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Persevere Does That Best to Win Louisville Derby
Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 13 years 0 weeks agoHe spent most of the race waiting patiently in the wings, but when it counted, Persevere took center stage making a brilliant move in the stretch to win the $2 million Grade I Louisville Derby by ¾ of a length over California Saint. The bay colt with the star who was diminutive in stature but not in heart galloped the 1 ¼ mile distance in a spirited 1:59.48 on the famed dirt oval at Louisville Downs.
An older black horse stood in his pasture hundreds of miles away, his mane rippling in the breeze as he grazed in between breeding appointments. Some say that East stuck his head up and whinnied at the moment that two of his offspring including the winner hit the board at the finish line of one of the sport’s most important classic races.
His son, Persevere was bred and owned by Jon Xett who introduced his dark bay mare, Prevail (a daughter of Sunday Silence) to the sterling stallion and the crossing of the two familial lines looked very promising on paper. But in reality, it’s impossible to predict how the offspring of two well bred parents will turn out on the racetrack, though Xett started the bay colt off with a perfect name. For in one simple word, it described the trait shown best by Prevail in her final moments of life while birthing her last foal before she expired soon after of complications.
Prevail had been an impressive racer in her own light, winning nine out of 10 starts during her career and many of them came in stakes races. Her only blemish to her record came in her final race, the Steward’s Cup Distaff where she finished in third place less than a length behind the winner. She had many foals during her life as a broodmare, including the great American Champion Three Year Old Colt Boise (by Loki Dynasty) who’s making a name for himself at stud. His son Gift of the Sun is gearing up for the Baltimore Crown. An earlier son, Anvil had been a nemesis of East’s.
Prevail’s son Triunfo by Giacomo finished third in the Desert Mile on the same day that her final son won his biggest race.
East (who’s by Fighter Jet) had a successful career as a racehorse as one of the sterling offspring of one of the top broodmares in the sport, Baby. He won eight out of 15 races including some top stake races including the Suburbia Handicap, Jet-Ski Handicap and Queen’s Derby. In his own bid for the roses in the Louisville Derby, he fell short, finishing second behind the brilliant Awake As I Am who went on to win the American Triple Crown. East would finish third behind that champion in the Baltimore Crown.
After his racing career was done, East went to stud where both he and his rival made their marks fairly quickly in siring dirt routers who loved the classic distances. The offspring of East did very well in the Louisville double with Triumph finishing third and the brilliant Sparkle Factor, an $18.5 million purchase winning the Louisville Oaks with considerable authority. Another son of his, North, who’s a half-brother to Edict is entered in the Baltimore Crown which is already attracting a field of top entries.
Persevere didn’t go into the big race as one of the most oft-mentioned favorites but he brought a stellar record of five wins in six lifetime starts including two sensational wins in the Loki Masterpiece Stakes and the Southern California Derby. His jockey Carlos Gonzales lined him up patiently in the starting gate as the 20 horse field loaded into place.
When the gates opened and the crowd of over 200,000 people packing the track, Axel , Battlehorse and Echelon sprang to the lead, keeping closely together as they sped to the first turn. Persevere hung tightly to 11th place patiently waiting until it would be time to launch his bid in the crowded field. As the horses moved into the backstretch, Axel and Battlehorse continued to battle for the lead with Echelon just behind and a gap of nearly five lengths to the next closest contenders. Persevere continued to remain chilly in 12th place as the horses approached the far turn. While running through that wide sweeping turn, Axel and Battlehorse began to feel both California Saint and Triumph breathing down their necks with Persevere moving up through the field into the seventh spot, still awaiting the signal from Gonzales to launch his closing kick.
The generous length of stretch at Louisville Downs is kind to those horses who close quickly as the distance to the finish line diminishes with each ground-swallowing stride and Persevere found that to be the case as well as he passed horses mightily in the stretch and won going away. California Saint couldn’t match the strides of the determined winner but finished a strong second by a ¼ length over Triumph who took the third spot by a length over the fast closing filly, Whitney.
Persevere trotted over to the winner’s circle where he was awarded the wreath of roses worn by only a select few competitors before being shipped to some well deserved rest and recreation at the beautiful digs at A Wheely Merry Farm in Maryland. Heading off to the same state where the second jewel of the famed triple, the Baltimore Crown takes place.
After having clearly stamped himself a contender for the Triple Crown, Persevere showed his ability to do just that while his sire East rests easier at night, assured that one of his offspring has now won the famed jewel that had eluded him.