According to Trakus, Honor A.P. ‘Fastest’ Horse in Derby

Using information from the Trakus chart of the GI Kentucky Derby, horse owner, college professor and horseplayer, Marshall Gramm has found that fourth-place finisher Honor A.P. (Honor Code) may have actually run faster than any of his rivals.

According to Trakus, Honor A.P. traveled 6,712 feet or 49 feet further than race winner Authentic (Into Mischief). Tiz the Law (Constitution) also lost some ground and traveled 23 feet further then Authentic. For all three horses, their average speed was 37.8 miles per hour.

Gramm took an even deeper look into the numbers. He divided the distance each horse traveled by their final time, giving him a calculation of how many feet they traveled per second. Honor A.P. covered 55.40 feet per second. He then used that figure to come up with a final adjusted time for a mile-and-a-quarter, which is 6,600 feet. His recalculated time for Honor A.P. was 1:59.14.

His adjusted time for Authentic was 1:59.40. The actual time for the race was 2:00.61.

Gramm’s calculations confirm that Honor A.P. may have had the worst trip of any of the main contenders in the Derby. This is the Equibase chart caller’s summary of his trip: “Honor A.P. hesitated at the start, was unhurried while four wide into the first turn, looped into the backstretch six deep, made a steady sweeping move through the second turn, fanned into the nine path into the stretch, continued on and was making progress.

Honor A.P was beaten five lengths.

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Derby Aftermath: Tagg Mum On Potential Preakness Run By Tiz The Law

Followup from the connections of Saturday's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby starters is provided by the Churchill Downs media office:

TIZ THE LAW – Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law is scheduled to return to New York on Tuesday following his runner-up effort in Saturday's Kentucky Derby with plans for a next start to be determined.

“I just looked him over,” trainer Barclay Tagg said before heading to Lexington to begin the search for the next Tiz the Law at this week's yearling sale. “His legs are good. He ate good. Everything's good.”

The four-time Grade 1 winner, who went off as the 7-10 favorite Saturday, sustained only the second loss in his eight-race career with both setbacks coming at Churchill Downs. He was third in last November's Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) on a sealed sloppy track.

In the Derby, Tiz the Law drew up alongside Authentic at the top of the stretch but never passed the eventual winner.

“The jock (Manny Franco) said that when he really had to get down and run, he was kind of swimming on that track. He didn't like the track,” Tagg said. “You could see it in the stretch. He looked like he was going to go on by and win easy. His last (Beyer) number was a 109 (in the Travers). He bounced down to a 103 this time.

“The jock told me that and when I watch the replay you could see he just wasn't getting a hold of it nicely. If you want to make an excuse, that is probably an excuse. He's come out of well. He ate up his dinner last night. He'll go back to New York Tuesday. I don't want to say too much about the Preakness. I just want to see how he is. He'll go back to New York and we'll evaluate him.”

MR. BIG NEWSAllied Racing's Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Mr. Big News was “all good” Sunday morning, according to trainer Bret Calhoun.

“He gave us a big thrill,” Calhoun said. “It was an awesome race and we are so proud of this colt.”

Next race plans are yet to be determined.

HONOR A. P. – C R K Stable's Honor A. P. was “doing good” Sunday morning, one day after rallying late for fourth as the 7-1 second choice. The Honor Code colt had a poor start and was last after the first six furlongs. Trainer John Shirreffs and jockey Mike Smith had said Saturday after the race that he was floundering on the track early.

cWhen asked what might be next for Honor A.P., Shirreffs said: “I haven't even thought about that. He'll head back to California Monday and we'll see.”

MAX PLAYER – George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbred Corp.'s Max Player was doing well Sunday morning, but his connections were obviously disappointed after his inside post position compromised his chances Saturday.

“He didn't jump away from the gate as well as I had hoped and jumped up and down in the dirt early first time by, but continued running late,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I think there's more there, and circumstances need to be created to get it.”

As for the Preakness, Asmussen said “I have not spoken with Mr. Hall to see what his plans are. I definitely think that would be me getting ahead of myself.”

STORM THE COURT – Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Susanna Wilson and Dan Hudock's Storm the Court is scheduled to return to his Southern California base on an early Monday morning flight according to trainer Peter Eurton.

Eurton, who was traveling back to Southern California early Sunday morning, said Storm the Court appeared to come out of his sixth-place Derby finish fine and there were no immediate plans for Storm the Court's next race.

ENFORCEABLE – Assistant trainer David Carroll reported all was good with John Oxley's Enforceable the morning after the colt finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby.

The son of Tapit was closer to the pace than usual, rating fifth through the opening half mile, before weakening in the lane.

“His legs are cold and tight, he cleaned up his feed,” said Carroll, assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. “We're very happy with him. We'll live to fight another day. He broke sharp, and (jockey) Adam (Beschizza) never hustled him, he got a clean trip around there. He got us to the big dance and we're proud of him and most of all he came back safe.”

NY TRAFFIC – John Fanelli, Cash is King, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley's Ny Traffic lost a shoe in the running of the Kentucky Derby and was a little banged up, but was no worse for the wear Sunday morning, according to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. No definite plans have been made for his next start.

“He came out well soundness wise,” Joseph said via text. “He got a few cuts front and back. No race in mind at the moment. We'll see how he is in 7-10 days and then go from there.”

NECKER ISLAND – Raymond Daniels, Wayne Scheer and Will Harbut Racing's Necker Island walked the shedrow at trainer Chris Hartman's barn Sunday morning following his ninth-place Derby finish.

“He came back in good shape,” Hartman said. “I'll wait three or four days before we start mapping out a race.”

MAJOR FED – Lloyd Madison Farm's Major Fed cooled out well following Saturday's Kentucky Derby.

“He has a couple of little nicks on him but he's doing well,” said trainer Greg Foley, who stood alongside the homebred colt while he grazed. “It was the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“He had no business being up there where he was,” Foley said of Major Fed breaking sharply from the gate. “Bumper cars going into that first turn. I mean, he was a length off the lead. I don't know if he was too fresh and broke like that and was down in there. That was the end of our chances. Everything had to go good for us. It didn't. He came back good. He looks fine. He ate up. We'll regroup in a little bit. He's eligible for a 'one other than' (first-level allowance). That's about where he'll show up next. Go from there. He'll look pretty good in that.”

SOLE VOLANTE – Reeves Thoroughbreds and Andie Biancone's Sole Volante was heading back to his South Florida base after finishing 11th in the Kentucky Derby.

“He's fine, he's good,” said Andie Biancone, who is also assistant to her father Patrick Biacone and the regular exercise rider for the gelding. “He obviously took a lot of dirt in his face, but he scoped clean. We're happy and proud of him. He'll probably get a break now and maybe go back to the turf.”

WINNING IMPRESSION – Trainer Dallas Stewart reported Winning Impression came out of the Kentucky Derby in good shape Sunday morning.

MONEY MOVES – Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who was overseeing the care of Money Moves on behalf of his former protégé Todd Pletcher, said the colt emerged from his 13th-place finish in good order and was slated to ship back to New York on Tuesday.

ATTACHMENT RATE –Trainer Dale Romans reported via text everything was well Sunday morning with Attachment Rate.

SOUTH BEND – South Bend was reported to be unaffected by wear after finishing 15th in the Kentucky Derby. The Bill Mott-trained colt was attempting to give his conditioner back-to-back victories in the classic after Country House was elevated to the win last year via disqualification.

“He was fine. He made a bit of a middle move around the turn and into the head of the stretch but it just wasn't his day,” assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy said.

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Roller Coaster Year: Authentic Goes The Distance In Historic Kentucky Derby

There simply aren't enough words, in any language, to describe the depth of emotions felt around Churchill Downs on this historic Kentucky Derby day on the first Saturday in September.

Outside the gates, protesters chanted the name of Breonna Taylor, the woman killed by city police in Louisville, Ky. back in March, as they marched all the way around the track. The NFAC (Not F*cking Around Coalition), a self-described black militia, knelt on the lawn just outside Churchill's front gates, separated from law enforcement by a single chain-link fence.

Overhead, news helicopters drowned out the bugler's stirring rendition of My Old Kentucky Home while a plane displayed a banner reading “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.”

In the grandstand, the horses' hoofbeats echoed through the empty seats, since the worldwide pandemic kept fans away from the 2020 Run for the Roses.

Meanwhile, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert could do nothing but watch when one of his two Derby contenders, Thousand Words, reared up and flipped over in the Kentucky Derby paddock. Not only was Baffert devastated for the colt's connections, but the trainer's long-time assistant Jimmy Barnes suffered a broken arm in the incident and was taken to an ambulance as the horses approached the starting gate.

Minutes later, Baffert screamed home his other Derby entrant, 8-1 chance Authentic, as the 3-year-old son of Into Mischief led the field from gate-to-wire to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The victory ties Baffert for the all-time Kentucky Derby record of six victories, set by trainer Ben Jones.

“I told John (Velazquez, jockey) in the paddock, I said, 'Do it for Jimmy,'” an emotional Baffert relayed from the winner's circle. “All I can say is this horse ran out of his mind. Johnny V. –perfect ride. I owe it all to my crew. Jimmy, poor guy is in an ambulance right now, he can't enjoy it. This is so emotional the ups and downs in this game. Unbelievable.”

It was a microcosm of the year that was 2020 in the Baffert barn: a roller coaster ride that appears far from over.

Early in the Derby prep season, Baffert had his hands full with budding superstars Charlatan and Nadal, but the classic was delayed by COVID-19. Instead, Baffertd sent the colts out to win split editions of the Arkansas Derby on the first Saturday in May. Both colts subsequently had to be removed from consideration for the Kentucky Derby due to injury.

Authentic had made a bit of a name for himself with wins in the Sham and San Felipe, but he finished second to fellow Kentucky Derby rival Honor A. P. in the Santa Anita Derby. The colt bounced back to win the Grade 1 Haskell by a nose over Derby rival Ny Traffic, but that effort over 1 1/8 miles left his capacity for the Derby's 1 1/4-mile distance in doubt. Authentic's Haskell jockey, “Big Money” Mike Smith, chose to ride Honor A. P. in Louisville, so Baffert put in a call to another Hall of Famer, John Velazquez.

Velazquez already had two Kentucky Derby winners to his name: 2011 with Animal Kingdom (Graham Motion), and 2017 with Always Dreaming (Todd Pletcher).

The final field of 15 that lined up in the Kentucky Derby starting gate was the smallest since 1998, and Authentic drew the far outside post. Velazquez used the clear racing room and the long run to the first turn to send his mount straight to the front, passing Storm the Court to gain a one-length advantage. While the first quarter was quick, 22.92 seconds, Velazquez was able to slow the pace down enough to cross the half-mile marker in :46.41, and he timed the first six furlongs in 1:10.23.

Though 3-5 favorite Tiz the Law, the Belmont and Travers winner, appeared to be getting a perfect stalking trip in third on the outside of Storm the Court, Authentic's mid-race breather was just enough. When Tiz the Law drew up alongside Authentic at the head of the lane, Velazquez asked the colt for everything he had.

Authentic responded, repelling Tiz the Law's bid and driving away to win the 146th Kentucky Derby by 1 1/4 lengths. He completed the 1 1/4-mile journey over the fast main track in 2:00.61.

Mr. Big News made a big move from the back of the pack and appeared loaded turning for the wire, but flattened out a bit late and finished third, 3 1/4 lengths behind Tiz the Law. Honor A. P., who'd been bumped out of the gate and shuffled back to second-last at the start, ran on well to finish fourth.

The remaining order of finish was as follows: Max Player, Storm the Court, Enforceable, Ny Traffic, Necker Island, Major Fed, Sole Volante, Winning Impression, Money Moves, Attachment Rate and South Bend.

Authentic is the first Kentucky Derby winner for co-owner B. Wayne Hughes of Spendthrift Farm. He shared the win with Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable, and the group MyRacehorse, which invited fans to purchase a micro-share of the colt prior to the Derby. According to MyRacehorse social media accounts, 4,500 people got to experience the feeling of owning the winner of the Kentucky Derby.

Bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, Authentic is out of the winning Mr. Greeley mare Flawless. He commanded a final bid of $350,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale, and his record now stands at five wins and one second from six starts, with earnings over $2.8 million.

Baffert's other five Kentucky Derby winners are: Justify (2018, Triple Crown winner), American Pharaoh, (2015, Triple Crown winner), War Emblem (2002), Real Quiet (1998), and Silver Charm (1997).

Ben “Plain Ben” Jones' six Kentucky Derby winners are: Hill Gail (1952), Ponder (1949), Citation (1948, Triple Crown winner), Pensive (1944), Whirlaway (1941, Triple Crown winner), and Lawrin (1938).

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‘That Sort Of Swing, The Glide, The Stride’: Shirreffs Says Honor A. P. Should Go The Distance

Honor A. P., the likely second choice for Saturday's rescheduled edition of the Kentucky Derby, has made quite an impression galloping over the Churchill Downs surface in the mornings. The son of Honor Code has the look of his grandsire, A.P. Indy, and should relish the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Run for the Roses, according to trainer John Shirreffs.

“Obviously he's named after his grandsire, so what he really has is a really big stride,” Shirreffs explained. “He has a long underline, and he has a very big stride, and it's an effortless stride. Like, when you watch sprinters run, they kind of run hard, like they're turning the stride over, turning the stride over, turning the stride over. You're not seeing that swing, that little rhythm to their stride, usually.

“With Honor A. P., that's what you see, that sort of swing, the glide, the stride; swing, glide, stride. That shows or indicates that he's not putting a lot of effort into it, so that helps horses go farther.”

Though he was particularly impressive winning the Santa Anita Derby on June 6, racing pundits may be hesitant to back Honor A. P. after his loss last out in the Shared Belief Stakes. Shirreffs explained that he didn't have the colt completely focused on running ahead of that 1 1/16-mile contest at Del Mar.

“Going into the Shared Belief, we were working on other things than cranking him up for the race,” the trainer said. “We were working on his attitude a little bit, trying to get him to behave a little bit better. He was starting to feel really good, and he was starting to be a little difficult to handle. So we wanted to do everything we could to quiet him, calm him down, get him to relax, and not crank him up and get him stressing.

“The only way you can do that with a big strong animal is to quiet them, and the best way to quiet them is to give them lots of exercise. Wet saddle blankets is the best thing for a high-strung horse.”

Honor A. P. has been on his best behavior at Churchill this week, and while Shirreffs believes he's ready for the challenge, the trainer said he'd just as soon have run the Derby in May.

“It would have been nice to run then, because the sequence would have been perfect,” he said. “I don't think the four months have helped him or hurt him, he was pretty precocious early on.”

Shirreffs knows what a Kentucky Derby winner looks like, after all. He saddled Giacomo to an upset victory in 2005, and told reporters he still hasn't watch the replay from that first Saturday in May.

“The feeling I had after the race was so special, I want to keep that feeling,” Shirreffs said. “I don't want to analyze the race, and go, 'oh, look at this and look at that.' I just want to think of the whole thing and the feeling I got from it.”

He'll miss the fans at this year's September Derby, of course, but Shirreffs is hoping for a big effort from Honor A. P. on Saturday.

“(Listening to the fans is) sort of an electric feeling, but winning the Derby is always special,” said Shirreffs. “But Honor A. P. is a completely different horse, and it's his opportunity, so we want to make the best of that.”

Thanks to the National Turfwriters and Broadcasters Association (NTWAB), which has assembled a group of pool reporters providing independent reporting to members unable to be on the Churchill Downs grounds this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

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