Golden Missile wins as Desormeaux returns

JOCKEY Kent Desormeaux left Maryland to ride stakes horses on a national level and to compete on the tough Southern California circuit. Winning three Eclipse Awards (1987, '89, '92) and setting a world record for most victories in a single year (1989), with the promise of a lifetime of dominating the Maryland circuit, were no longer enough for him.

Pimlico Special H. (G1)
Pimlico, May 13, $750,000, 13/16 miles, fast, 1:54.65
1—GOLDEN MISSILE, h. 5, A.P. Indy—Santa Catalina, by Cure the Blues.
2—Pleasant Breeze, h. 5, Pleasant Tap—Sleepy Time, by Turkoman.
3—Lemon Drop Kid, c. 4, Kingmambo—Charming Lassie, by Seattle Slew.

Desormeaux resented outsiders coming into the state and winning the Pimlico Special Handicap (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) when he could barely gain a longshot mount in those races.

So it was doubly sweet when Desormeaux silenced a few post parade hecklers along the Pimlico Race Course rail and took Pimlico's second-biggest annual race. Indeed, Desormeaux could have waved to the dissenting railbirds over the final sixteenth mile as Stronach Stable's Golden Missile rocketed past four rivals at the top of the stretch to win the $750,000 Pimlico Special on May 13.

"To come here and win all these (overnight) races and never be able to win the signature races at Old Hilltop and Maryland gives you a desire to test your pride. Can I fit in?" said Desormeaux of his decision to leave Maryland in 1991. "It makes you feel good inside (to win) because the fortunate part is being able to come back and solidify that they gave the opportunity to some little kid who would use it to move forward in his career and life. I owe Maryland a deep debt of gratitude for giving me those credentials."

The 35th Special has become the overlooked jewel in the spring schedule for older horses. Won by nine Racing Hall of Fame members and 13 Horses of the Year, from War Admiral (1937) to Skip Away (1998), the Special again drew a deep and competitive field that left handicappers scrambling. K One King was made the 1.90-to-1 favorite by bettors in the field of eight. Still, only 8,191 watched the race on track.

"It's one of the great ironies of the racing calendar," said Maryland Jockey Club President Joe De Francis. "The reason we have such a great field each year is because of the timing. But that's also the same reason nobody pays attention to it. If we move the race, people will pay attention to it, but we won't get the fields we're getting."

In the wake of his victory, Golden Missile left the older horse division wide open. Golden Missile's victory tied him with General Challenge atop the NTRA Champions on Fox series with 16 points.

"I don't think there's one standout," said Golden Missile's trainer, Joe Orseno. "Even General Challenge is beatable. I think the older horses will weed themselves out. My horse will have to repeat this before anybody respects him. It may just be a fluke. I don't think so, because he's been trying every time."

Orseno thought Golden Missile would end a four-race losing streak in the New Orleans Handicap (G3) at Fair Grounds on March 5, but the five-year-old suffered a stone bruise during a fifth-place finish. Orseno rested Golden Missile briefly, and the horse came back to finish second in the Westchester Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct on April 8.

Orseno was always targeting Golden Missile for the Special and even changed jockeys after talking to owner Frank Stronach. Desormeaux had been up on Golden Missile for his third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on November 6 at Gulfstream Park, and Stronach felt Desormeaux was the best fit.

Crucial start

Certainly, Desormeaux delivered a standout performance even before the start. He refocused Golden Missile after a false start that included Cat Thief in the adjoining gate.

"He was full of fire," Desormeaux said of Golden Missile. "I thought my chances dwindled a little at the start. Somebody made a little noise in the gate, and he broke like it was time to go. Usually when horses false break, it's an indication that things are going to be difficult for the rest of the race, but it didn't deter anything."

Cat Thief did not fare as well, however, suffering a bloody mouth and two loose teeth. Though Cat Thief led the race until the stretch, trainer D. Wayne Lukas felt the gate mishap compromised his chances.

The Special quickly turned into a rider's race. The field was only two lengths apart entering the first turn despite a :23.57 opening quarter. Cat Thief, Golden Missile, and K One King were only heads apart while expected front-runner K One King lagged inside with the second tier. Jockey Mike Smith blamed himself for K One King's loss by not taking the early lead.

"The game plan was to sit back off [the lead]. He's been running very well that way," Smith said. "He really wanted to go to the lead. I should have just let him go on. Instead, I got him back in a pocket with a whole lot of horse and nowhere to go."

It was not until the field entered the stretch—with the opening six furlongs in 1:11.23 and the mile in 1:36.21—before the pack began to unravel. Cat Thief was tiring near the rail and Pleasant Breeze and K One King were stuck behind him. Desormeaux noticed late runners fared well on the outside during earlier races and took Golden Missile five wide. The move proved to be the difference as Golden Missile gained a clear path and quickly separated himself from the field inside the eighth pole. Golden Missile completed the 13/16 miles in 1:54.65 on a fast track, with Pleasant Breeze two lengths back in second, a nose in front of Lemon Drop Kid.

"When I had the need of a faster foot at the eighth pole, he just exploded," Desormeaux said. "He was very attentive to my needs all the way around the track."

The five-year-old son of A.P. Indy has a record of 6-6-3 in 19 career starts and earnings of $1,514,810. Orseno plans to point Golden Missile for the Whitney Handicap (G1) on August 6 at Saratoga Race Course but would not dismiss running the colt in either the Massachusetts Handicap (G2) on June 3 at Suffolk Downs, the Stephen Foster Handicap (G2) on June 17 at Churchill Downs, or the Suburban Handicap (G2) on July 4 at Belmont Park.

"This horse has always shown me he has the talent," Orseno said. "He's always been right there. This horse has tried so many times, but some other horse runs the race of his life."

Meanwhile, Desormeaux and Orseno part ways in the May 20 Preakness. Desormeaux will be seeking his second Preakness in three years aboard Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Fusaichi Pegasus, while Orseno will saddle likely second choice Red Bullet. Desormeaux laughed over the quick switch of loyalty following his first Special victory, but he knows most of his faithful following will back him again. Maybe even the hecklers.

"Just as much as there's the love, there is always one that gives you the biggest boo in the world and tells you to go back to California," Desormeaux said. "Those are the ones that give you the little bit of drive to work a little harder. So, thanks for the hecklers."