Todd Pletcher : Derby History
A native of Dallas, TX, Pletcher grew up around Thoroughbred racing as his father, Jake Pletcher, trained Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. After graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in animal science, he went to work for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. He stayed with Lukas for six years, eventually becoming his main East Coast assistant trainer. He went out on his own in 1996 and has trained such top-class performers as Left Bank and Balto Star. While he has been very successful since taking out his license, 2004 was a banner year for the Pletcher stable. His starters earned $17,511,923, top in the nation by nearly $2 million, he finished fifth in terms of number of victories, and as a result was awarded the 2004 Eclipse Award for top trainer. After going winless with his first 12 Breeders' Cup starters, Pletcher won two races in the event last year: the Sprint with Speightstown, and the Distaff with Kentucky Oaks champ Ashado. Both would also go on to be Eclipse winners in their respective divisions. Pletcher’s best Derby finish was with Invisible Ink, second in 2001, and most recently a fourth place finish with Limehouse last year.
John Velazquez : Derby History
A native of Puerto Rico, born on November 24, 1971, Velazquez is perennially among the top 10 riders in New York, where he currently lives. He has six Breeders' Cup wins - Caressing, Da Hoss, Storm Flag Flying, Starine, Speightstown, and Ashado - and on Sept. 3, 2001, he became the first jockey in Saratoga history to ride six winners on a single card. On April 22, 2001, Velazquez won his 2,000th career race. His mounts earned in excess of $22.4 million in 2004, tops in the nation, while his 335 wins were good for third last year. After attending jockey's school and riding in Puerto Rico, came to New York in March 1990. He has ridden in seven Derbies, his best a second on Invisible Ink in '01. He and his wife Leona, daughter of trainer Leo O'Brien, have one daughter and one son.
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor : Derby History
Michael Tabor was the principal shareholder in the Arthur Prince chain of betting shops in the United Kingdom until selling the business in 1996 for $50 million. In 1972, he purchased his first Thoroughbred and 23 years later his Thunder Gulch won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He has campaigned many runners, such as Galileo and Giant's Causeway, in partnership with Susan Magnier, wife of Coolmore Stud owner John Magnier and daughter of renowned Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien.
Marvin Little, Jr., James Iselin & Ron McKee (KY)
Breeder bio coming soon!
05.06.05 - Spanish Chestnut Due In Saturday Morning 05.01.05 - Sunday Barn Notes 04.30.05 - Saturday Barn Notes 04.29.05 - Friday Barn Notes 04.28.05 - Thursday Barn Notes 04.17.05 - High Limit, Consolidator Derby-Bound After Blue Grass Runs 04.16.05 - Bandini Earns His Way Into Derby With Blue Grass Triumph 03.04.2005 - High Fly, Bandini Head Field For Fountain Of Youth Stakes
One of two members of the first crop of 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus to make the field for this year's "Run for the Roses," Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Bandini established himself as a major contender with a six-length victory in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland. A dazzling physical specimen, Bandini has compiled a record of 3-1-0 in five races and earnings of $564,180 - with four of those races coming this year. He is trained by 37-year-old Todd Pletcher, the Eclipse Award winner as America's outstanding trainer in 2004 - but still looking for his first victory in the Kentucky Derby. Jockey John Velazquez, also a 2004 Eclipse Award winner, is also looking for his first success in the Derby.
Bandini is from the first crop of 2000 Kentucky Derby champ Fusaichi Pegasus, who got off to a great start at stud -- he was the third leading first crop sire in 2004.
Standing at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, Fusaichi Pegasus gained plenty of notariety when his son Fusaichi Samurai sold for a two-year-old world record price of $4.5 million at Fasig Tipton in February 2004. The colt won his maiden race sharply for Neil Drysdale, but recently came up with a minor injury that has knocked him off the Derby trail.
Besides Fusaichi Samurai, our subject stallion has sired 24 other winners as of this writing, including the stakes winners South Bay Cove, winner of the Ontario Debutante Stakes; and Killenaule, who captured the Storm Cat at Keeneland. He is also the sire of the promising three-year-olds Andromeda's Hero and Roman Ruler.
Fusaichi Pegasus was also a sales sensation, bringing $4 million as a yearling and ultimately became the first favorite to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979. His Derby win, while not unexpected, marked the first time a son of Mr. Prospector had won the race -- previous thinking had been that the immortal sire could not generally get a 1 1/4 mile horse. However, Fusaichi Pegasus is closely related to Preakness winner Pine Bluff and Arkansas Derby winner Demons Begone, both horses with proven two-turn ability.
Bandini is the third foal from his dam Divine Dixie. He is her only winner to date, but only one of the first pair has raced. Divine Dixie won two of her 14 lifetime starts, but was 0 for 7 routing. She does come from a fairly prominent racing family: her brother Stormy Atlantic was a multiple sprint stake winner at four, and another brother, Mr. Katowice, also was a quality sprinter who won the listed Dancing Count Stakes at three. And their dam, Hail Atlantis, won the Santa Anita Oaks (GI). It is somewhat curious that there are so many good sprinters in Divine Dixie's family, as both her grandsire, Northern Dancer and Seattle Slew, were Derby winners and have sired many offspring that are quality distance horses.
Dosage Index: 3.57
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