Trainer: Todd Pletcher

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. Pletcher went out on his own in 1996 and he currently trains for such powerhouse owners as: Michael Tabor of Coolmore, Aaron and Marie Jones, Padua Stables, and Eugene Melnyk. In less than 10 years, Pletcher has conditioned such top-class performers as Ashado, Bluegrass Cat, Left Bank, Speightstown, Strong Hope, Forest Danger, Flower Alley, Balto Star and others. While he has been very successful since taking out his license, 2006 was yet another banner year for the Pletcher stable. He set a season earnings record in 2005 with his horses winning more than $20.8 million in purses, surpassing the previous record of $19.1 million set by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel. Pletcher recently won the 2006 Eclipse as the nation's top trainer, his third win in a row. After going winless with his first 12 Breeders' Cup starters, Pletcher won two races in the event in 2004: 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 finishers to date are the aforementioned Bluegrass Cat and Invisible Ink, second in 2006 and 2001, respectively, and a fourth with Limehouse in 2004. He ran five horses in last year's Kentucky Derby but could manage no better than sixth with Circular Quay.

Jockey: David Flores

A native of Tijuana, Mexico, Flores' first win came at Caliente, Mexico in 1984. He captured his first riding title at a major track in '99 at Santa Anita; he also earned his 2,000th career win that year. Flores was known as "the king of the bull ring" for years for the success he had at Fairplex Park, where he won six consecutive riding titles (from 1989-'94), as well as winning titles at Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Oak Tree. He joined the Southern California jockey colony in '89 and has ridden such top horses as Chilukki, Mash One, Tuzla, Keeper Hill, Free House, Siphon, and Singletary. He has ridden in nine Kentucky Derbies, most recently finishing sixth on Action This Day in 2004, 11th aboard Storm Treasure in 2006, and 14th aboard Liquidity last year.

Owner: Padua Stables

A love of horses is a gift that passes down the generations of a family tree and becomes a family trait, a characteristic of which one is known. So it was with a great-grandfather from County Kilkenny in Ireland who was known to everyone locally as the man you referred to when a horse had to be purchased. His daughter Julia continued the tradition, establishing the first Padua in Lancashire, England. Satish Sanan named his stable Padua in honor of his mother in law, Julia, and her dreams. He brought to horses an equal passion, determination, and drive to succeed, which has realized Padua as it is.

In 1997, Satish and Anne bought the first 6 Padua horses at the Keeneland July Summer Yearling Sale. Their dream to win races worldwide continued with many purchases of yearlings and racing fillies from around the world. During this time in early 1998, the Sanans bought their farm in Ocala, FL, and built a state of the art training center in order to realize the vision of the best in quality and service to be provided in the training of their horses. Over the next 3 years, Padua Stables began to turn these dreams into a reality, winning Grade 1 races with Yes It's True and Cash Run, who won the first Breeders' Cup for Padua Stables, when she captured the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 1999. The new millennium also marked a first for Padua, as we stood our first studs, and have continued to expand our breeding operation since. The dreams and vision of Padua continue to be passed down in the family, as Nadia and Sasha Sanan pursue the passion of horses into the next millennium for the family and the stable.

Breeder: Dr. Frank Justice & Meadow Oaks Farm LLC

Behindatthebar was bred by Dr. Frank Justice & Meadow Oaks Farm LLC and was a $140,000 purchase at Ocala in June of 2007.