Flying First Class, Lukas Win Derby Trial as Churchill Downs Opens 133rd Spring Meet
by: John Asher
Louisville, KY (April 28, 2007) --
Ellwood Johnston?s Flying First Class, forwardly placed throughout, drew clear in the stretch to score smartly over 10 rivals in the 83rd running of the $117,800 Derby Trial Stakes as Churchill Downs opened its 133rd spring race meeting here Saturday.
The speedy California-bred colt by Perfect Mandate pushed or set rapid fractions throughout the 7 ?-furlong headliner under veteran jockey Mark Guidry and wound up three and 3 ?-lengths best in a winning time of 1:29.28. He returned $15.20, $8.80 and $5.20 to his backers. U D Ghetto rallied from last in the field of 11 to finish second under jockey Calvin Borel and paid $19.40 and $9.60. Favored Bold Start, ridden by Robby Albarado, paid $2.80 to show.
An opening day crowd of 16,284 looked on under partly cloudy skies and 70-degree weather as the Derby Trial was contested for the first time at the 7 ?-furlong distance. The race had been run at one mile for most of its previous 82 editions.
Flying First Class pressed or led through rapid fractions of :25.05 for the quarter mile and led by 1 ?-lengths after a half-mile in a rapid :44.16. The colt quickly widened the lead to five lengths when the field turned into the home stretch and was never threatened in the run to the wire.
?I looked at the splits and didn?t think he was going as fast as he did,? said Guidry. ?He?s so big, so deceptive. Down the lane, I didn?t give him an opportunity to pull up on me.?
Flying First Class snapped a two-race losing streak, with both losses coming in stakes competition to possible Kentucky Derby favorite Curlin at Oaklawn Park. Lukas said he would look at the Preakness, the second jewel of Triple Crown which will be run at Baltimore?s Pimlico Race Course on May 19. He said he had no intention to look at next week?s Kentucky Derby for his Derby Trial winner.
?I?ve sung ?My Old Kentucky Home? and cried in the post parade,? said Lukas. ?I don?t need that anymore. I?ve done that?We?ll watch these guys maybe beat each other up [in the Derby next] Saturday and take a look.?
Guidry, who plans to retire later this summer, scored the 4,999th victory of his career aboard Flying First Class. The bay colt races out of the barn of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who won the Trial for the third time. The victory was the second in five starts for Flying First Class and the $68,656 winner?s share pushed his bankroll to $108,456.
Prom Shoes finished fourth and was followed across the finish line by Danny Sez, Izzie?s Halo, Out of Gwedda, Ceasars March, Wafi City and Carnack?s Choice. Barkley Sound was pulled up near the far turn and did not finish.
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