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Triumph of odds couple
Charismatic, rider go from long shots to Derby darlings
Charismatic, at 31-1 odds, and jockey Chris Antley -- who almost gave up the sport 20 months ago -- held off a furious rally from Pat Day aboard Menifee to win by a neck. Trainer D. Wayne Lukas captured his fourth Derby and also saddled Cat Thief, who was two lengths back in third.
A lively crowd of 151,051 (second largest in Derby history) watched it go in a sleepy 2:031/5 for the 11/4 miles, the slowest winning time since Go For Gin in 1994.
Charismatic returned $64.40, the third largest Derby payoff behind only Donerail ($184.90 in 1913) and Gallahadion ($72.40 in 1940.)
Antley was on the fast track as a jockey earlier this decade, but until recently was on the slow ride to oblivion. Substance-abuse problems led to a jockey's worst demon -- weight gain and serious thoughts of ending his career.
After riding Geri to victory in the Woodbine Mile in Toronto in September 1997, Antley disappeared. His weight ballooned to 147 pounds, 33 heavier than his riding weight yesterday.
"When I rode at Woodbine, it was one of my last races," said Antley, 33, who didn't race again until just two months ago.
"I went home to South Carolina trying to get my weight down and I didn't think I was going to be back. My dad told me to just start another business.
"But I concluded that I had a goal in life, and that was to get back here, and that I would die trying to do it."
Charismatic's rise from a career that was going nowhere was almost as remarkable as Antley's, who used a strict running regimen to get back into shape.
Less than three months ago, the horse was entered in a claiming race at Santa Anita, where he could have been bought for $62,500 US.
"I was happy (he was in a claimer) because we had been paying the bills on this horse and sometimes you have to cut the bleeding," said owner Bob Lewis, who also had 1997 Derby winner Silver Charm.
Lukas admitted yesterday that entering Charismatic in a claimer had the potential to be one of the biggest blunders of his hall-of-fame career.
"When he went into the paddock that day, he looked great," Lukas said. "I said, 'If there's one horseman standing in this whole county, he's going to be tempted. I took a calculated risk, but I felt he needed a confidence-builder."
The strategy worked. Charismatic finished second but began to progress. Three starts later on April 18, he won the Lexington Stakes, earning a ticket to the Derby.
With the winner's share of $886,200, the son of Summer Squall now has earnings of more than $1.2 million. Now it's on to Baltimore in two weeks for the Preakness Stakes.
Once again, favourites were disappointments in the Derby. The public's choice -- Bob Baffert's entry of Excellent Meeting and General Challenge -- finished fifth and 11th, respectively.
The tardy early pace created a logjam around the first turn, which eliminated several contenders in the bulky field of 19. Florida Derby winner Vicar got stuck six-wide and ended up 18th. Second choice Stephen Got Even was bumped, checked and finished 14th. General Challenge was stuck in the traffic and never had a chance to run.
CLEAN TRIP
"This was my worst trip in horse racing," jockey Gary Stevens said. "It was the roughest Derby I've ever ridden in."
On the other hoof, Charismatic benefited from a clean trip. Four-wide for most of it, he hit his top stride in the stretch. Antley, who won the 1991 Derby aboard Strike the Gold, prematurely raised a finger in victory 40 yards from the wire.
"I'm still kind of in awe," Antley said, choking back tears. "The first win was the right place at the right time. But this has a lot more sentimental value than anything I've done in my career ... by far."