Christophe Soumillon hanging on to Thunder Snow soon after the start. Photo by John Stephen Hockensmith.
bizarre incidents in Kentucky Derby history occurred. Godolphin’s European Group 1 and UAE Derby winner Thunder Snow nearly dislodged jockey Christophe Soumillon before launching into a wild bucking spree.
at Santa Anita Park, fans were left uncertain about whether a champion had yet been seen.
But the Derby, run over a sealed but wet/fast track after persistent showers, hinted that Always Dreaming could be a superior Soumillion was able to stay on and pull up the colt, but neither he individual even though his resume was brief and his time in the nor trainer Saeed bin Suroor could explain what had happened; Run for the Roses was a less than sparkling 2:03.59. curiously, the son of Helmet returned to Godolphin’s base in England and went on to finish a good second to Coolmore’s top During the 14 days between the Derby and the Preakness, an almost electric sense seemed to swell, a notion that Always European three-year-old Churchill in the Irish 2000 Guineas. Dreaming could be treading in American Pharoah’s hoof prints. Always Dreaming got off to a much better beginning in the Even the typically stoic Pletcher seemed highly charged with Kentucky Derby and rated kindly for jockey John Velazquez just anticipation after uncharacteristically sending the colt straight to off the early pace of longshot State of Honor.The compact dark Pimlico to prepare for the second jewel in the Triple Crown. bay dispatched with State of Honor and skipped to a lead at the “Each gallop day has gotten progressively better. He’s showing six-furlong call that he never relinquished. us everything we hoped he would show us: good energy; good Of the first seven finishers in the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby, five appetite; he’s moving great. He keeps checking off those boxes were double-digit longshots, with Always Dreaming the lukewarm that we’re looking for. We’re really happy,” Pletcher said several favorite in the field of 20 and Classic Empire, who finished fourth days before the Preakness. “What we’re seeing out there gives us after a troubled trip, not far behind him in the betting. the same feel we were getting at Churchill. He’s on it. He’s feeling good. He’s high-energy. Eating great. All of those things.” With American colts generally racing less prior to the Classics than in the past and no standouts after the loss of Mastery, whose Arriving at Pimlico as the literal and proverbial dark horse, Cloud racing career ended when he suffered a condylar fracture in his Computing was largely overlooked as he settled into a stall on the left front leg while impressively winning the San Felipe Stakes opposite side of the stakes barn from Always Dreaming. Following INTERNATIONAL RACEHORSE
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