Sunday, May 07, 2000
Second-place trainer second-guesses jockey
By George Rorrer
Enquirer contributor
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The difference between winner Fusaichi Pegasus and runner-up Aptitude in the 126th Kentucky Derby Saturday was the trip they had around the track, said Aptitude's trainer, Bobby Frankel.
Kent Desormeaux, Fusai chi Pegasus' jockey, gambled and won, Frankel said.
“At the 5/8ths pole, he took a gamble and went to the fence,” Frankel said. “Alex (Solis, Aptitude's rider) was on the fence, but he lets this horse through and Desormeaux saves every inch of ground.”
Fusaichi Pegasus won by 11/2 lengths. Impeachment, one of trainer Todd Pletcher's four entrants, was next, four more lengths behind, followed by More Than Ready.
“Maybe Desormeaux had more horse anyway,” Frankel said. “I had a clean trip, but the other horse had an unbelievable trip.
“I thought he (Aptitude) was going to win going in, and I thought he was going to win during the race. It was a great race, but we didn't win.”
Solis didn't think he had done anything wrong. “I had a great trip, just about a perfect trip,” he said. “The (the winner) is obviously a very special horse. But my horse is special, too. He ran a great race and I look forward to meeting Pegasus again.”
Frankel took solace in that the margin of defeat was less than the 53/4 lengths by which Fusaichi Pegasus beat his horse in the Wood Memorial in April.
“We're getting closer,” he said.
Aptitude won't get close to Fusaichi Pegasus again until the Belmont Stakes, Frankel said.
“We can't win the Triple Crown, so we'll skip the Preakness,” he said.
Others had similar thoughts.
Pletcher said he'll step back and consider what to do with Impeachment, More Than Ready, 11th-place Trippi and last-place Graeme Hill.
“I've said all along we came here with four horses we thought would run well and that we had a chance. Now we've got to regroup and see what we do now.”
Four-time Derby-winning trainer D.Wayne Lukas was shut out with three entrants, 12th-place Exchange Rate, 15th-place High Yield and 17th-place Commendable.
“I was disappointed in all three of them,” Lukas said. “They all trained so well. But, you know, it's a horse race and sometimes it's unexplainable.”
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