Times staff, wires
Saturday, May 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Archarcharch's trip to the Kentucky Derby ended when the colt pulled up lame in the final yards at Churchill Downs.
The Arkansas Derby winner sustained a fracture to his left front leg Saturday. On-call veterinarian Larry Bramlage said the injury was not life-threatening.
"He's in no distress at all," Bramlage said. "He walked right on the ambulance."
Jockey Jon Court said the horse struggled over the dirt. Archarcharch started from the rail and finished 15th, well behind winner Animal Kingdom, then was quickly loaded onto a van and taken for X-rays in the barn area.
"In the final sixteenth of a mile he was just gimping a bit," Court said. "He was walking on it, but he just wasn't comfortable."
Bramlage said the horse will require surgery. It's too early to tell if Archarcharch will race again.
female jockey benchmark: Rosie Napravnik was ninth aboard 8-1 second choice Pants On Fire in her bid to become the first female jockey to win the Derby. Her finish was the highest of the six women who have ridden in the Derby. "I couldn't have wished for a better trip," said Napravnik, 23.
The effort topped 11th-place finishes by Patricia Cooksey in 1984 aboard So Vague and Hall of Famer Julie Krone in 1995 atop Suave Prospect.
unhappy jockey: Robby Albarado was not happy he lost his ride on Animal Kingdom after breaking his nose Wednesday when a horse bucked him off during a post parade and kicked him in the face.
Animal Kingdom is owned by Team Valor International, a partnership syndicate headed by Barry Irwin, a former writer for the Daily Racing Form. Irwin decided to switch to John Velazquez when Albarado took Friday off to recuperate.
"It was a tough call because I really like Robby," Irwin said. "(But) we got a large investment, and I had to do what I thought was best for the partnership."
Said Albarado, who won a $345,600 stakes race on the Derby undercard, "Barry Irwin decided he didn't think I was fit to ride; he didn't know my status or situation. This just wasn't my time today."
tampa bay downs connection: Animal Kingdom trainer Graham Motion trains at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar. He won seven of 30 starts this season and ranked ninth in earnings at $253,819. Motion won the 2002 Tampa Bay Derby with Equality.
Times correspondent Don Jensen contributed to this report.