Barbaro wins by biggest margin in 60 years

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The supposedly wide-open 132nd Kentucky Derby was blown wide open when unbeaten Barbaro virtually exploded through the Churchill Downs stretch Saturday for a 6 ½-length triumph over 30-1 shot Bluegrass Cat.

In taking his sixth straight race, Barbaro's margin was the largest since Assault won by a record-tying 8 lengths in 1946.

It also marked the fourth straight year the Derby was won by a first-time trainer, in this case Michael Matz, a member of the silver-medal-winning show-jumping team in Atlanta's 1996 Olympics and the athlete chosen to carry the U.S. flag at the closing ceremony.

Matz teamed with jockey Edgar Prado, who won America's most famous race in his seventh attempt.

"I told Edgar in the paddock, 'Let's win our first Kentucky Derby,' " Matz said.

Cheered by a sun-soaked crowd of 157,536 — the second highest of all time — Barbaro did precisely that, barreling into history as the sixth unbeaten Derby winner.

"We've been in racing for a long time," said Roy Jackson, who with his wife, Gretchen, bred and races Barbaro in the name of their Lael Stables. "You always dream about getting to the Kentucky Derby. Just getting here was something really special for us. And to win it — I haven't come up with the words to express it right now."

Barbaro's record includes victories on turf and dirt, over wet tracks and fast. Yet Matz faced a constant peppering of questions about the fact no horse had won the Derby off a five-week or longer layoff in 50 years, that the Florida Derby was his only race since taking the Holy Bull about 13 weeks ago, that his up-close running style could be compromised by other speed horses and that his high-stepping action might be more suited to grass.

Barbaro, a well-sculpted colt with a dollop of white on his forehead, provided the answers emphatically in the $2,213,200 Derby. Breaking from post 8, the Kentucky-bred son of Dynaformer stumbled a bit coming out of the gate but soon settled into the second flight of horses. Keyed Entry and Sinister Minister — two speedsters who broke side by side from posts toward the inside — hooked up for a pace (46.07 seconds for a half-mile, 1:10.88 for 6 furlongs) that is fairly typical for the Derby but proved too fast for them.

Down the backstretch, Barbaro was racing outside Lexington Stakes winner Showing Up, who is also owned by the Jacksons but trained by Barclay Tagg. On the far turn, Barbaro strode toward the leaders and burst out of the pack turning for home. As Prado left the field in his wake without using his whip, all that was left was the chase for second place. That was won by Bluegrass Cat, who came from eighth after a quarter-mile to beat 16-1 Steppenwolfer by 2 lengths.

"Every step of the way, he was running so easily," Prado said of Barbaro. "I wasn't even concerned about the horses in front. ... I looked back a couple of times and didn't see anybody. It was just a matter of time when I can turn him loose, and you see what happened when I did."

What happened is that Barbaro covered 1 ¼ miles in 2:01.36, going the last quarter-mile in a solid 24.34 seconds. He paid $14.20 to win in the Grade I race after going off as the second wagering choice at 6-1.

Illinois Derby winner Sweetnorthernsaint, the fourth choice on the track's morning line but the betting favorite at 5-1, got as close as third at the quarter pole but finished seventh after a troubled trip.

Jogging back on Barbaro before the grandstand, the normally stoic Prado broke out in unabashed joy, pointing to his mount and raising his arms repeatedly to encourage the crowd to further cheer the colt.

"I was getting excited," said Prado, who dedicated the victory to his mother, who died Jan. 19. "I don't get too excited when I win; I get very thankful. Today I was thankful and excited at the same time because I knew I was riding a great horse, and it was a beautiful day, a lot of people involved."

And it will get more involved. If Barbaro comes out of the Derby well, next on the agenda will be the May 20 Preakness Stakes in Baltimore — near the Fair Hill, Md., training center where Matz is based. The colt will attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

"I got the feeling that we have the potential that maybe we can win the Triple Crown this year," Prado said. "So that's why I was so happy about it, and I was celebrating this win."

Todd Pletcher, trainer of Bluegrass Cat and who also finished last with the tired Keyed Entry, made no excuses.

"Barbaro ran a tremendous race," Pletcher said. "He was the best horse today. He looked great in the stretch and actually galloped out like the Belmont (the 1 ½-mile Triple Crown finale) won't be a problem."

Of Barbaro, jockey Victor Espinoza, who finished 16th on the tiring Sinister Minister, said, "That horse is just unbeatable. Every time he wins, he wins by six lengths. I don't know why more people don't keep an eye on him. We got to the three-eighths pole, I looked to the outside, and he was just galloping around me.

"I feel like my horse was just walking compared to him."

Undefeated starters
In the modern era, 20 Kentucky Derby starters came into the race with no losses on their record. Barbaro is the sixth of those horses to win the Derby.
Year	Horse	Pre-Derby wins	Derby finish
2006	Barbaro	5	Won
2006	Showing Up	3	6th
2004	Smarty Jones	6	Won
2000	Trippi	4	11th
2000	China Visit	2	6th
1998	Indian Charlie	4	3rd
1990	Mister Frisky	16	8th
1988	Private Terms	7	9th
1982	Air Forbes Won	4	7th
1978	Sensitive Prince	6	6th
1977	Seattle Slew	6	Won
1969	Majestic Prince	7	Won
1963	No Robbery	5	5th
1963	Candy Spots	6	3rd
1953	Native Dancer	11	2nd
1948	Coaltown	4	2nd
1940	Bimelech	8	2nd
1922	Morvich	11	Won
1916	Thunderer	3	5th
1915	Regret	3	Won

Breakthrough win
Edgar Prado, who is considered one of the nation's top jockeys, got his first Kentucky Derby win in his seventh attempt. Prado's Derby record:
Year	Horse	Finish
2006	Barbaro	Won
2005	Sun King	15th
2004	Birdstone	8th
2003	Peace Rules	3rd
2002	Harlan's Holiday	7th
2001	Thunder Blitz	4th
2000	Commendable	17th