This Derby Exploit Won’t Be Recounted

Exploit’s first defeat turned out to be his final start.

The future book favorite for the Kentucky Derby, who suffered his only loss in six starts when he ran second to stablemate Prime Timber in Saturday’s San Felipe Stakes, has been retired after suffering a broken knee in his left foreleg.

Owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis and trained by Bob Baffert, Exploit apparently suffered the injury in the San Felipe, which was his final prep for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

Baffert noticed swelling in the knee Tuesday morning and X-rays taken later that day revealed a small fracture.

Exploit, who had graded stakes victories in the Kentucky Jockey Club and Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs last year and the San Vicente Stakes earlier this year at Santa Anita, could have undergone surgery and returned to the races later this year.

But it was decided by Baffert and his owners to retire him and Exploit, who is half-brother to 1989 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Prized, will become a stallion, although no plans on where he will stand are expected to be finalized any time soon.

No surgery is scheduled for the colt, who earned $396,250; the fracture will be allowed to heal.

“You have to bounce with the ball in this game,” Bob Lewis said Wednesday morning. “We’re terribly disappointed, but he’s going to be just fine and he’s got an exciting stallion career in his future.

“We could have brought him back, but generally horses of his caliber are compromised with this type of injury and don’t come back at the same level. We decided to retire him because it’s in the best interest of the horse and because of his value.”

Even with Exploit’s retirement, the Lewises still have a Kentucky Derby candidate. Straight Man, who is unbeaten in two starts, will make his stakes debut in the $750,000 Gallery Furniture at Turfway Park on March 27, the day before Silver Charm defends his title in the $5-million Dubai World Cup.

“We’re pleased with Straight Man’s success and progress, but we’ll just take it one race at a time with him,” Lewis said.

Baffert still has four possible horses for the Santa Anita Derby, which he won last year with Indian Charlie--Prime Timber, General Challenge, Finder’s Gold and Excellent Meeting.

General Challenge lost for the first time as the 9-10 favorite in the Louisiana Derby on Sunday. Finder’s Gold was fourth in the San Felipe. The filly Excellent Meeting had to work harder than expected to win the Santa Anita Oaks on Sunday.

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Rather than face a hearing in front of an administrative law judge, trainers Pete Eurton, Declan Jackson and Vladimir Cerin have accepted $1,500 fines after each had horses test positive for clenbuterol, which is a prohibited race- day medication.

Four other trainers who had horses with positive clenbuterol tests are awaiting hearings. Paco Gonzalez has a hearing scheduled for May 24, Bruce Headley and Darrell Vienna for June 7 and Ted West for June 14.

Horse Racing Notes

Patrick Valenzuela, who rode Sunday Silence to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 1989, was ordered to appear for arraignment in Superior Court on March 31 on a robbery charge. Accused of robbing a cab driver of $150 at gunpoint Feb. 25 in Rosemead, Valenzuela faces one count of robbery with the allegation that he personally used a handgun in the crime. His bail was reduced from $75,000 to $40,000 Wednesday but was not posted. . . . Aviate, a 5-1 shot trained by Ted West and ridden by Chris McCarron for the Desperado Stables, won the $112,750 La Habra Stakes, beating longshot Open Secret by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:15 for the about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf. . . . Prince Ahmed bin Salman’s Thoroughbred Corp. set a Barretts March Sale record for selected 2-year-olds in training when it bought a son of Brocco for $2 million Tuesday. The colt, who will be trained by Richard Mandella, is part of a partnership that includes Hollywood Park Chief Executive R.D. Hubbard. Salman also bought a Storm Cat filly for $1 million.