The dark bay Bodemeister colt ALWAYS DREAMING fittingly won the 143rd Kentucky Derby, relishing the slop and staying close to the pace and inside on the Churchill Downs strip.
A $350,000 yearling purchase, the colt is owned by a litany of owners from Theresa Viola, Brooklyn Boyz Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds among others.
The colt had one of the best pre-Derby workouts but his eager and sometimes hard-to-handle antics every morning made some people wonder if he was going to burn out early in the race.
Instead, the colt tracks the hot pace set by the Ontario bred State of Honor before turning it on for the wire.
It was his 4th win in 4 races this year, a season that started at Tampa Bay Downs when he was there for a maiden race against 5 rivals.
Always Dreaming was a co-favourite with Irish War Cry, who appeared to be held back late by the longer distance.
Huge race for LOOKIN AT LEE, who hugged the good rail and landed 2nd and Battle of Midway was a surprising 3rd. CLASSIC EMPIRE was a good 4th.
Ontario bred STATE OF HONOR seemed to be hard sent to the lead although the colt was not considered a contender of any kind before the race. He stopped badly and landed last of the horses who finished, beaten 45 lengths. Thunder Snow came out of the gate bucking as if he didn’t like the mud or something happened to his saddle.
Co owner ANTHONY BONOMO – “My dad used to like to watch the races. We didn’t go as much as we would like because he worked so much in the day. He was a laborer, a bricklayer. Where I really got into it is when I met my wife. Her dad, who, unfortunately, isn’t here anymore, loved racing and just loved being at the barn. So to a large degree he was here today. I think they were all riding that horse with Johnny. I used to have some great times with my father-in-law. And, you know, the inspiration came from him loving it and then my wife loving it. I wasn’t much of a big fan. I used to like to sneak into a track occasionally with him, and we would have $3 between us. And we would beg some older man to put a bet on it for us. He said, ‘How old are you?’ I would say, “24.” It is surreal.”
Photos by Cindy Pierson Dulay
ROCK STAR – PINK LLOYD POSTS 99 BEYER FIGURE in New Providence
Entourage Stables’ PINK LLOYD won his second stakes race of the year when he cruised to a big win in the restricted New Providence Stakes at Woodbine on Saturday. The son of Old Forester – Gladiator Queen by Great Gladiator has 5 wins in 7 races and he put up a 99 Beyer Figure on Saturday for 6 furlongs in 1:08.59.
Eurico da Silva rides for trainer Bob Tiller. The gelding had many delays before he debuted at the races last year.
In the New Providence, the gelding was several lengths behind a sizzling early pace when he was suddenly hard ridden in mid backstretch, seemingly to maintain postiion. He was then taken hold of before he powered to the win over a fast improving Ted W.
The Tapeta played to outside closers all day long and horses being used up on the pace were not having good luck. Thoroughblog will catch up with results from the weekend tomorrow.
THIS GUY RIGHT HERE — .Pink Lloyd Jockey Eurico Da Silva captures the New Providence for Entourage stables and trainer Robert Tiller. michael burns photo
