Kicken Kris Wins After Desormeaux Cries Foul

As the horses crossed the finish line in Saturday’s Arlington Million, an angry Kent Desormeaux raised his whip, pointed it at the winner and shouted words of protest.

Ten minutes later, the Arlington Park stewards backed up Desormeaux. They disqualified Powerscourt, who had won by two lengths, and gave the victory to runner-up Kicken Kris in the 1 1/4 -mile grass race.

Powerscourt, an Irish invader ridden by Jamie Spencer, was demoted to fourth place. Moved up one place were Magistretti, to second, and Epalo, the 4-1 favorite, to third. The stewards ruled that Powerscourt, under right-handed whipping, drifted left, forcing Epalo to knock Kicken Kris into the rail. Kicken Kris bounced off and continued running hard to the wire.

“The winner made a beeline to the fence,” Desormeaux said. “He pushed the other horse onto me. My horse was much the best. He would have won easily, but he was scared to death.”

For the second consecutive year, the Million was decided in the stewards’ stand. Last year, Storming Home ducked out near the wire, was disqualified and Sulamani was declared the winner. Just past the wire, Gary Stevens, trying to control Storming Home, fell to the ground and suffered a collapsed lung.

Spencer disagreed with Saturday’s decision.

“My horse was much the best,” he said, trying to contradict Desormeaux with identical words. “He didn’t cause the interference. I didn’t hear [any jockeys] shouting from behind.”

Desormeaux, who was inducted Monday into the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., won his first Million on the 10th try. He got the mount on Kicken Kris after Edgar Prado chose to ride Magistretti, an English horse, instead of trainer Michael Matz’s 4-year-old colt.

The Maryland-based Kicken Kris, who paid $21.40 to win, was running at Arlington for the first time since he won the Secretariat for 3-year-olds last year. Other horses to register a Secretariat-Million double were Awad (1993 and 1995) and Marlin (1996 and 1997). Saturday’s time was 2:00.

Vangelis finished fifth, and after him came Mr O’Brien, Senor Swinger, Sweet Return, Mobil, Mystery Giver, Sabiango, Vespone and Hatif. Sabiango and Vespone were the leaders with a quarter-mile to go.

In other races at Arlington, Crimson Palace, owned by Godolphin Racing and ridden by Frankie Dettori, came from England to beat Riskaverse by a half-length in the $750,000 Beverly D. and favored Kitten’s Joy, ridden by Jerry Bailey, topped previously undefeated Greek Sun by 3 1/4 lengths in the $400,000 Secretariat.

Crimson Palace paid $21.80 and Kitten’s Joy’s $2 return was $3.80. Necklace finished third and Musical Chimes, the 2-1 favorite ridden by Desormeaux, was fourth in the Beverly D.

Musical Chimes had gone into Saturday off a strong win in the John Mabee Handicap at Del Mar. “There was no pace, that was the problem,” said the filly’s trainer, Neil Drysdale. “This horse wants to come from off the pace, and she ended up on the lead.”

A month ago, Kicken Kris and Better Talk Now had run 1-2 in the Bowling Green Handicap at Belmont Park. Better Talk Now, winless this year, won the $500,000 Sword Dancer Handicap at Saratoga on Saturday. On a yielding course that was soggy from Friday’s rain, Better Talk Now, ridden by Ramon Dominguez, ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:28 2/5. Request For Parole finished second and the pace-setting favorite, Balto Star, ran third. Better Talk Now, paying $17.80, won for the first time in 9 1/2 months.

In Saratoga’s $200,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, Speightstown, a 6-year-old whose career was interrupted for nearly two years after ankle surgery, won by 1 1/2 lengths over six furlongs in 1:08, matching the track record that was set by Spanish Riddle in 1972. Clock Stopper finished second and Gators N Bears ran third over a track whose condition went from good to muddy to fast by the time the Vanderbilt was run.

Speightstown, trained by Todd Pletcher, was ridden by John Velazquez, who won three other races on the card. Speightstown, undefeated in four races over four different tracks this year, has won nine of 14 starts overall. He paid $3.80.

“He couldn’t get much better than he was today,” Pletcher said. “He’s so good now that it’s scary.”

*

Corey Nakatani waited and waited, and finally was able to split a couple of horses, Semi Lost and Bedmar, to give Blackdoun the win in the La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar.

Blackdoun, who also won a division of the Oceanside on July 21, could sweep the track’s three grass stakes for 3-year-olds if he wins the Del Mar Derby on Sept. 6.

Julio Canani, who trains Blackdoun, won the three races with Ladies Din in 1998.