A Wet Track Might Make Derby Going Less Easy

On the eve of the 115th Kentucky Derby, trainer Shug McGaughey stood in front of favored Easy Goer’s stall reading a list of recent workout times by several of his top rivals.

“They’re all about the same,” he said with a grin, “except for Easy Goer’s.”

His reference was to the superb drills this week by the colt who is unbeaten this year in three starts and is the odds-on favorite Saturday to become the shortest-priced Derby winner since Spectacular Bid did it at 3-5 odds in 1979.

Easy Goer usually works a second or two better than the accepted norm for big race preparation, but he never seems to suffer the consequences. Unless rain, which began late Friday, continues into Saturday, the crowd will be 125,000 or more.

The event can be seen on ABC in a 1 1/2-hour show starting at 1:30 p.m. Approximate post time is 2:33 p.m.

The forecast calls for showers Saturday around Churchill Downs, where McGaughey has been treated all week as if he were man of the year.

Rain and a muddy track could hurt Easy Goer’s chances and enhance those of Sunday Silence, but by most standards used to judge racehorses, Ogden Phipps’ colt is becoming a legend.

One drawback, however, is the distance. He never has run as far as 1 1/4 miles. Neither have any of the others running Saturday, but track condition and distance are about the only two question marks for the son of Alydar.

This year, most of the Derby talk has been about Easy Goer. He was pre-Derby favorite long before he wrapped up an Eclipse Award, symbolic of the 2-year-old championship.

He was 8-1 in at least one Las Vegas winter book on the Derby early this year, but since he came within a fifth of a second of the world record (1:32 1/5 for a mile) in the Gotham Stakes on a lightning-fast track at Aqueduct, his odds have been right around even.

Easy Goer has routed three stakes fields: the Swale at Gulfstream Park and the Gotham and the Wood Memorial, both at Aqueduct.

And his preps for Saturday have been better than those of virtually all the other horses. Easy Goer and his stablemate, Awe Inspiring, make up the McGaughey entry favored against 14 other 3-year-olds.

There are four others with morning-line odds indicating that they have some chance. That group is made up of second-choice Sunday Silence (3-1), plus Western Playboy, and the Wayne Lukas-trained entry of Houston and Shy Tom. They are 8-1.

Sunday Silence, winner of the Santa Anita Derby, is trainer Charlie Whittingham’s chance for a second Derby winner. He saddled Ferdinand to win in 1986.

Whittingham rarely comes to the Derby unless he likes his horse’s chances. All week he has said Sunday Silence will win, and he has not left any loopholes or disclaimers.

Western Playboy apparently will start despite a leg ailment that is on its way to being healed.

Of the remaining 10, most are considered longshots. Many of those 10 are here because of something called “Derby fever,” a desire to participate in the nation’s most celebrated race.

The large field comes along despite the standing of Easy Goer. Lukas, commenting on the undistinguished horses in the field, said, “They doubled the entry and starting fee (in 1983) to $20,000, and it just made the Derby more attractive and more coveted to people. If they opened the Super Bowl up to everybody willing to pay $20,000, you’d get a lot coming in with bad records.”

Several horses came into the lineup despite the reluctance of the trainers. Those believed to have been pushed in that way are Shy Tom, Flying Continental, Hawkster, Notation, Wind Splitter and Northern Wolf.

The others are Triple Buck, Clever Trevor, Dansil and Faultless Ensign.

Of that group, Triple Buck might have the best chance. He was blocked at a crucial point in the Wood Memorial and still finished only three lengths behind Easy Goer.

Had he finished closer, Easy Goer might not be getting such attention for the Derby.

Only one of the 16 jockeys in Saturday’s race has ridden a Derby winner. He is Laffit Pincay, rider of Houston.