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 Demolition Derby Full field results in a rough ride
Posted: Sunday May 09, 1999 11:32 AM
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (CNN/SI) -- Charismatic won the Kentucky Derby by simply staying out of everybody else's way. In the Demolition Derby, Chris Antley and Charismatic managed to stay wide of all the bumping, passing horses in the far turn and got in position to chase down Cat Thief and Worldly Manner in the stretch. Meanwhile, Menifee had all kinds of trouble before Pat Day threaded him through two holes in the 19-horse field and got him out from behind Worldly Manner for one last rush that fell a neck short of Charismatic. "This was the worst race to ride in that I can recall," said Robbie Davis, aboard 12th-place finisher Ecton Park. "It was more like a bumper car race than a horse race. I was expecting someone to fall, but they were jammed in there so tight that there wasn't room to fall. "This was a disaster," Davis said. "They could run this race back and there would be a different winner every time." "This was my worst trip ever in horse racing," said Gary Stevens, who finished 11th on General Challenge. There was a lot of bumping along the rail in the first turn, but the eventual winner was several lanes away. Stevens said General Challenge was between two horses in the first turn. "They picked me up and carried me about four strides," Stevens said. "I don't know how I didn't fall. Then when I was over on the far turn, I got hit again." For Bob Baffert, who was trying to win his third straight Derby with Prime Timber, Excellent Meeting and General Challenge, the race ended early. "It was all decided in the first turn," Baffert said. "There were just too many horses. "I knew we were dead at the first turn," he said. Antley said he picked a spot in the second group of horses. "From that point on, everything was going right and just continued to go right," Antley said. "As we approached the quarter pole, I was three or four deep and was confident with the two in front of me because I hadn't really put him down hard yet. "From that point on, it's just a matter of hoping nobody comes on and gets you," Antley said. Added Day: "When I made it to the quarter pole, there was a horrible jam. I had to snatch him there, and there was lots of stuff going on." Menifee split two horses early in the stretch run and then weaved between two others. "When I got clear at the three-sixteenths, he came hard," Day said. "I don't think the best horse won," said Jose Santos, who rode ninth-place Lemon Drop Kid. Kent Desormeaux, who finished fifth on Excellent Meeting, said he had a "horrible trip." He said the filly was shuffled back leaving the gate and that she literally galloped for much of the race. "She never took a deep breath," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | |||||||||||||||
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