Always Dreaming demoralized Kentucky Derby rivals in a way that suggests this youngster has great things ahead of him. At this point, the way Always Dreaming demoralized his foes points to a possibility of a Triple Crown winner.
The owners of Always Dreaming have a New York state of mind thing going on much in the vein of Billy Joel as they have been friends some babies. The runner is owned by a number of trusts but most come from the Big Apple.
Finally, Always Dreaming demoralized his rivals with the help of multiple Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher and Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez.
By securing a good position early in the Kentucky Derby, Always Dreaming demoralized his opponents. He dropped to the rail quickly and was always in striking distance. Early on 54-1 State of Honor sailed to the lead under Jose Lezcano. He completed the first quarter in :22.70 while Always Dreaming, who broke well and saved ground, raced in second. After State of Honor completed a half-mile in :46.53, Velazquez moved Always Dreaming to the early leader’s outside and they were soon on even terms.
Always Dreaming put a head in front and ran six furlongs in 1:11.12, but he was then tackled by Battle of Midway and Wood Memorial Stakes winner Irish War Cry. Always Dreaming demoralized his foes when jockey Velazquez asked him the right question. The answer was soon obvious. The superstar put away Irish War Cry coming out of the turn and stayed in front of Battle of Midway after reaching the quarter pole in 1:37.27.
Always Dreaming completed the 1 1/4-mile classic in 2:03.59 on a sloppy track. This was the first time the Kentucky Derby had been on an off-track since 2013. Lookin at Lee, who was 33-1, rallied from 17th to run second and was five lengths clear of the show horse Battle of Midway. The second choice in the race Classic Empire completed the superfecta at 27-1 and Practical Joke ran fifth.
Always Dreaming earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in the Derby and that number may have been impacted by the fact of the wet/fast surface. The track started out sloppy on Saturday and Always Dreaming’s Beyer may not be a true indication of the race. Since 1997, the 102 figure was the fourth lowest winning Kentucky Derby Beyer figure.
Going into the Kentucky Derby, Always Dreaming was coming off the win in the Florida Derby. Lookin at Lee was fresh from a third in the Arkansas Derby and Battle of Midway had run a gallant second to Gormley in the Santa Anita Derby.
Always Dreaming was the fifth straight favorite to win the Derby and the tenth horse to win the classic after starting from post 5. He returned $11.40 as the tepid chalk but those that could predict the longshots got paid. The $2 trifecta paid $16,594.40 and the $1 superfecta paid $75,974.50.
Pletcher won his first Kentucky Derby in 2010 with Super Saver so this victory by Always Dreaming was especially gratifying and he was honest in his assessment, Pletcher: “I knew we had a big shot with this horse and I was hoping it would happen. The trip unfolded not exactly the way we had planned. We knew for sure we didn’t want to be behind a wall of horses and that turned out OK. Johnny (Velazquez) of course rode him great. This is so special to win this race with Johnny. We’ve been together for all these years and this is sweet.”
Steve Asmussen trains runner-up Lookin at Lee and his other runners in the Derby ran eleventh and twelfth. The trainer is hopeful this experience will help his charge, Asmussen: “I’m definitely proud of Lee. He just keeps coming. Drawing the one was tough. He’s the first horse in 20 years to run in the top three from the one hole. A lot of credit goes to Corey (Lanerie) for navigating a very good course from there. To me, the Kentucky Derby, everything about it is a thrill. I’m just proud of the effort of Lookin at Lee and the whole team. Hats off to the winner. He ran an incredible race.
To put the way Always Dreaming demoralized his foes into perspective, just examine what happened to the other horses that ran with him early in the Kentucky Derby. Always Dreaming was second early in the race. The early leader, third horse, fourth horse, fifth horse and sixth horse finished 19th, 3rd, 10th, 17th and 18th respectively. All of those runners paid the price for chasing Always Dreaming early and it makes the winner’s effort so much more creditable.
As for the other horses that Always Dreaming demoralized, Classic Empire seems to be one that can move forward. He is trained by Mark Casse and the conditioner was not thrilled with the trip his runner experienced, Casse: “We got wiped out at the start. That’s the problem with the auxiliary gate. McCraken came and nearly knocked us. Classic Empire really got clobbered. The track is impossible. Our horse ran extremely well, considering.”
Considering the way Classic Empire’s spring went, his Derby effort is very, very good. His preparation was so compromised by a foot abscess and his mental attitude needed an adjustment. He has every right to move forward in a big way if his connections decide to go to the Preakness Stakes.
What is next for Always Dreaming? Well, the runner will ship to Pimlico soon for the Preakness. Traditionally, Pletcher usually arrives fashionably late for the Preakness but he has decided to go early because his star tends to get wound up. The concern, as always, will be bringing a horse back in two weeks after such an important race. Pletcher is usually not one to race his horses back in a hurry.
In the last 5 years when Pletcher has brought horses back to race from 8 to 30 days, he has hit at 24%. When he brings horses back in 8 to 30 days in a Grade 1 stakes in the last 5 years, he has only popped at 14%. When Pletcher has brought horses back between 12 and 15 days in the last 5 years in a dirt route, he has won 3 of 23 or 13%.
