Thunder Snow will be checked over thoroughly after his spectacular bucking performance at the start of the 143rd Kentucky Derby blew any chance he had in the “Run For The Roses” won by Todd Pletcher’s Always Dreaming.
Watched by 158,070 at Churchill Downs, the UAE Derby winner emerged slowly from Gate 2 under Christophe Soumillon only to run about 50 metres before he transformed in to a bucking bronco.
The Belgian jockey displayed real horsemanship to stay on and eventually mastered his Godolphin mount.
Speaking after jockey John Velazquez and Pletcher had collected their second victory in the Kentucky Derby, on-course vet Keith Latson said: “Thunder Snow did not break well, was picked up immediately by the outrider and galloped comfortably to the paddock where he was examined by Dr Jennifer Kaak and she found no injuries on the legs.
“Thunder Snow was allowed to walk back to the barn and he did so comfortably.”
Regular work rider Daragh O’Donohoe said on Twitter: “All I can say at this moment in time thunder snow is fine, we are totally dumbstruck at what’s happened sorry.”
There could be any number of reasons why Thunder Snow baulked as he did, from tight tack, discomfort at the alien sloppy surface or even a noise down at the start. The Kentucky Derby build-up is one of the most intense, and drawn out, in world racing and the son of Helmet did not appear totally at ease in the big-race preliminaries. In two starts at Meydan, however, he showed that he had the temperament to deal with the big occasions so this behaviour is certainly uncharacteristic.
Saeed bin Suroor, who was at Churchill Downs, insisted he would get to the bottom of the problem.
“We will closely monitor him over the next 24 hours to ensure that he is OK. Our first priority is his welfare,” he said.
“He worked well all week and we were very happy with his progress. I want to thank everyone for their support.
“The team were amazing but it wasn’t to be today. We gave it our best. Congratulations to the winning connections.”
Thunder Snow’s poor break mirrored that of Lani’s 12 months ago, when the famously recalcitrant Japanese UAE Derby winner made a slow start before eventually finishing ninth to Nyquist.
Thunder Snow’s performance extends the poor record of UAE Derby winners in the Kentucky equivalent. The Godolphin colt became the 13th horse to run in the UAE Derby to kick on to Churchill Downs, with no horse bettering Master Of Hounds’ fifth place in 2011.
Always Dreaming became the fifth successive favourite to win and added to Pletcher’s other victory in 2010 when Super Saver also negotiated a sloppy track.
It was the son of Bodemeister’s fourth straight victory of the season, having won the Florida Derby last month from State Of Honour.
That horse set the early fractions under Jose Lezcano, and Velazquez was content to skim the rail on the inside.
Just after the halfway point, Velazquez made his move and surged in to the lead in the home turn and led in to the stretch.
From that point it was simply a matter of calculating by how far he would win and at the line there was two and three-quarter lengths back to Lookin At Lee and Corey Lanerie. Battle Of Midway and Flavien Prat were third.
“It means a lot,” said Velazquez, who won the Derby previously in 2011 with subsequent Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom.
“We’ve had so much success in the past and we haven’t won a Derby but the way this horse did it today was very impressive.
“Todd and I talked about it a lot. We wanted to make sure we got out well and got a position we’d like to have and be comfortable.
“He got onto the bridle really beautiful down the back straight and I was OK there until the quarter pole when I asked him to run.”
Pletcher has won virtually every major race in the US, but the daggers were out at his record despite Super Saver's win. The multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer matched D Wayne Lukas record for most starters with Always Dreaming, the one-eyed Patch and Tapwrit taking him to 48 runners in all. Pletcher savoured the taste of the repeat victory afterwards and hid his emotion behind a pair of dark sunglasses.
“I think this is even more special than the first one, this is all the more sweet,” he said.
“I thought we had a big shot when we turned for home. I was a little worried down the back side, but I could tell Johnny was riding him confidently.
“When he cut the corner you could tell he was finishing.”
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
