War Emblem Scores Wire-To-Wire Kentucky Derby Victory
By, John Asher

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 4, 2002) - War Emblem, a 20-1 longshot who was making his first start for The Thoroughbred Corp of Saudi Arabian Prince Ahmed bin Salman, led from start to finish to win the 128th running of the Kentucky Derby (Grade I) Saturday at Churchill Downs to give trainer Bob Baffert his third victory in the race.

The son of Our Emblem, winner of the Illinois Derby (GII) at Chicago's Sportsman's Park in his most recent start, led 17 rivals through moderate early fractions in the 1 ¼-mile classic, pulled away in the stretch to win by four lengths. Jockey Victor Espinoza was in the saddle aboard War Emblem and scored his first victory in the famed "Run for the Roses" in just his second attempt.

" I can't explain to the public or everybody how you feel when you win this Kentucky Derby or this kind of big race," said Espinoza. "I just don't have words to say how good of a feeling that I have. There's nothing like it, to win a big Kentucky Derby."

Proud Citizen, trained by four-time Kentucky Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by Mike Smith, was second and Perfect Drift, a Kentucky-based gelding trained by Murray Johnson and ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, finished third. Favored Harlan's Holiday - whose 6-1 odds were the longest for a favorite in Kentucky Derby history - finished seventh.

War Emblem covered the distance in the very good time of 2:01.13 over a "fast" track and was the first horse to lead wire-to-wire to win the Derby since Winning Colors in 1988. He jumped to the lead at the break and led the field through easy fractions of :23.25, :47.04; 1:11.75 and 1:36.70.

Espinoza had hoped that War Emblem would get the early lead, but said Baffert had advised him to be patient before asking the colt for his best.

"I don't know how many times he told me to wait," said Espinoza. "He told me plenty of times to wait and wait. And down the three-eighths pole, I have too much horse to go…but it was a long stretch, so I had to be patient." A crowd of 145,033 gathered at Churchill Downs to watch the race under clear skies with temperatures in the mid-60's. The crowd was the fifth largest in Kentucky Derby history despite tougher security procedures at the track in the aftermath of last autumn's terrorist attacks.

War Emblem was purchased by The Thoroughbred Corp from 84-year-old Chicago area owner Russell Reineman for an undisclosed sum after the colt's impressive romp in the Illinois Derby. He was turned over to Baffert, who saw the Kentucky-bred colt for the first time when he arrived at Churchill Downs to prepare the colt for the Derby. Less than a month later, Baffert was standing in the Kentucky Derby winner's circle for the third time since 1997. His previous Derby winners were Silver Charm and Real Quiet.

"It's just an incredible, incredible feeling," said Baffert. "You can't put a price on it. I mean, I almost started crying when he hit the wire; that's how emotional it is. It brings back everything, all how hard you've been working at it, and it finally happens, and it's like a dream."

With Saturday's win Baffert pulled into a tie for third-place on the all-time Kentucky Derby trainers list with "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons and Max Hirsch. Lukas and H.J. "Derby Dick" Thompson are next with four wins and Calumet Farm legend Ben A. Jones leads all trainers in Derby victories with six.

War Emblem paid $43 to win. Along with the $875,000 winner's share of the Derby purse of $1,175,000, the colt earned a $1 million purchase for sweeping both the Illinois Derby and the Kentucky Derby. War Emblem's career record now stands at 5-0-0 in eight races and, with the bonus, his earnings soared to $2,241,000.

Medaglia d'Oro, whose chances were hampered when he was squeezed back at the start, finished fourth. The order of finish was completed by Request for Parole, Came Home, Harlan's Holiday, Johannesburg, Essence of Dubai, Saarland, Blue Burner, Castle Gandolfo, Easy Grades, Private Emblem, Lusty Latin, It'sallinthechase, Ocean Sound and Wild Horses. The field had been reduced to 18 with two late scratches. Buddha was declared from the race on Friday when he came up with an injured left foot. The Baffert-trained Danthebluegrassman was scratched on Derby morning after the colt suffered muscle spasms during a morning jog at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby victory for The Thoroughbred Corp and Prince Ahmed came a year later than expected. The stable's Point Given was the heavy favorite in last year's Kentucky Derby, but finished a disappointing fifth in what turned out to be his only loss of the year. He rebounded to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, the final two jewels of the Visa Triple Crown, and earned Eclipse Awards as America's 3-year-old champion and "Horse of the Year."

Although Lukas fell short in his bid for a fifth Kentucky Derby victory, he was pleased with the performance of Proud Citizen, who had won the Coolmore Lexington (GII) in his previous outing and was making just his third start since last fall. "I couldn't be happier with the way this horse ran," said Lukas. "Given the pace, he would have had to been a lot tighter to run down the winner and we're coming off just the one prep in the Lexington. But he beat some nice horses and I think he'll beat some more down the line. You'll be hearing more from him."

Delahoussaye, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, felt that the modest pace hindered the chances of third-place Perfect Drift, who had won the Lane's End Spiral at Turfway Park in his most recent start.

""They were walking," he said. "I thought there would be five or six horses in front of me, but nobody was going with the leader. I thought they'd go the half in :46, not :47. I was up front, but I didn't want to be. I was just being dragged along with the race." War Emblem is expected to contest the Preakness, the second jewel of the Visa Triple Crown, at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, May 18.

« Back To Derby News