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His kind of race Derby pace suited Fusaichi Pegasus well
Posted: Sunday May 07, 2000 01:58 AM
By Mark Beech, Sports Illustrated LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- There is no doubt that Fusaichi Pegasus won Saturday's Kentucky Derby because he is the most prodigiously talented 3-year-old in the world, if not in the last 20 years. What should not be overlooked, however, is the importance of the pace of the race, and how it made the colt's victory that much easier to attain. With a 19-horse field, this year's Derby figured to be a repeat of the 1999 running, a wild and wooly rodeo all the way around the clubhouse turn, with horses getting knocked around and hopes being dashed before the field ever got to the backstretch. When the gates crashed open, however, Hal's Hope and Trippi went straight for the lead and pressed the pace for the first three quarters of a mile. In so doing, they helped the field spread out, which allowed most jockeys to position their horses without running into rivals or using too much speed early in the race. For Fusaichi Pegasus, the dispersion of the field allowed for plenty of breathing space. The big bay colt broke well, but wasn't in a real hurry to get moving as he passed the grandstand the first time. Indeed, he was running smoothly in 15th place entering the clubhouse turn. As he moved into the backstretch, he had an easy time getting to the rail to save ground as he began to advance on the lead from the inside of the pack. By the time Fusaichi Pegasus reached the quarter pole at the top of the home stretch, Kent Desormeaux, his jockey, had acres of room for a swing to the outside and a run at the lead. Another important result of the fast fractions set by Hal's Hope and Trippi during their run for oblivion, was the advantage it gave to the routers in the race. Horses like Aptitude and Impeachment, two colts who count on passing tired horses in the stretch, were counting on quick splits on Saturday. They got their wish. The pace was blistering, with the first quarter mile going in 22.47 seconds, and the half-mile in 45.99. By the time Hal's Hope and Trippi had gone three-fourths of a mile, they were cooked. Two furlongs later, so were horses like Captain Steve and More Than Ready, for whom a mile and a quarter was just too much distance. With an eighth of a mile to go, with a clear track and tired rivals in front of him, Fusaichi Pegasus was able to use his own speed to put the race away. Mark Beech is a Sports Illustrated reporter.
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