Crown Pride, the Japanese-trained winner of the Group 2 UAE Derby, enjoyed a brief solo sojourn at Churchill Downs on Friday morning. According to bloodhorse.com, the 3-year-old son of Reach the Crown was schooling at the starting gate when he unseated his exercise rider Masa Matsuda.
Outrider Lee Lockwood quickly apprehended Crown Pride, and he was returned to the starting gate for further education.
“In Japan, you just open the gate and we can go, but in America, first bell, then open,” Matsuda told bloodhorse.com. “So the horse was very (surprised)… I fell off of (the horse) but I just checked the ground of Churchill Downs.”
Neither Matsuda nor the horse were injured during the incident, and the second visit to the starting gate was much more effective.
“Second time, I just (lengthened) the irons and sat (deeper) in the saddle,” Matsuda told bloodhorse.com. “Then I went the straight way, which was easier.”
Crown Pride is trained by Koichi Shintani on behalf of owner Teruya Yoshida, and owns a record of three wins from four starts for earnings of $734,569.
Read more at bloodhorse.com.
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