Stephan’s Odyssey Takes Lexington and Leaves Pincay Riding the Fence

With his chief rivals for the Kentucky Derby resting in their barns, Stephan’s Odyssey looked like an overpowering horse Tuesday. The 3-year-old colt, who hadn’t won since last December in the Hollywood Futurity, won the Lexington Stakes in impressive fashion at Keeneland, leaving jockey Laffit Pincay on the fence regarding his mount for the May 4 Derby.

Pincay, who won his first Derby with Swale last year after 10 unsuccessful tries, must now choose between Stephan’s Odyssey and Skywalker, with whom he won the Santa Anita Derby.

“I don’t know yet who I’ll ride,” Pincay said before making a hurried dash to the airport for a flight that would bring him back to Santa Anita today. “I’ll have to talk to my agent (Tony Matos) when I get home. It’s a very difficult decision.”

Stephan’s Odyssey, unable to beat Chief’s Crown and Proud Truth, two of the big guns in the division, in three races in Florida this year, won the 1 1/16-mile Lexington by 1 lengths over Tajawa, one of six overmatched opponents in Tuesday’s race. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to the third horse, Northern Bid, and after that came Avey’s Brother, Derby Wish, Silver Ghost and Sparkling Jay.

Stephan’s Odyssey, the 1-2 favorite in the crowd of 9,552 in 70-degree weather, paid $3, $2.40 and $2.20. Tajawa, who isn’t eligible to run in the Kentucky Derby because he wasn’t nominated, paid $5.80 and $2.20. Northern Bid returned $2.20. An early $50,000 show bet on Stephan’s Odyssey helped account for a minus show pool of $32,817, money the track had to pay to assure the bettors the legal minimum return on their wagers.

Stephan’s Odyssey, timed in 1:42 3/5, which was 1 2/5 seconds slower than the track record, increased his career earnings to $739,635 by taking $34,775 of the total purse of $53,500. The Henryk de Kwiatkowski-owned son of Danzig won’t run again until the Derby.

Meantime, Proud Truth will run Saturday in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and Chief’s Crown is likely to start in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 25.

“I’ve got two more workouts scheduled between now and the Blue Grass,” said Roger Laurin, Chief’s Crown’s trainer. “If everything goes right in those, we’ll run in the Blue Grass. Everything’s been all right so far.”

Tajawa, ridden by Patty Cooksey, took the lead in the Lexington and stayed there until the top of the stretch. Stephan’s Odyssey was allowed to settle on the outside down the backstretch, in fourth and then fifth place. When Pincay dropped him inside coming out of the turn and found room on the rail, there was no question about the winner.

“I knew somebody was there (inside Tajawa),” Cooksey said. “But it was too late to do anything detrimental (such as shutting off Stephan’s Odyssey).”

Pincay wouldn’t say which way he was leaning regarding the Derby, but the ease with which Stephan’s Odyssey won Thursday and then galloped out 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 could be the decisive factor.

“He ran a super race,” Pincay said. “He got through on the rail and finished strong, then he galloped out strong. He’s a good horse. He’s ready. It looks like he can run any distance.”

Before the race, Mike Whittingham, who trains Skywalker, was still hopeful of getting Pincay. “I know he wants to take a look at this horse (Stephan’s Odyssey),” Whittingham said. “But I hope he waits until this weekend, when I work my horse a mile (at Churchill Downs). If he won’t ride him, there are at least five or six other good jockeys available.”

Pincay got the mount on Stephan’s Odyssey because De Kwiatkowski was perturbed that Eddie Maple, riding the colt in the Flamingo Stakes, didn’t claim foul after the horse was bumped by Proud Truth near the finish line. Chief’s Crown, who finished first but was disqualified, and Proud Truth, who ran second, were left in the positions they ran after a state panel overruled the Hialeah stewards. Stephan’s Odyssey’s third-place finish was not changed.

“Pincay’s got the Derby mount if he wants it,” said Woody Stephens, the trainer of Stephan’s Odyssey. “He seemed pleased with the race and said he would make up his mind in the next day or so.”

Pincay won the Derby with the Stephens-trained Swale last year and has won the last three Belmont Stakes for Stephens with Conquistador Cielo, Caveat and Swale.

“I’ll bet that Pincay’s had 25 stakes mounts for me in his life and has won about 15 of ‘em,” Stephens said.

Asked if Maple might get a reprieve from De Kwiatkowski on Stephan’s Odyssey if Pincay opted for Skywalker, Stephens said:

“I’d have to leave that up to the owner. He owns the colt, I just train him.”

From the tone of Stephens’ voice, and with several other top jockeys available for the Derby, it didn’t sound as though De Kwiatkowski’s statute of limitations had expired on Maple.