In the days leading up to the 43rd running of the Grade 1, $1 million betPARX Pennsylvania Derby, trainer Uriah St. Lewis has heard the talk.
And, to be honest, he's heard it before.
He has absolutely no chance to win the race.
When St. Lewis, who has been training at Parx since 1987, hears that, he smiles.
“Everyone is talking, saying I'm crazy,” St. Lewis said Friday morning at his barn on the Parx backstretch.
Crazy because he is running a horse in the Derby named Modern Era, who is 50-1 on the morning line and is winless in eight career starts. Then, more grins from St. Lewis.
“I have been crazy before with Discreet Lover,” he said. “I have been crazy before with Informative.”
A little history lesson here. St. Lewis won the 2018 Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park with Discreet Lover, who was 45-1. St. Lewis rocked the tote board at Monmouth Park in 2021 when he won the Grade 3 Salvator Mile with 79-1 Informative.
Of course, for every blockbuster win, there might have been 20 losses. Or more. But know this: St. Lewis is not afraid to take a shot. Never has been, never will. For his career, he has 439 wins in 6,995 starts.
He wants to be a player in the biggest games. And here he is.
“Sometimes, you've got to be crazy to win it,” he said, still smiling. “If you don't buy a lottery ticket, you can't win. I bought my ticket.”
Modern Era, a son of Honor Code is owned by St. Lewis' Trin-Brook Stable. He isn't getting many second looks heading into the Derby although he is coming one of his better efforts, a third in his last start at Monmouth.
Early in his career, Modern Era was walking the shedrow at St. Lewis' Parx barn and endured one of the more bizarre injuries horse racing has seen. Modern Era got startled for an unknown reason and ended up smashing a barn window with his right back leg.
St. Lewis said it took a month before a piece of glass could be removed. Daily soaks with Epsom salts did the trick. They also cost the colt seven months before he could return to the races.
St. Lewis, originally from Trinidad, bought him for $50,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-year-old sale.
He isn't scared to run him in the premier event at his home track.
“We've got to get by Bobby (Baffert, who has the favorite in Reincarnate),” St. Lewis said. “There are a whole bunch of them in here … Brad Cox (Saudi Crown). But, hey, if you aren't in there, you don't have a chance.”
The post ‘I Have Been Crazy Before’: St. Lewis Shoots For Another Big Upset With 50-1 Modern Era In Pennsylvania Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
