Despite Plans, Erhaab Closes to Win English Derby

The 215th English Derby didn’t go according to plan for Erhaab, but he won anyway.

Staying back to avoid trouble in the middle of the race, Erhaab closed with a rush in the final 100 yards of the 1 1/2-mile race under 52-year-old Willie Carson and won by 1 1/4 lengths Wednesday before some 100,000, including Queen Elizabeth II.

Kings Theater finished second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Colonel Collins, with Mister Baileys fourth in the field of 25 3-year-olds.

Broadway Flyer, owned by golfer Gary Player, finished 21st.

“It certainly wasn’t the plan,” winning trainer John Dunlop said after his colt came from far back. “But there was a lot of trouble in the middle of the race, and Willie didn’t want to get involved. I thought that he was so far back he couldn’t win from there. He got a lovely ride through (traffic), and then I thought we would finish a respectable fourth.”