked like a winner in deep stretch only to have Grindstone come charging out in the middle of the track to nip him by the slimmest margins. It was so close, Baffert initially thought he had won, and he would gain solace in knowing that for a few seconds he knew what it felt like to win the Kentucky Derby. That feeling would last a lot longer the following year when that 2-year-old colt he had purchased Derby week would make him the one of the biggest media stars the sport had ever known.
The official Kentucky Derby 122 photo finish shows Grindstone defeating Cavonnier by a nose.
The Derby experience had left Ryerson emotionally drained. Because of the massive crowds gathering at his barn every morning leading up to the race, Churchill Downs, in an unprecedented move, had set up a podium with a microphone outside the barn, where the trainer would address the media daily at a designated time to report on the latest condition of his horse. The microphone was needed, as the crowds were so huge, some reporters were taking notes some 50 yards away in front of other barns.
It certainly was a Derby that Baffert will never forget, and he admitted that a good deal of his new-found popularity was because of Unbridled’s Song. “It wasn’t until Unbridled’s Song came into April’s barn that I started getting some attention,” Baffert recalled years later. “Every morning it was a mob scene over there, and I was just getting the residuals down at my end. It was like, ‘Hey, you guys want to talk to me? I’ll tell you anything you want to know. I’ve got a lot to talk about.’ Little by little I got to talking and joking and wound up doing a lot of television and getting exposure.
“I really got caught up in the whole Unbridled’s Song deal. It was total chaos. What that horse had to go through, it proved he was a great horse. If he didn’t have that foot problem, the Derby would have been a totally different story. There was no doubt he was the best horse in the race.”
Unbridled’s Song never was fully sound for any prolonged period of time after that. He even attempted to take on the great Cigar, who was trying to extend his winning streak to 16 races and equaling Citations’s modern day record, in Arlington’s Citation Challenge. But Unbridled’s Song wasn’t up to such a task and never threatened. He was turned over to Nick Zito late in 1996 and the following January he drubbed the top-class sprinter Appealing Skier in the seven-furlong Olympic Handicap at Gulfstream in a sizzling 1:21 2/5. But he was injured yet again and retired to Taylor Made Farm in 1997, where he became one of the most influential stallions in the United States and abroad, siring over 100 stakes winners and numerous grade I winners.
2017 leading sire Unbridled’s Song as a stallion at Taylor Made Farm.
In 2017 he was the leading sire in America, and to demonstrate his impact on the Triple Crown recently, he is the paternal grandsire of 2023 Belmont winner Arcangelo and the 2024 and 2026 Preakness winners Seize the Grey and Napoleon Solo. Arcangelo would also win the Travers, and a month after Unbridled’s Song’s death in 2013, his son Will Take Charge won the Travers for Wayne Lukas.
Baffert had always dreamed of training a horse like Unbridled’s Song ever since he first saw him at the Barretts sale, and he finally got to swim that “river of fire” in 2016, with the closest thing to Unbridled’s Song with his extraordinary son Arrogate. A big long-striding gray like his sire, he wasn’t a Triple Crown winner like Baffert’s American Pharoah and Justify, but was the richest and arguably the most gifted horse Baffert would ever train. His record-shattering Travers victory is regarded as one of the most spectacular races of all time, as was his remarkable Dubai World Cup score the following year. And his dramatic win as a 3-year-old over two-time Horse of the Year and dual classic winner California Chrome is regarded as one of the greatest Breeders’ Cup Classics ever run.
As for the Derby winner, Grindstone, his groom’s words proved prophetic. As mentioned earlier, the colt was forced to retire five days after the Derby with knee chips. His son Birdstone would win the 2004 Belmont Stakes for Nick Zito, depriving Smarty Jones of a Triple Crown sweep, and like Arrogate, would capture the Travers. Grindstone would live a long and healthy life at his owner, veterinarian Dr. Jack Root’s farm in Oregon. When he died in 2022 at age 29, he had been the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner.
Grindstone, the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner prior to his death in 2022 at the age of 29.
And finally there is Cavonnier. I will never forget his Belmont Stakes, in which jockey Chris McCarron pulled him up on the backstretch and we all had to watch him being taken off in an ambulance. When McCarron returned and was asked how the horse was, he said, “It’s not good. Pray for him.” I dreaded going to Baffert’s barn, but when I saw him in the shedrow he uttered just two words that normally would be bad news, but in this case were music to my ears: “Bowed tendon.” That normally meant certain retirement, but, as mentioned earlier, he returned to the races after 2 1/2 years, remarkably winning the Ack Ack Stakes in his first start back.
After several mediocre performances he finally was retired to his owners’ Robert and Barbara Walter’s Vine Hill Ranch in Sebastopol, California, where he became a “babysitter” for rowdy yearlings and later in life, following the death of his owners, a pasture companion for other horses, while frequently making local appearances. The horse who came within a nose of Kentucky Derby immortality and introduced the world to Bob Baffert faded from memory. There is not even a record of his death, but if he is still alive, he would be 33.
Over the next couple of years following the ’96 Triple Crown, Baffert, Lukas, and Zito would be known as the Derby Dynamos, having won seven Kentucky Derbys from 1991 to 1999. Baffert would go on to win six Kentucky Derbys (seven if you include Medina Spirit) and two Triple Crowns. Lukas would win another Derby and Preakness in 1999 with Charismatic and the Belmont in 2000 with Commendable. His final classic victory came with Seize the Grey in the 2024 Preakness, one year before his death at age 88.
So ends the story of the 1996 Triple Crown, especially a Kentucky Derby that was unlike any other before or since. One moment that remains embedded in my memory occurred well after the Derby when everyone had left. I returned to the barn that only days before had been the scene of pure bedlam, as hordes of media members gathered and waited shoulder to shoulder, often in bone-chilling weather, for Ryerson to come out and speak.
Now, all that remained from the previous week’s soap opera was the familiar podium that still stood ominously outside the barn. Curled up inside the podium, fast asleep, was Ryerson’s black cat, Lucky, whose conflicting color and name served as a fitting reminder of one of the most bizarre and tumultuous weeks in the history of the Kentucky Derby.
Photos courtesy of Churchill Downs, Breeder’s Cup, Benoit Photo, New York Racing Association, Steve Haskin, Churchill Downs/Trackmaster, Taylor Made Farm, and Oakhurst Equine Veterinary Services.
Racing historian, author, and award-winning retired journalist for the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse, Steve Haskin was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame’s Media Roll of Honor in 2016. Known for his racing knowledge and insightful prose, he has been an exclusive contributor to Secretariat.com since 2020.
Love the story Steve,thank you for sharing.
My thoughts on each horse…
1) Vitruvian Man – ran 3rd, 7th, 3rd in the flow of the Anita with a strong gallop out. that’s something. leave him off your exotics at your own risk.
2) Powershift – strong last race. strong pace advantage here. strong win candidate. Expecting to be bet down to at least 6-1?
3) Chief Wallabee – had to hit the brakes, no where to run, SO MANY times throughout the derby. collision in the stretch knocked him off his lead, had to switch back. I think he would have won the derby by at least a length with a clean trip. the most dangerous horse in this race. powder keg waiting to explode.
4) Renegade – had no excuse to get caught from behind by golden. he’s run two big efforts in a row. can see him taking a step back here. play against as the favorite.
5) Ottinho – not a favorable pace scenario. but who knows how much he’s improved. could get a piece.
6) Growth Equity – came home in :13 in the Peter Pan. was all out. i wasn’t really impressed by that race. doesn’t scare me. play against.
7) Commandment – how do you get caught from behind by Ocelli? the bully got punched in the face and backed down. i think this is a tired horse. play against.
8) Emerging Market – i lol’d when chad said “it was kind of a rough race for him”. what? i challenge anyone show me a cleaner, better derby trip than what EM got. anyways, the derby was too much, too soon. i don’t see how he wins the belmont after tiring like that with a perfect trip. play against.
9) Golden Tempo – i knew he was sitting on a big race, but I didn’t think he could pass all 9-10 other top contenders. shame on me. the only thing working against him here is the pace. but i expect another strong effort. and who knows what his ceiling is? tough pace scenario, but must use.
So…. I think you have to have Powershift, Chief Wallabee, and Golden Tempo on top.
And it’s a little risky to leave Vitruvian Man and Ottinho off your exotics. Who knows how much they have improved.
Really glad Stronghold came back a winner this weekend!
Me, too!
Ocelli will not run in the Belmont. Down to nine possible runners. My over/under of eight runners is looking pretty good.
I was looking at the Chad Brown/Klaravich runner Growth Equity. He has a nice rising numbers pattern. He doesn’t appear to be a large horse. He’s no Great White. But he runs very professionally. He will lose Flavien Prat to Emerging Market. Manny Franco will ride.
I’m not seeing large fields, for the Friday stakes, at Saratoga ..I wonder if the past few years graded stakes races field size has been caused by the lasix ban?..a drug that HISA itself, claims has no performance enhancing effect, it just helps keep horses from not bleeding—maje it make sense …
Aggie Ordonez is the daughter of a jockey I think you knew, Steve….she has now won the big Sunland race with Vodka Vodka (he also ran 2nd in The Big Cap)…and now a gr2 with Om N Joy—two Cal bred siblings doing well, in open stakes company …Om N Joy won by four, despite Kent D losing his stick—heck, anytime you can get a Kent soundbite, you’re doing well!
Pete Anderson once rode Forego…
Steve
As always riveting! This was my first Kentucky Derby winner and exacta . Really cool to hear all the back stories about 1996 that I was unaware of. You had incredible access to the dynamos of the time .
Steve you really know how to captivate your readers to the story by your words.
Thank you again
Om N Joy ran on turf last week vs Cal breds…today wins the Santa Margarita by four….Kent D….
How ’bout that Om N Joy! Coming back in a week and winning a Grade 2! On the replay, I heard a big roar from the crowd as she stormed to the lead.
Loving just about everything about this! What a pretty homebred with a beautiful stride who apparently relishes her job. I think she just told them her thoughts on turf vs dirt! Also a fan of the naming scheme (and the candy).
One more thought: I’d buy a Hard Spun filly or mare in a minute and keep her to breed. He’s been a good broodmare sire!
A maternal grandson of Unbridled’s Song named Original Sin just won the Blame Stakes at Churchill. It was a Trifecta of grays with the Ohio bred Who Dey in second and Hit Show coming late for third resuming after a 5th in the Dubai World Cup two months ago.
Original Sin is a good looking gray by Curlin trained by Brendan Walsh for Calumet Farm that is not at the level of Sovereignty, Magnitude, Journalism, and White Abarrio but he is a nice newcomer to the Handicap division.
Race four today, at Churchill…I’m not sure there’s a better 3yo filly than Betty’s Pearl, who won the NW1X by seven, it was a strong field, and a strong showing ..for the daughter of Munnongs; they outfitted her with blinkers, last time, and she threw a sun :30 last 5/16, which is what top horses do…. Betty’s Pearl, a name to remember …
They won’t be drawing the Belmont until 5pm on Monday.
A 14-race card on Belmont Day at Saratoga. 11am first post. 14th race at 8:02pm. Nine hours plus of action.
6-pick 5s
5-pick 4s
1-pick 6($1)
The Grand Slam(which will not be tied to the Belmont)
12 pick 3s
13 rolling DDs with another two DDs connecting the Met Mile & Woody Stephens to the Belmont
Two additional DDs on Friday connecting the Acorn & the New York to the Belmont
A 2-day pick-6 from Friday into Saturday
A two-day all-turf pick-5 from Friday into Saturday
If you can’t find a bet or two that you like in all of that, I don’t know what to tell you.
If I’m being honest, it all seems to be a little bit overwhelming.
Whenever the 1996 Grindstone Derby/Triple Crown talk is revisited, I think of his sire Unbridled and Jerry Bailey. I have never seen horse racing coincidence like this and horse racing is loaded with coincidences. 1990 Derby winner Unbridled sired 3 TC winners. Grindstone in the 1996 Derby, Red Bullet in 2000 Preakness, and Empire Maker in the 2003 Belmont Stakes. All 3 were ridden by Jerry Bailey. Remarkable….
I had the good fortune to follow American horse racing in depth while living in Denver from 1995 to 1997. Being able to watch racing broadcasts and a subscription to The Blood-Horse was a privilege unavailable to me in Venezuela.
The summer and fall of 1995 were filled with the hype around Unbridled’s Song and Maria’s Mon as solid Triple Crown hopefuls. They joy of the 1996 Triple Crown was enriched by also witnessing the finest South American contingent ever to race in the United States: Romarin, Siphon, Sandpit, Gentlement, Lord Grillo, Refinado Tom and Different. And, of course, who would forget the epic runs of the unconquerable Cigar!
Unbridled’s Song was as stunning-looking as he was unlucky. His list of ailments included cracked heel, lung infections, ulcers, crack in a splint bone, and a career ending fracture while training for the 1997 Donn Handicap. The son of Unbridled was never able to fulfill his immense potential.
I don’t know why he was scratched three times before his debut; but it was an infection that took him off the Belmont Futurity. However, only 3 weeks later he was entered in the Champagne where he finished 4th behind eventual 2-year-old champion Maria’s Mon, Louis Quatorze and Editor’s Note. Not bad for a second start considering the exceptional quality of the trifecta there.
Unbridled’s Song is one of the 8 winners of the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile who did not earn championship honors. Maria’s Mon victories in the Futurity, Sanford and Champagne earned him the title.
The 1996 Kentucky Derby was an impossible battle for Unbridled’s Song. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if his bruised foot and quarter crack were allowed to heal completely by skipping the Derby. After that Derby struggle he was anyway withdrawn from the Preakness.
Earnie Paragallo was making all the decisions about Unbridled’s Song and the imposing gray was deemed ready for the Peter Pan only 3 weeks after the Derby; in a never-ending series of misfortunes a lung infection caused Unbridled’s Song to be defeated by Jamies First Punch in an exceptional time of 1:47 1/5 for 9 furlongs.
It took 40 days to declare the striking gray to be fit for the Arlington Citation Challenge; but he suffered a clean crack in the splint bone of this left foreleg and showed some signs of pulmonary bleeding during the race. Yet one more mishap that foiled a much anticipated bout with Cigar.
I can’t help feeling that some of owner Ernie’s Paragallo’s decisions contributed to the miseries Unbridled’s Song experienced. Even so, his management of the son of Unbridled appears more benign than the situation involving the 177 horses found at Paragallo’s Center Brook Farm 14 years later.
On a brighter note, another gray from the 1996 Kentucky Derby would ultimately prove to be the last true iron horse. And fortunately, Skip Away, was a far more positive model of toughness and durability.
I’ve always remembered Unbridled’s Song as my most confident Breeders’ Cup bet. In the Champagne, he dueled on the rail, a tough trip for any horse. In the BC juvenile, he was able to stalk and get the hard fought win.
Thanks for the reply Todd. Talking about most confident bets… mine was Skip Away in the Derby.
The way Skip Away won the Blue Grass left no doubt in my mind about his class. He trounced the eventual winners of the Preakness (Louis Quatorze) and the Belmont Stakes (Editor’s Note). Their trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito were dominant figures in the Triple Crown that decade.
However, the confirmation bias was evident in many analysts while saying that Unbridled’s Song was a sure thing in the Derby because he had defeated the top Blue Grass horses in the Florida Derby.
But Unbridled’s Song, on top of his health problems, had to buckle the trend of no BC Juvenile winner ever winning the Derby, and the favorite being winningless and even irrelevant in the race since 1979.
Nelson,
Thanks for adding a little more to Steve’s story here about Unbridled Song. His owner just could not keep his ego out of the way of a great racehorse. Thank goodness Unbridled Song was able to go on and have a great stud career. Good post !
Thanks for the reply DTS.
And thank goodness for the Columbia-Green Society, the Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty, and TRF for saving 45 of those malnourished horses.
And thank God for delivering justice to a sinister man who always dressed in black and was unapologetic, crude and abrasive according to credible witnesses.
Great post, Nelson!
I guess I always missed the connection between Unbridled’s Song and the Ernie Paragallo case. Terrible stuff! It doesn’t seem like there was anything benign about that guy.
It’s so interesting that Skip Away proved so talented and durable with such longevity in that crop, yet it seems rare to find him in a pedigree these days. He raced longer and died younger than many contemporaries, but just not much success as a sire. The horses Skip sired seemed to get his durability – you don’t become a champion steeplechaser if you can’t stay sound!
Thanks Katy.
Skip Away was not successful in the breeding shed but it was good to see his son Skipshot doing so well as a sire with nice runners like Vasilika, Chasing the Crown, Russian Mafia, Chance of Luck, and Injuction among other good runners from his first 5 crops.
Skipshot got an impressive physique but he has only 120 foals so far with a meager 24 in his last 6 crops… perhaps being a ridgling has impaired his breeding career.
Nelson, nice insights and summary of the rest of Unbridled’s Song’s 3YO summer. As I watched the FanDuel feed from Chantilly this morning, I got a good look at the hooves of various horses as they warmed up. I’m not a horsewoman, but it sure looked to me like those egg bar shoes would tend to cramp the frog. Shudder.
Steve,
Great two articles the last two weeks. The nice background story on Napoleon Solo and his trainer Chad Summer but there was just something about this years Preakness that just didn’t cause a lot of excitement (at least for me it didn’t) And as Tim pointed out below although he had the winner and the exacta the race just left him feeling hollow.
This is a nice crop of 3 year olds but none so far as good as a few of last years sterling performers. As far as this year’s Belmont I think it will come down to Commandment, Chief Wallabee and Renegade, with me favoring Renegade but would not be surprised if the other 2 beat him. I think it would have to take to perfect set up like he got in the Kentucky Derby for Golden Tempo to win it. But this bunch are all so close that they can take turns beating each other this year.
This week’s was one of your classic Paul Harvey’s ….. ” The Rest of Story ” renditions. Like someone else said I wish it would never end. I was laughing out loud to myself when you told the story about the restaurant meal. It was classic comedy, and you couldn’t have told it any better!!! This was an absolute great read.
One other thing, The beginning paragraph before the article about Napoleon Solo you said this has been a “fascinating” Triple Crown…. well I would like to add few other choice adjectives to that like…. “frustrating”…. “disappointment”…. “disillusionment” … and at times “boring” !!! But you as always you do your best to make it entertaining !!!
Have a great weekend Steve and will be waiting for your article next week.
It’s a good Churchill Downs card tomorrow….I don’t know if she can beat Splendora or Majestic Oops, at 6/5 and 3-1, respectfully, but at 20 I love Take Charge Omaha! I think she’ll run her best race, perhaps only good for 3rd, but….that’s why they run the race ….
It’s Powershift or bust for me.
Expecting Renegade and Chief to take the most money.
Would be happy with 6-1.
A very nice card at Churchill on Saturday. But I will be sitting on my hands and only watching. Choosing to save my bankroll for one last chance at a Triple Crown race win in 2026.
One thing about Golden Tempo is that he has a nice rising numbers pattern going. A bigger jump in his Derby win. But maybe not enough of a jump to expect a “bounce”.
Golden Tempo won’t be my play in the Belmont. But what do I know? I stand at 0 for 2 in this year’s Triple Crown. But I won’t be surprised if he wins THIS TIME.
There is an article on DRF which points out the lack of pace in this year’s Belmont. I’m sure that I’m not the only recreational handicapper that noticed that a week ago.
I believe that Powershift will be entered to insure a lively pace for Renegade. As I have already pointed out, the “rabbit” will also be setting things up for Commandment, Ocelli(if he goes), Golden Tempo, and “The Chief”. I see Emerging Market, the wise-guy horse from Derby Day, as sitting closest of the contenders to Powershift and getting first run. I want to see Emerging Market’s final workout to see if he still looks as good as he did going into the Derby.
I like that Johnny V has been enlisted to ride Commandment. To me he is a better fit for that horse than Luis Saez. No offense.
Saratoga is home for Bill Mott and “The Chief” has been training over the track.
Chad Brown will also be sending out Growth Equity who has a nice rising numbers pattern as well.
Luis Saez WILL be riding Powershift in the Belmont and he could be the perfect jockey on that horse with a lonely lead. Is Powershift good enough? Powershift “bounced” in his second race before breaking his Maiden very easily in his last start. Back on track?
I still feel like I did throughout the entire Road to the Kentucky Derby season. These horses still look about the same in talent. No Sovereigntys here. Which horse’s turn will it be to win on Belmont Day? Renegade could be the one, but I’ll be looking for a price.
If I only had a crystal ball to see what interesting story Steve Haskin will have uncovered about the Belmont winner after the race.
What a wonderful piece of writing. I remember it like yesterday I had Grindstone after watching him win the La Derby but Unbridled Song was by far the best horse, just not that day.
I also watched Risen Star and Golden Tempo run at the Fairgrounds and that’s how I bet those 2 in the Derby. I actually thought Risen Star would win the Triple Crown.
Great memories you bring out on every story, Thanks Mr Haskins
I like the Derby one/two, I also like Chief Wallabee, he stays closer to the pace, in fact he was much closer to that Derby pace, and was still full of vigor, while getting bounced around in the lane, I’m likely going to fashion a wager on the Chief….
RE: G3 Blame Stakes, Churchill Downs, Saturday, 5-30, 1 1/8 miles.
Vibe, by Into Mischief, out of an Empire Maker mare, will be tested for class and distance in referenced race. Listed at 9/5 on the morning line, he’ll be going for his fourth straight win against the highly regarded Hit Show, at 5/2. Empire Maker, Vibe’s dam sire, was an outstanding G1 winning router, which should provide Vibe with sufficient stamina influence to compete at 9 furlongs. His sire, Into Mischief needs no introduction.
I’ll key Vibe and Hit Show on top, in the first two slots, with Rattle N Roll, Hall of Fame, and a couple of longshots underneath in the 3rd and 4th slots (yet to be determined) in the 3rd and 4th slots, in a $1.00 superfecta wager. In addition, I’ll flip that over and use my four underneath horses in the first slot, Hit show and Vibe in the 2nd and 3rd slots, and my four underneath horses in the 4th slot.
Safe trips to all.
BTW, Reliving the 1996 Ky Derby and Triple Crown made for great reading.
Vibe will scratch out of the Blame Stakes and point to next Saturday’s Mel Mile at Saratoga. Clearly, Hit Show is the horse to beat.
Edit: Met Mile
I really enjoyed this one, Steve. So many moments of humor. I am SO glad that we don’t have to eat salmon marinaded in cigarette smoke anymore, but I do wish Bob still came off as lighthearted as he did in early days. Time marches.
I liked Unbridled’s Song (and less, Grindstone) in that race, as a big fan of Unbridled. The reminder of My Flag was a good one, too.
Two of the 1996 Triple Crown participants later sired horses that had personal effects on me, although probably minor compared to the experiences of the rest of your readers. Being from SC, I never saw much live flat racing, and wagering is not legal. During my first trip to Keeneland, I actually placed a bet in person and won money betting Battle Won in the Woodford County Stakes. He was a really nice gelded son of Honour and Glory, and was trained by Mr. Chuck Simon.
Fastforwarding, my boss and I went to castrate an unruly, but promising, son of Louis Quatorze in 2007. He was as mouthy a 2 year old as you will ever meet and mainly bipedal when not ripping at your arms, but you could forgive a whole lot because he was SUCH a stunner. I got to throw the testicles onto the barn roof, where they hopefully gave him good juju and speed. He didn’t have a name yet, so I hate to say that I don’t know what he did. I just enjoyed seeing and surviving him, and being a part of the nut tossing.
I hope those two geldings had retirements as good as the ones enjoyed by the rest of the fine horses in this story!
Bipedal! You share a bit of Steve’s sneaky humor.
Thanks for the replies, Todd and Solo! I never know whether personal experiences with the lower level offspring of our track heroes are of interest, but I really liked that Louis Quatorze colt.
I should have looked back before posting, but after the replies, I checked my older virtual stable horses and used a little google-foo to follow up. The colt we gelded made it to the track and did well in the mid-Atlantic: his name was Dancin Banker, a winner and MSP!
You can see a picture of him living out the adage “every stallion makes a better gelding” at http://www.bennettbunn.com. Dancin Banker was also mentioned in his trainer/breeder’s obituary. I didn’t know that David had passed away, and that made me sad. So much water under the bridge, and memories that would disappear without Steve and this page!
Wow, Katy! What a story. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoyed reading this, thank you.
Doug O’Neill will enter Vitruvian Man in the Belmont to bring the probable number of runners back up to 10. Reaction: WHO??? I’ve never heard of that horse. Which is weird since I’ve watched the Santa Anita Derby several times. A race in which Vitruvian Man finished third behind So Happy and Potente. Third, but way back from the top two. Weird also because Vitruvian Man has six races under his belt at six different tracks. I watch the races EVERY Saturday and wager on those races most of the time. How is it that I’ve never noticed Vitruvian Man?
Anyway, Vitruvian Man will take his 1 for 6 record into the Belmont and Saratoga will become his seventh different track. O’Neill says that the horse has talent. I just watched another replay of the Santa Anita Derby again focusing on the O’Neill runner. He ran a very uneven race that day. Dropped back, ran up to be close to the pace, dropped back again, and ran on again to grab 3rd. Maybe he can surprise and hit the board.
Todd Pletcher and Mike Repole will run Powershift as an apparent “rabbit” for Renegade in the Belmont. The problem is that he will also be the “rabbit” for Commandment, Golden Tempo, Ocelli, and “The Chief”. All 5 of those horses should be charging in the stretch. OR does Powershift, coming off a Maiden win, take them all the way in a race that doesn’t appear to have too much pace? I was hoping for a scenario where Emerging Market would be sitting just off of Chip Honcho. That was before “Chip” was pulled from consideration for the Belmont. We get a rematch of that Maiden race back in February when Emerging Market passed Powershift in the stretch at Tampa. Powershift ran his heart out that day and seemed to “bounce” in his next race.
Powershift regrouped with an easy Maiden win in his last. Back on track.
How about the theory that the springs cause the Saratoga track to favor speed in the late Spring? I seem to remember Raging Torrent going wire to wire in last year’s Met Mile out of that goofy Wilson Chute. Beating Fierceness and White Abarrio that day.
To those who commented thank you very much. Wonderful post Tim.
Excellent piece. You are blessed to have experienced these events and have these memories. Thanks for sharing.
A very well written and provacative read Steve. I enjoy all that you write but many of your articles just stick with me a long time.
I hope the Belmont Stakes is the best of the 3 races, I did have the winner and the exacta in the Preakness but it felt hollow for some reason.
The Kentucky Derby in the late 1950’s and all through the 1960’s were the best IMO.
Someone is always tweaking something. Sometimes I think they want a Triple Crown winner every year. Obviously the 1970’s were awesome as well.
Thank you for this crazy ride of another Triple Crown season. You make it so enjoyable. You have amazing stamina Steve. It has been my honor to ride into the forseeable sunset all these years with you.
How is Powershift not going to take them wire to wire in the Belmont?
I hope Steve doesn’t stop writing these kinds of columns because of the muted response. For me, and i’m sure others, this is why i came here and why i stay. The KD and all the associated early pools and betting strategies are fine, but the personal stories from the not that old days are great.
Here, Here!
in complete agreement
I agree. These posts take me back and remind me of why I followed racing since the 1960’s. I am so grateful to read Steve’s columns.
Great comment!
Steve your stories are fantastic this one in particular will stick with me for a long long time we love your articles thanks for all you do and can’t wait for your next ones !
Agreed. I really appreciate the stories behind the story, so neglected in most online commentary.
Thanks Steve!
Jack Root bred Shining Prince at hie Oregon farm…by Sea Aglo—-I saw him run at Lone Oak Park, in Salem, Oregon, a 5/8 bullring track….average purses there were a thousand dollars!….In a six furlong race…Shining Prince has a 20 length lead, after two furlongs, which was amazing…..from Lone Oak to Portland Meadows…then I saw him entered at Santa Anita, in an unlisted stakes, he stumbled badly, trailed far back, was rushed to the front, opened up and was caught near the wire, at 6 1/2 furlongs ..not too shabby, for an Oregon bred….he held a track record at Ferndale, for decades, days gone by!
I had brought my wife and sons down to Santa Anita, for the 1996 Big Cap, I bought a box seating arrangement, which included our chairs, and a table, tickets arrived in the mail, total cost was $37…..an incredible bargain, GOOD SEATS, to see the 14-horse Santa Anita Handicap, featuring Cigar!…..Compared to the NFC Championship game, 49ers vs Cowboys $370 for two end zone seats, a couple years earlier (my father and I…)..
It was a hot day, we had a baby stroller, and there was only one elevator, and a line…when our turn came…a wheelchair was being pushed to the front of the line, it was legendary racing secretary Jimmy Kilroe, and he insisted we go first….
Despite the scratch of Cigar…it was a terrific day—Wayne Lukas won the first race with a $65 first time starter, and my wife had $10 on Mr Purple, trained by Ron MacAnally, winning the Big Cap at 17-1 odds—it paid for our post race sushi, down the street, a place where lots of the jockeys frequented …
I had become interested in Cavonnier, after watching him win (I think) The El Camino Real Stakes, and he was my big bet, on that early March day….I think it was The San Rafael, at one Mile, Cavonnier was around 7-1, and he did not run a step, beaten many lengths by Lukas’s Honor and Glory, who was a true miler…so I got off the Cavonnier wagon, and he wins the SA Derby at 10-1, then he nearly wins The Derby, again at (I think) 10-1….Cavonnier…a Cal bred—was favored in The Belmont, or course his sire Battonier was strongly related to His Majesty…sort of like that Washington sire Cahill Road, who was brother to Unbridled, or Tizbud being brother to Tiznow—the western states got the bloodlines from the east…..
Days gone by…good times….good memories…thank you, Steve…..you make a difference, as did Mr Kilroe, who passed away a month after that ’96 Big Cap….
Wow, thanks for this! I had no idea of the “spy games” you journalists played to get your info!
You, sir, are a ‘raconteur extraordinaire’! Thanks for a wonderful, funny & poignant account.
Thanks Steve, this post saved the Memorial Day Weekend washout for me! 30 years ago. Where has time gone! At least back then I could get the DRF any day of the week at my coffee shop. I miss those days of feeling the urgency of getting my bets in. Whether to drive over the ridge to New York Port Jervis or Middletown OTB or a 50 mile drive frantically down the the Meadowlands to be immersed in what some people think are the flotsam and jetsam of mankind. For me It’s a sea of Damon Runyon characters including myself with only One thought.” It’s the DERBY” Great Memories!
I was neck deep in graduate school at UK in 1996 and barely remember the 1996 Triple Crown races. Except, of course, for My Flag, the Phipps bred (Easy Goer-Personal Ensign) filly. Thank you Steve for reviving that year for me.
I wish that I had as many interesting friends as Steve Haskin. Driving around with BB. Blow torch and gasoline. That would make a great title for a movie.
Dinners at Pat’s Steak House. Even though Mr. Haskin ordered the salmon. I would have gone for a New York. Medium would be fine.
You just know that a guy named Red Dog Hartlage is a character. I vaguely remember that Ernie Paragallo was a bit of a character himself.
I had forgotten that Cavonnier had comeback from a 2 1/2 year break. No memory of that at all.
I often wonder what happened to all my horseracing friends. Some have died. Others just drifted away. Never to be heard from again. Not so unheard of when you get to be my age. I haven’t been to a racetrack in over two years. I’m happy watching the races at home on my 65-inch. Good times.
A fascinating story. I remember that Derby very well. I had made the annual trip to Las Vegas for the Oaks and Derby with 4 friends. I had bet on Editor’s Note and was standing in the aisle at a packed Ceasar’s Palace watching the race. I thought that Cavonnier had the race won when I spotted Jerry Bailey on Grindstone flying down the stretch. Thinking to myself “Hey, I got him too”. When I rejoined my friends, I was singing the praises of Grindstone. But they weren’t having it after I had been talking up Editor’s Note for 2 days. They were giving me the business for the rest of the weekend.
I was lucky that day. But now, after reading Steve Haskin’s story, I know that I was double lucky. That Grindstone was able to win with the bad knee.
I was scheduled to work on Belmont Saturday and couldn’t get anyone to switch days with me. I sent out a bet on Editor’s Note with a girlfriend to Hollywood Park. When she gave me my winnings, I handed her $50. She immediately started whining and complaining. I gave her another $50 to calm her down. I think she expected a 50/50 split on the winnings. Dream on. She was what we call in the dating game “extremely high maintenance”. Luckily, she dumped me and I married somebody else. Dodged a bullet there.
Hit 2 of the 3 Triple Crown races that year. I stand at 0 for 2 this year. Still hopeful for a Belmont win.
I really enjoyed that story, most of which was new to me. Unbridled’s Song was such a beautiful horse, and I was pleased to hear that Grindstone had such a long and happy life. I’m also glad that Baffert got to train so many great horses without doing what he suggested, which had me laughing out loud.
Talk about gut-bustingly funny! That dinner with you, Ed, Ryerson and Buzz would make an epic comedy skit. And you gave Unbridled’s Song the props he deserved. Such a shame he bruised his foot at the wrong time.
Ms Blacktype have to agree with you about that dinner !!!
A long article that i didn’t want to end. So much that i either didn’t remember or never knew about that season.
Brilliant as always, Steve, and such a riveting account of the days and times surrounding the Derby 30 years ago. Thank you for sharing your insider’s information and wonderful storytelling.