A Storm Blew Away the Derby Field

It was decided last night who would lead the charge into this year’s Triple Crown fever – and it turned out that it was neither of the two millionaires that showed up on top.

Maelstrom, a Kentucky home bred with a beautiful copper coat, surged up when the gates opened and drew away in the stretch to win the Derby by 3 ½ lengths in a speedy run on 1:58.90. Sport of Queens was far from being showed – up, closing very gamely in the stretch to try and catch the son of Sun Raider before he could get to the wire. She had held her spot in third before charging after the big chestnut colt who started his run right before the top of the stretch but wasn’t quite able to reach him in time.

Maelstrom had the first jump on the filly and held her off. Sport of Queens put a distance of 2 ½ lengths between her and the third place finisher Open At The Close, the winner of the Kentucky Blue Stakes. Institutionalized, the colt who presented one of the greatest challenges for any of the runner in the Derby field, lagged the field in eighteenth position early on and tried to make a late run, finishing an uncharacteristic and stunning thirteenth. Whether it was the distance, the track, or the field that got the better of the three year-old son of Awake As I Am, he may or may not have shown what he was made of yesterday.

There were twenty chances to win the Louisville Derby yesterday and Maelstrom seemed to get the best of the field. Only he can win the Triple Crown now, and we all hope to see a similar performance out of him in his next race. Beating the top filly AND the top colt in one go seemed to be an impossible feat and he may get another chance to do it. Whether or not he can keep that speeding train of his on track remains to be seen, but now he’s the only horse with a chance to take the prize. It’s this writer’s own opinion that says so long as he gets the right trip the copper penny may just be able to pull off another win.

The biggest question mark for his future will be another meeting with the filly Sport of Queens who finished a game second in the Derby. Any cut back from the Derby distance may give her an advantage over her rival that may put a stop to his run for immortality.

With only one defeat in six starts, Maelstrom may now take the title as the top contender of three year-old colts on dirt before he makes his way to his next race. Maelstrom now has total career earnings of $1.3 million with Sport of Queens holding $1.6 million and Institutionalized toting $1.2 million.

Whoever goes on to the next leg of the Triple Crown, you can bet that it’ll be a race to see.

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