A Derby Victory to Last a Lifetime

The incredible life of Michael Matz grew ever more amazing Saturday as the Olympic equestrian who survived a 1989 plane crash that killed 112 people became the winning trainer in the 132nd Kentucky Derby after undefeated Barbaro romped to a 6 1/2 -length victory.

In the stands at Churchill Downs, the children Matz helped out of the smoldering wreckage of United Flight 232 after it crashed in Iowa 17 years ago cheered for the man who took care of the unaccompanied youngsters in the hours after the plane went down.

“We were so excited. It was great,” said Melissa Radcliffe, now 29 and a married mother of two.

A 12-year-old that day, Radcliffe was seated in the row with Matz along with her brother Travis Roth, then 9. Matz kept them calm after the plane lost an engine and its hydraulic system failed, then led them off the plane after the crash before returning to search for others. A third Roth sibling, Jody, then 14, was seated elsewhere on the plane and escaped, and the three were tended by Matz and his fiancee D.D. Alexander -- now his wife -- in the hours after the crash.

“It was an unfortunate thing that happened. We happened to survive,” Matz said. “I just go on in life trying to make a living, trying to have a nice family, trying to enjoy life.”

There have been few days more enjoyable than Saturday, when Barbaro, ridden by Edgar Prado, bided his time behind speedsters Keyed Entry and Sinister Minister, then claimed the lead by the one-mile mark and pulled away convincingly down the stretch, covering the 1 1/4 -mile distance in 2:01.36.

Barbaro’s 6 1/2 -length victory was the largest margin since Assault’s eight-length victory in 1946, and the fifth-biggest ever.

The dark-bay colt owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stables, unbeaten in six starts, became only the sixth undefeated winner in Kentucky Derby history. The most recent was Smarty Jones in 2004.

Sent off as the 6-1 second favorite by the crowd of 157,536 -- the second-largest in Derby history -- Barbaro paid $14.20, $8.00 and $6.00. The winner’s share was $1,453,200 from a total purse of $2,213,200.

Bluegrass Cat was second, and deep closer Steppenwolfer was third.

Brother Derek, the morning-line favorite trained by Dan Hendricks, finished in a dead heat for fourth with Jazil after starting from post 18 in the 20-horse field.

“It was a bit much to overcome, the 18-hole, a little bit of a wide trip, the dirt [in his face],” said Hendricks, who was paralyzed from the waist down in a motocross accident two years ago.

Jockey Alex Solis said he was never able to overcome the outside post.

“It killed us,” he said.

In part because of the outside posts of Brother Derek and Lawyer Ron, an early favorite who finished 12th, the favorite by race time was Sweetnorthernsaint, at 5-1.

Ridden by two-time Derby winner Kent Desormeaux, Sweetnorthernsaint finished seventh despite closing to third along the rail with a quarter-mile to go.

“I was looming up boldly on the inside, thinking I had a ton of horse, and Edgar’s horse had the antennae straight forward,” Desormeaux said.

“Edgar’s horse, he was just enjoying a Sunday gallop. Only it was Saturday in the Derby.”

Prado -- a two-time winner of the Belmont Stakes who won his first Derby -- urged his horse on, and Sweetnorthernsaint didn’t have enough left.

“That was nothing but a shrinking rear end, was what the rest of the race was,” Desormeaux said. “That was a scintillating effort by the winner.”

Matz -- who in his first career as a show-jumper made three Olympic teams and helped the U.S. to a team silver medal in 1996 before carrying the flag in the closing ceremony -- was quizzed often before the race about his unconventional preparation for the Derby.

Barbaro’s last race was the Florida Derby five weeks ago -- and no horse since Needles in 1956 had won after such a long layoff.

Asked if he wanted to say, “I told you so,” Matz smiled.

“No, I’m not going to say a word,” he said.

The strategy was to keep his horse fresh -- in part, Matz said, looking ahead to what lies next as long as Barbaro comes out of the race fine, the Preakness in two weeks.

“It’s something that’s always in the back of your mind, trying to win the Triple Crown,” he said. “I just didn’t want to use the horse too much.”

Now, after racing once in 13 weeks, Barbaro is poised to try to win three in five weeks, beginning with the Preakness in two and followed by the Belmont three weeks later.

“If we made a mistake, we’ll know it in two weeks,” Matz said.

The pressure of a Triple Crown campaign doesn’t seem to affect Matz.

His biggest pressure moment came 17 years ago, when the disabled plane cartwheeled as it tried to make an emergency landing in Sioux City, Iowa.

Of the 296 passengers, 184 survived. Matz and the Roth siblings visited before the race Saturday, as they had after the 1996 Olympics, the last time they saw the man who helped them in such a spotlight.

Now, the spotlight has found him again, and Matz and many among this group of 3-year-old horses, their trainers, jockeys and owners, will move on to the next step, knowing that this is wonderful competition, but it is not life and death.

Solis, riding in his 15th Derby but still without a victory, had been another sentimental favorite after overcoming a broken back suffered in a 2004 spill at Del Mar, shortly after Hendricks’ accident.

“They’re all disappointing. I believe in the horse,” Solis said. “But it’s not the end of the world. I have my family, my family’s healthy.”

As he walked back to the jockeys’ room some 30 minutes after the race, Solis passed a green ladder that leaned against the famous facade of the Churchill Downs paddock.

Above it, a worker had just finished hanging the name of the 2006 winner: Barbaro.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

The race

How the race was run:

BARBARO stumbled at the start, came up running and leaned in soon after bumping with BOB AND JOHN placing him in tight, raced under light restraint while between horses early, continued five or six wide around the first turn and into the backstretch, raced to the leaders under his own power midway on the far turn, reached the front at the five-sixteenths pole, accelerated quickly to a clear advantage approaching the stretch while angling near the inside, then drew off under strong hand urging as much the best.

* BLUEGRASS CAT was never far back, maneuvered nicely between foes to reach the rail entering the first turn, followed BARBARO while just inside that one on the backstretch, angled outside the winner nearing the final quarter, then couldn’t menace at the end while clearly second best.

* STEPPENWOLFER was bumped after the start by KEYED ENTRY and forced in, saved ground in hand, rallied between horses three or four wide on the far turn, lacked room at the five-sixteenths pole, worked his way out six wide when straightened into the stretch to make his run, loomed as a threat through the upper stretch, then failed to sustain his bid while drifting out slightly.

* JAZIL swerved in at the start, was unhurried while outrun for six furlongs, continued to save ground while rallying along the rail on the far turn, angled out between foes four wide when entering the upper stretch to make a serious bid but failed to sustain his effort while dead heating with BROTHER DEREK for fourth.

* BROTHER DEREK worked his way in six wide by the first turn, moved out wider when the field bunched nearing the end of the backstretch where he was steadied twice, fanned out nine abreast when making a run into the upper stretch, but came up empty while finishing evenly with JAZIL for fourth.

* SHOWING UP bobbled at the break, came out bumping with BOB AND JOHN, gained a forward position near the inside, went along under careful handling, raced between foes four wide nearing the final quarter, was just off the winner briefly when entering the stretch and flattened out in the drive.

* SWEETNORTHERNSAINT steadied when bumped at the start by A.P. WARRIOR and forced out on PRIVATE VOW, was steadied again under the wire the first time in tight quarters, worked his way between foes around the first turn, angled inside on the backstretch, boldly came through close quarters along the rail at the five-sixteenths pole, but faltered when straightened for the drive.

* DEPUTY GLITTERS was outrun five wide into the backstretch, inched forward around the far turn, came out 11 wide for the drive, leaned in and bumped SEASIDE RETREAT at the furlong grounds, then lacked a further response.

* POINT DETERMINED bobbled lightly at the start, was well-placed near the inside from the outset, moved between horses five wide into the lane, came out and bumped with SEASIDE RETREAT at the eighth pole and was finished.

* SEASIDE RETREAT was unhurried and six wide, reached striking distance on the far turn, came out wider entering the stretch, was bumped from both sides at the eighth pole and had no further account.

* STORM TREASURE steadied behind horses nearing the first turn, made a mild move between rivals approaching the final quarter but failed to continue.

* LAWYER RON was well-placed early, raced between foes around the first turn, was steadied entering the backstretch, continued within striking distance until the stretch and tired.

* CAUSE TO BELIEVE never reached contention.

* FLASHY BULL broke awkwardly and raced wide most of the way.

* PRIVATE VOW was sluggish to start, was bumped soon after by SWEETNORTHERNSAINT and steadied, then never was a factor.

* SINISTER MINISTER vied for the lead soon after the start while battling outside of KEYED ENTRY, surrendered the advantage to that one just before the opening quarter expired, tracked KEYED ENTRY to the far turn, briefly gained the lead between calls approaching the stretch, lost it to the winner after several strides and faded.

* BOB AND JOHN was bumped at the start by SHOWING UP, then steadied soon after and was bumped again when BARBARO leaned in, was finished after seven furlongs.

* A.P. WARRIOR came out at the start bumping SWEETNORTHERNSAINT, then was finished early.

* SHARP HUMOR came out after the start bumping A.P. WARRIOR, faded after a half, bore out midway on the second turn and wasn’t abused in the drive.

* KEYED ENTRY leaned in at the start bumping STEPPENWOLFER, went up inside SINISTER MINISTER to fight for the lead, gained a slight edge after going a quarter, was clear on the first turn, showed the way to the far turn and gave way readily after seven furlongs.

Source: Times reporting

Los Angeles Times