Bandini Chews Up Field but Doesn’t Leave a Mark

In racetrack parlance, Bandini is fond of “savaging” other horses -- biting them when they get close to him in races.

Bandini, a son of Fusaichi Pegasus, another hot-blooded colt who still won the 2000 Kentucky Derby, had teeth only for the bit of his bridle Saturday, winning the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in front of a Keeneland record crowd of 33,621. Bandini, unable to run in the Florida Derby because of a bruised foot, unleashed a powerful closing kick to win by six lengths, and next for trainer Todd Pletcher’s horse is the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 7.

Pletcher, winless at the Derby with nine starters in four years, Saturday added another contender for Churchill when his Flower Alley ran second to Afleet Alex in the Arkansas Derby.

In finishing second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 5, Bandini took a nip at High Fly, the winner of the race. Bandini has bitten horses in other races.

“He was much better today,” said John Velazquez, who has ridden Bandini in his last four races. “He was unfocused passing other horses at the three-eighths pole, but after he passed them, he went about his business. If he puts his mind to it, we’ve got the best horse in the Derby.”

Bandini’s winning margin was the largest in the Blue Grass since Spectacular Bid’s seven-length blowout in 1979.

Bandini, named after a 16th-century Italian sculptor, dented the reputations of some other prominent Derby contenders. High Limit, undefeated in three starts and winner of the Louisiana Derby, finished second; Closing Argument was third, beaten by nine lengths; and Sun King, one of trainer Nick Zito’s five Derby contenders, settled for fourth place, a neck behind Closing Argument. Rounding out the field were Consolidator, Spanish Chestnut and Mr Sword. Earning $465,000 for his owners, Michael Tabor of Monte Carlo and Derrick Smith of Barbados, Bandini ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 and paid $8 for $2.

“This was considered the toughest Derby prep,” said the 37-year-old Pletcher, who won the Eclipse Award for best trainer in North America last year. “Top to bottom, there were supposed to be more legitimate contenders than any of the other races. So when my horse drew off and won, that will give us much more confidence going into the Derby.”

Pletcher conceded that the Zito-trained Bellamy Road is a valid favorite for the Derby off his powerful win in the Wood Memorial on April 9.

Tabor, who once owned 114 betting shops in Great Britain, won the 1995 Derby with Thunder Gulch. Tabor and Smith, a retired leisure-activity investor, bought Bandini for $500,000 at a Keeneland yearling sale. Before the Blue Grass, Bandini had two wins and a second in four starts.

Tabor wasn’t here, but Smith was part of the throng in sunny, 70-degree weather.

“When my horse hit the front,” Smith said, “it was difficult not to want to jump out of the stands. The hardest part was getting through the crowd to the winner’s enclosure.”

Spanish Chestnut, another colt owned by Tabor and Smith but running separately in the betting, set the early pace, just ahead of High Limit, the 5-2 favorite. Bandini was in third and Closing Argument fourth. Sun King, racing wide almost the entire trip, was far back.

Velazquez, who also won an Eclipse Award last year, turned Bandini loose on the far turn.

“At first,” he said, “I thought I might be moving too soon.”

Bobby Frankel, who trains High Limit, said that his horse would try again in the Kentucky Derby, and Sun King is also likely to resurface in Louisville. There was a suggestion that Tabor and Smith might have run Spanish Chestnut, a 25-1 longshot, to soften up High Limit and other horses for Bandini’s closing run, but Frankel said that he had no complaints. Spanish Run runs for Patrick Biancone, another trainer for Tabor and Smith.

“Our trainers are too competitive for that,” said Demi O’Byrne, a veterinarian who is Tabor’s longtime advisor.

Zito seemed unhappy with the ride Edgar Prado gave Sun King, who broke from the No. 6 post, inside only one horse.

“I told [Prado] to take a left-hand turn and save ground,” Zito said.

“But we didn’t save an inch. Nothing went right after that. I salute the winner, but I regret my horse had the trip he had.”

Consolidator, trained by Wayne Lukas, who once employed Pletcher as an assistant trainer, ran a disappointing race after having convincingly won the San Felipe at Santa Anita. Consolidator, stumbling at the start, was fifth early, never improved his position and ran an erratic path through the stretch. Lukas was unhappy with the ride by jockey Rafael Bejarano.

Lukas said that Consolidator would still run in the Derby. The trainer’s Derby-week media patter will be predictable. He will remind the press that his Thunder Gulch won the Derby, after running fourth in the Blue Grass.

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Jerry Bailey, who rode Mr Sword in the Blue Grass, won the other two stakes on the Keeneland card -- with Clock Stopper in the $400,000 Commonwealth and Soaring Free in the $113,300 Shakertown.