Does the lady have a chance?
On Saturday at Churchill Downs, Eight Belles will attempt to become the fourth filly to win the Kentucky Derby, joining Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1980) and Winning Colors (1988). Thirty-five other fillies have tried to win the Derby and failed (although none have tried since 1999).
While that sounds daunting, remember that a filly won last year's Belmont Stakes: Rags to Riches. So don't completely rule out Eight Belles, the daughter of Unbridled's Song.
"It (fillies defeating males) can be done. They do it all the time in Europe," said Eight Belles' trainer, Larry Jones, who saddled the colt Hard Spun to a second-place finish in last year's Derby.
Jones talked with Hall of Famers D. Wayne Lukas and LeRoy Jolley, the last two trainers who won the Derby with a filly. Both of them encouraged Jones to give Eight Belles a shot at the boys.
"The only time Eight Belles has ever beat any boys was when I worked her in the morning with mine," Jones said, referring to the male horses he trains. "If she runs her race against the colts and doesn't get intimidated we feel like she can be right there."
Eight Belles enters the Derby off three straight stakes victories at Oaklawn Park: the one-mile Martha Washington Stakes, and the Honeybee (Grade 3) and Fantasy (Grade 2) Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.
Jones said Eight Belles won some races on days when 3-year-old colts posted slower times. Her Ragozin speed figures are comparable with some of the top colts in the race.
The gray/roan filly, who was purchased for $375,000 at the 2006 Keeneland September yearling sale, had shown some promise as a 2-year-old when she broke her maiden at Delaware Park by 10 lengths after a couple of on-the-board finishes. Yet, she hardly had the look of a Kentucky Derby prospect when she finished seventh in her first start at Fair Grounds on Nov. 30.
Jones made no secret of why he wants to tackle the Derby with Eight Belles, who will be ridden by Gabriel Saez.
"All the boys are vulnerable," he said. "There isn't one that sticks out above the others. Every one of them is being asked to do something they have not done before."
Jones, who is called the Cowboy and sometimes fashions a "me against the world" mentality regarding his training methods, laughs when he is questioned about the decision.
"If I can't train colts, it's only fitting that I would win with a filly," he said. "The first thoroughbred race I ever won was with a filly against colts. That was in 1981 with a horse name Alaturf at Ellis Park."
Eight Belles, who would have been the favorite in Friday's Kentucky Oaks if her handlers had kept her in that race, will run out of Post 5 and was 15-1 in the morning line odds.
No comments:
Post a Comment