CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC
Moreno pulls upset
CHARLES TOWN, W. Va. — Prohibitive favorite Shared Belief not only failed to win Saturday’s $1.5 million Charles Town Classic, he didn’t finish the race.
Moreno, the second betting choice, held off a late run from Imperative, who won the race last year, with Page McKenney getting up for third.
But most eyes were focused on Shared Belief, a 4-year-old gelded son of Candy Ride who came into the race with 10 victories in 11 starts and earnings of nearly $3 million.
Shared Belief, breaking from post 4 under Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith, stumbled at the start of the 1 1/8thmile race and trailed as the field raced into the first turn. Smith said he sensed there was something wrong his mount at the 6-furlong mark and eased him out of the race.
Smith dismounted and Shared Belief appeared to be standing on all four legs. He was vanned off in the equine ambulance.
“The ground broke out from under him and he kind of slipped at the start,” Smith said. “But he got up and he seemed all right. But going into the second turn he seemed to go off behind and I pulled him up.”
“Hopefully this is something that they can fix and he will be all right.”
Charles Town steward Danny Wright reported that West Virginia state veterinarian Elizabeth Daniel told them “Shared Belief appears to have a stifle injury more than anything else. It doesn’t appear life-threating or career ending. It is a soft tissue injury.”
Shared Belief, co-owned by sports talk personality Jim Rome and the horse’s trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer, was such a prohibitive favorite that he received 90 percent of the money bet in the show pool, creating some eye-popping win-place-show prices.
Moreno paid $16 to win, $12 to place and $23.20 to show. Imperative, sent off at more than 50-1, paid $41.60 to place and $71.20 to show. Thirdplace finisher Page McKenney paid $45.60 to show.
ILLINOIS DERBY
Baffert’s horse wins
CICERO, Ill. — Whiskey Ticket, making his second career start, held off Conquest Curlinate by a nose Saturday to win the $400,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne Race Course.
Ridden by Martin A. Pedroza, Whiskey Ticket ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.82 on the fast track and paid $6.40, $4 and $3.20 as the second choice in the eighthorse field.
Trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram and Paul Weitman, Whiskey Ticket looms as a possible entrant for the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Conquest Curlinate, who broke his maiden at Oaklawn on Jan. 31 and finished third in a Feb. 19 allowance, returned $6 and $4.60. Phenomenal Phoenix, who made three Oaklawn starts for trainer Donny K. Von Hemel, paid $4.80 to show.
The Illinois Derby used to be a significant prep for the Kentucky Derby is not part of the Road to the Derby series. The top four finishers did not receive points for the May 2 Kentucky Derby.
DERBY UPDATE
Injury frees up spot
One Lucky Dane is out of the field for next month’s Kentucky Derby after injuring himself during a workout at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. The 3-year-old colt hurt his left front leg Saturday, leaving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert with two runners for the May 2 race at Churchill Downs. He said One Lucky Dane has a condylar fracture and will need surgery. One Lucky Dane was 16th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard that determines the 20-horse field. His defection moves Madefromlucky, the fourth-place finisher in last week’s Arkansas Derby in Hot Springs, into the field, giving trainer Todd Pletcher five horses in the race. Baffert still has probable Derby favorite American Pharoah and undefeated Dortmund as he takes aim for a fourth Derby victory. One Lucky Dane finished second to Dortmund in the Santa Anita Derby earlier this month.