Derby Trial at Churchill Downs : Jim’s Orbit Finds Groove, Wins 6-Horse Photo

Jim’s Orbit, a Texas-bred colt who was going to run in the Kentucky Derby no matter what he did Saturday, gave his owner an extra reason to keep the horse at Churchill Downs when he won the $56,850 Derby Trial by a nose in a photo finish that involved six of the seven starters in the race.

In a field that had more quality than last Thursday’s Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, Kingpost finished second by a nose over Lover’s Trust, who had a nose on Frosty the Snowman in fourth place.

It was a neck farther back to Pastourelles in fifth, and another three-quarters of a length back to Cefis, the 3-2 favorite in an opening-day crowd of 29,573.

The only horse absent from the charge to the wire was Morgan’s Levee, who finished last, beaten by about 9 lengths.

Jim’s Orbit, Kingpost and Cefis will return next Saturday to run in the 114th Derby, which now shapes up as a race involving no more than 20 horses.

Tejano was withdrawn from the Derby Saturday, leaving his stablemate, Winning Colors, in the field, along with Private Terms, Regal Classic, Risen Star, Brian’s Time, Proper Reality, Lively One, Seeking the Gold, Granacus, Stalwars, Sea Trek, Din’s Dancer, Purdue King, Intensive Command and Forty Niner, who will run coupled in the betting as a Woody Stephens-trained entry. If Dynaformer and an ailing Mi Preferido also run, that would bring the field to the maximum of 20.

Ridden by Shane Romero, an 18-year-old distant relative of Randy Romero, who’s riding Seeking the Gold in the Derby, Jim’s Orbit was able to get through on the fence at the top of the stretch and reached the wire just before Kingpost, who was closing in the middle of the track.

After a stewards’ inquiry regarding possible interference by Frosty the Snowman against Pastourelles at the wire, the result was allowed to stand.

Neither Granacus’ winning time in the Blue Grass nor Jim’s Orbit’s 1:38 3/5 clocking for the mile Saturday should frighten the trainers of Private Terms and Winning Colors, the probable Derby favorites. Jim’s Orbit’s time was the slowest in the last 26 runnings of the Trial at the one-mile distance. Tim Tam, the last winner of the Trial to also win the Derby, was timed in 1:39 4/5 in 1958, but that was on a sloppy track.

Jim’s Orbit, who paid $21 to win as the fifth betting choice, was bred and is owned by Jim Cottrell, the owner of a cosmetics company who moved to Texas in 1980 after living in Los Angeles for 28 years. Cottrell also raced horses in California and was co-owner of Pride of Rosewood, the New Zealand-bred who upset Sangue in the 1983 Gamely Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Jim’s Orbit, a grandson of Northern Dancer, had failed to win in his last five starts, dating back to a win over Kingpost at Turfway Park last October. He finished fourth, behind Kingpost, Stalwars and Brian’s Time, but beaten by only a half-length, in the Jim Beam at Turfway a month ago. Jim’s Orbit’s trainer, Clarence Picou, thought the horse would have won the race but for the fact that he irritated a heel in the race.

Cefis was making his first start in more than five weeks, having won the Tampa Bay Derby after once trailing by 20 lengths.

“He was trying the last quarter of a mile,” Eddie Maple, Cefis’ jockey, said Saturday. “But he didn’t make up any ground in the last eighth of a mile. He should be 5 to 7 lengths better when he runs in the Derby.”

Horse Racing Notes

Tejano, winner of the Hollywood Futurity but winless in four tries this year, will skip the Derby to run in the Preakness at Pimlico on May 21. Tejano is a fast colt who might have pushed Winning Colors in the Derby. Both the filly and Tejano are trained by Wayne Lukas. . . . Either Laffit Pincay or Jose Santos, who might have ridden Tejano, could wind up riding Regal Classic in the Derby. . . . Mark Warner, Kingpost’s owner, was not discouraged by his horse’s race in the Derby Trial. “He had a safe trip and I’m happy,” Warner said. “The important thing is that the race didn’t take anything out of the horse. First place is better than second, but the way he ran is fine.”