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Notebook War Emblem posts ninth-fastest winning time in DerbyPosted: Saturday May 04, 2002 10:22 PMLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- War Emblem's winning time of 2 minutes, 1.13 seconds was the ninth fastest in Kentucky Derby history, but the slowest since 1999. Last year, Monarchos became only the second horse to break the 2-minute barrier, winning in 1:59.97. Secretariat still owns the fastest Derby time, 1:59 2/5. Fusaichi Pegasus' time of 2:01.12 two years ago was the eighth fastest in history.
Call to the postTrainer Bob Baffert once again cashed in with the No. 5 post position. War Emblem was the 11th horse to win from the No. 5 spot. Baffert's Silver Charm started from the No. 5 position in 1997. The winner had come from the auxiliary gate -- posts 15-20 -- in five of the last seven years. The best finisher from the auxiliary gate this year was Saarland, who was 10th after starting from the 16th position.
Start to finishWar Emblem was the 22nd horse to lead the Derby from start to finish, but the first since Winning Colors in 1988.
Not his dayJockey Pat Day couldn't turn his last-minute mount into his second Derby winner. When Buddha scratched with an injured foot on Friday, Day was in danger of missing the Derby for the first time in 18 years. Hours later, he was hired to ride the Bill Mott-trained Blue Burner. But the George Steinbrenner-ownded colt didn't live up to his name Saturday, never challenging and finishing 11th. "I finished way back," said Day, Churchill Downs' career victory leader. "He was aggressive going under the wire the first time around and was more forwardly placed than we would've liked. At the half-mile, everybody started to pick it up, and he didn't respond." Saturday fell two days after the 10-year anniversary of Day's lone Derby win, aboard Lil E. Tee in 1992.
Oaks-Derby doubleBettors who hit the Kentucky Oaks-Derby double scored a big payoff. War Emblem's victory coupled with 20-1 Farda Amiga's win Friday yielded a record $1,395.40 payout on a $2 ticket.
Late comersPerfect Drift trainer Murray Johnson was more worried about getting his horse to the Kentucky Derby than he was about the actual race. The Spiral Stakes winner has been training for six weeks at Trackside, a one-time harness track about five miles from Churchill Downs. He stepped off a van early Saturday after a nerve-racking 15-minute drive for his trainer. "I was kind of asking myself why I was following him," said Johnson, an Australian who runs a horse farm in Shepherdsville, Ky. "What was I going to do if something happened, throw myself under the van?" Once the colt was settled in Barn 42, Johnson was looking for something to do to relax. "I don't know, maybe I'll play golf or something," he said. "All my work is done." Castle Gandolfo and Johannesburg arrived minutes later, wearing matching lavender saddlecloths. The Aidan O'Brien-trained twosome have been working at Keeneland, 70 miles away in Lexington. O'Brien did not attend the Derby.
Extra raceFans asked for it and got it: a speeded-up Derby Day. Last year, the Derby post time was moved back to 6:04 p.m. EDT, which led to more time between the earlier races on the 10-race card. Fans complained about the extra time, and track president Alex Waldrop said adding a race was the logical answer. The first and second races started 45 minutes apart last year. This year, they are 30 minutes apart. The Derby had traditionally been the eighth race. This year, it was the ninth for the first time in 28 years.
BreakdownKings Command, a stakes-winning 6-year-old, broke down while racing on the backstretch, throwing jockey Alex Solis in the Churchill Downs Handicap. Solis was uninjured. Kings Command, a son of Montbrook, broke his front left foot and was euthanized.
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