Pincay Is Caught in a Traffic Jam

The plan was for Medaglia d’Oro to run closely behind War Emblem in the Kentucky Derby.

But Laffit Pincay, who at 55 could have supplanted Bill Shoemaker as the oldest jockey to win the Derby, had to go to Plan B after Medaglia d’Oro broke awkwardly. Pincay’s colt was also bumped by Essence Of Dubai, who broke from the stall inside Medaglia d’Oro.

“We got squeezed back,” Pincay said. “So instead of being close to pace like I wanted, I found myself behind a lot of horses. I couldn’t get him out of the jam in time.”

Pincay found his horse seventh after three-quarters of a mile. Essence Of Dubai got in his way again in the stretch, bumping Medaglia d’Oro at the three-sixteenths pole. Medaglia d’Oro finished fourth.

“After he broke bad, he got stopped on the [far] turn,” said Bobby Frankel, who trains Medaglia d’Oro.

Proud Citizen, who finished second, beaten by four lengths, was in pursuit of War Emblem all the way but never made up any ground.

“My horse was getting over the ground well, but not real well,” said Mike Smith, who rode Proud Citizen. “[War Emblem] was relishing it. I tried to stay within striking distance of him. He just kicked on away from us.”

Santa Anita Derby winner Came Home finished sixth under Chris McCarron.

“War Emblem took a little heat from Proud Citizen, but he was able to shake him off and kept on marching,” McCarron said. “War Emblem ran a legitimate pace.”

Trainer Frank “Bobby” Springer, who won four out of seven races with War Emblem before the colt was sold, wasn’t bitter.

“I’m tickled to death for that horse,” Springer said. “He’s just a wonderful colt and I’m very glad that he did well. There is still a lot of pride in it for me. This is like having one of your children succeed.”

In winning the Illinois Derby, War Emblem was ridden by Larry Sterling Jr., who was riding him for the first time. Sterling said that after War Emblem was sold, he tried to contact the new trainer, Bob Baffert, but that Baffert didn’t return his call. Sterling has never ridden in a Derby.

*

In the race before the Derby, favored Beat Hollow, ridden by Alex Solis for trainer Bobby Frankel, was a 11/4-length winner over With Anticipation in the $452,500 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic.... In the $171,450 Churchill Downs Handicap, Snow Ridge won by a neck, but was disqualified in favor of D’wildcat when the stewards ruled that Smith, aboard Snow Ridge, had struck the runner-up in the face with his whip in the final strides.