Suff
05-05-2003, 08:01 PM
NY-BASED SANTOS, PRADO PULL OFF KENTUCKY DOUBLE
By Bruno Zalubil
Jockeys Jose Santos and Edgar Prado were on the first airplane out of Louisville, Ky. on Sunday morning, bound for New York. They were eager to get back to work on Closing Day of Aqueduct's Spring Meet, having taken care of business in the Blue Grass State over the weekend.
Prado set the tone for the weekend when he brought home 18-1 Bird Town in Friday afternoon's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks for owner Marylou Whitney and trainer Nick Zito. But it was Santos who stole the show on Saturday afternoon, when he guided Sackatoga Stable's 12-1 Funny Cide to a 13/4-length victory over favored Wood Memorial winner Empire Maker in the 129th Kentucky Derby. Funny Cide was the first New York-bred to win the "Run for the Roses," and one of only eight geldings and the first since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 to accomplish the feat.
In guiding Funny Cide to the victory, Santos made trainer Barclay Tagg the highest percentage Kentucky Derby trainer. Tagg is 1-for-1.
"When I crossed the finish line, I raised my arm like I've seen every jockey do who has ever won this race," Santos said. "But I raised mine for Barclay, who has worked so long and finally got a Kentucky Derby winner. I raised it for the owners because they gave me this horse to ride and I raised it for Funny Cide, because he always keeps trying.
"I am very proud to be a New York-based jockey on the first New York-bred to win the Kentucky Derby. I have traveled all over and have been to many cities, but New York is my favorite city and there is no better racing than in New York."
For Santos, whose best finish in six previous Kentucky Derby tries was a fourth on Cryptoclearance in 1987, his good vibes about Saturday began just a few days after Funny Cide lost Aqueduct's Grade 1 Wood Memorial to Empire Maker on April 12th by a half-length.
"I know how they were saying how they were saving Empire Maker, but I felt he was all out and that my horse could beat him going a mile and a quarter," Santos said. "I know Barclay felt the same way. That's because Funny Cide stays consistent. He takes care of himself, and then he keeps running at the end.
"But when I really started to get excited was when I went to see him the following Tuesday when he worked. He looked like he gained weight, and that is something you don't see after a horse has had a difficult race."
Tagg had opted to keep Funny Cide at Belmont Park where he could prepare in familiar surroundings and avoid the chaos at Churchill Downs. Funny Cide shipped in on Wednesday and was more than ready on Saturday afternoon.
"You don't want to fight Funny Cide because he will give you consistent quarter miles every time," Santos said. "I knew he had good, tactical speed and if he was on the lead, that would have been okay. But Brancusi got out and Indian Express didn't and I had my horse right where I wanted him. At the three-eighths pole, I really felt we were going to win. We had a good trip, and that was the important part. I just had to keep him clear because I knew he would run hard in the stretch. It was a great victory for him and for New York."
It wasn't too shabby for Santos, either.
The biggest win of Santos' career came just one week after his 42nd birthday. Now one of the elder statesmen of New York's jockey colony, Santos has been building on his career as a money rider. Although he was the nation's leader in earnings from 1986-'89, Santos had mainly been known as a turf specialist. But in 1999, he won the Belmont Stakes and Travers with Lemon Drop Kid. One year later, he guided City Zip to a sweep of Saratoga's three main stakes for two-year-olds. Last October, he brought home 43-1 Volponi in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Arlington Park.
"I've been injured in the past, but I pray that my broken bones are behind me," Santos said. "The main difference now is that I have a great agent in Mike Sellito. No one can win riding nothing but 40-1 and 50-1 shots. But I have confidence in myself and in my experience that, on a 6-1 shot, I know I can make a difference and improve a horse's chances to win.
"This is the biggest thrill I've ever had. The Breeders' Cup was big because of the money, but this is about prestige; about a dream come true."
As for Prado, whose Oaks victory started what turned out to be a $2 Kentucky Oaks-Kentucky Derby Double worth $421.80, the trip to Churchill Downs was more than worth his time.
"I'm disappointed that I didn't win, but I am happy for Jose," said Prado, who ran third in the Kentucky Derby with Peace Rules. "You mix friendship in with being competitive when you are a jockey."
The 35-year-old Prado, a Peruvian who joined the New York jockey colony in 1999 after a noteworthy career on the Maryland circuit, won the Belmont Stakes last year on 70-1 Sarava, upsetting the Triple Crown bid of Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner War Emblem.
"When you are a jockey, you go for a long time winning races here and there," Prado said. "You try to build a reputation for yourself that can bring you business in a place like New York. Once you get to this point, you only need to win one big race to get on more good horses. Last year, after I won the Belmont, that helped my business and I was able to win the jockey title at Saratoga.
"We have the strongest colony of jockeys in New York, and it includes Jose, Johnny Velazquez and Jerry Bailey. I am happy to be part of it. This was a very good weekend for New York."
By Bruno Zalubil
Jockeys Jose Santos and Edgar Prado were on the first airplane out of Louisville, Ky. on Sunday morning, bound for New York. They were eager to get back to work on Closing Day of Aqueduct's Spring Meet, having taken care of business in the Blue Grass State over the weekend.
Prado set the tone for the weekend when he brought home 18-1 Bird Town in Friday afternoon's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks for owner Marylou Whitney and trainer Nick Zito. But it was Santos who stole the show on Saturday afternoon, when he guided Sackatoga Stable's 12-1 Funny Cide to a 13/4-length victory over favored Wood Memorial winner Empire Maker in the 129th Kentucky Derby. Funny Cide was the first New York-bred to win the "Run for the Roses," and one of only eight geldings and the first since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 to accomplish the feat.
In guiding Funny Cide to the victory, Santos made trainer Barclay Tagg the highest percentage Kentucky Derby trainer. Tagg is 1-for-1.
"When I crossed the finish line, I raised my arm like I've seen every jockey do who has ever won this race," Santos said. "But I raised mine for Barclay, who has worked so long and finally got a Kentucky Derby winner. I raised it for the owners because they gave me this horse to ride and I raised it for Funny Cide, because he always keeps trying.
"I am very proud to be a New York-based jockey on the first New York-bred to win the Kentucky Derby. I have traveled all over and have been to many cities, but New York is my favorite city and there is no better racing than in New York."
For Santos, whose best finish in six previous Kentucky Derby tries was a fourth on Cryptoclearance in 1987, his good vibes about Saturday began just a few days after Funny Cide lost Aqueduct's Grade 1 Wood Memorial to Empire Maker on April 12th by a half-length.
"I know how they were saying how they were saving Empire Maker, but I felt he was all out and that my horse could beat him going a mile and a quarter," Santos said. "I know Barclay felt the same way. That's because Funny Cide stays consistent. He takes care of himself, and then he keeps running at the end.
"But when I really started to get excited was when I went to see him the following Tuesday when he worked. He looked like he gained weight, and that is something you don't see after a horse has had a difficult race."
Tagg had opted to keep Funny Cide at Belmont Park where he could prepare in familiar surroundings and avoid the chaos at Churchill Downs. Funny Cide shipped in on Wednesday and was more than ready on Saturday afternoon.
"You don't want to fight Funny Cide because he will give you consistent quarter miles every time," Santos said. "I knew he had good, tactical speed and if he was on the lead, that would have been okay. But Brancusi got out and Indian Express didn't and I had my horse right where I wanted him. At the three-eighths pole, I really felt we were going to win. We had a good trip, and that was the important part. I just had to keep him clear because I knew he would run hard in the stretch. It was a great victory for him and for New York."
It wasn't too shabby for Santos, either.
The biggest win of Santos' career came just one week after his 42nd birthday. Now one of the elder statesmen of New York's jockey colony, Santos has been building on his career as a money rider. Although he was the nation's leader in earnings from 1986-'89, Santos had mainly been known as a turf specialist. But in 1999, he won the Belmont Stakes and Travers with Lemon Drop Kid. One year later, he guided City Zip to a sweep of Saratoga's three main stakes for two-year-olds. Last October, he brought home 43-1 Volponi in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Arlington Park.
"I've been injured in the past, but I pray that my broken bones are behind me," Santos said. "The main difference now is that I have a great agent in Mike Sellito. No one can win riding nothing but 40-1 and 50-1 shots. But I have confidence in myself and in my experience that, on a 6-1 shot, I know I can make a difference and improve a horse's chances to win.
"This is the biggest thrill I've ever had. The Breeders' Cup was big because of the money, but this is about prestige; about a dream come true."
As for Prado, whose Oaks victory started what turned out to be a $2 Kentucky Oaks-Kentucky Derby Double worth $421.80, the trip to Churchill Downs was more than worth his time.
"I'm disappointed that I didn't win, but I am happy for Jose," said Prado, who ran third in the Kentucky Derby with Peace Rules. "You mix friendship in with being competitive when you are a jockey."
The 35-year-old Prado, a Peruvian who joined the New York jockey colony in 1999 after a noteworthy career on the Maryland circuit, won the Belmont Stakes last year on 70-1 Sarava, upsetting the Triple Crown bid of Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner War Emblem.
"When you are a jockey, you go for a long time winning races here and there," Prado said. "You try to build a reputation for yourself that can bring you business in a place like New York. Once you get to this point, you only need to win one big race to get on more good horses. Last year, after I won the Belmont, that helped my business and I was able to win the jockey title at Saratoga.
"We have the strongest colony of jockeys in New York, and it includes Jose, Johnny Velazquez and Jerry Bailey. I am happy to be part of it. This was a very good weekend for New York."