Recapturetheglory, a late nominee to the Triple Crown at a cost of $6,000 a few days prior to the Illinois Derby (G2), justified the faith of his owners with a wire-to-wire victory, pulling away late in the 1 1/8-mile contest for a four length victory and punching his ticket to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).
Trained by Louie Roussel III and owned by Ronald Lemarque and Roussel, Recapturetheglory is named in honor of, or with the hope, of emulating the glorious campaign of their 1988 Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner, Risen Star.
“Louis Roussel named this wonderful racehorse Recapturetheglory because the Kentucky Derby got away from us,” Lemarque said.
On a day where the racetrack seemed to favor speed, Recapturetheglory, under perfect guidance by jockey E.T. Baird, found the front from their inside position, turned back a challenge from Golden Spikes down the backstretch and drew off with authority to seal the upset. The final time for the one mile and one-eighth race for three-year-olds was 1:49.01.
"He broke great and he reeled back in really professional," Baird said. "He just rated real kind and when I called on him, he just gave me what he had."
Recapturetheglory was the only entrant in the Illinois Derby to have never won two lifetime races, but Baird pointed out that it wasn’t as if he’d been facing lesser competition.
"He ran second to Cool Cold Man who won the Fountain of Youth [Stakes (G2)]," Baird continued. "Regardless of what kind of condition that was, I think these three-year-olds are pretty much in the same boat right now."
Recapturetheglory earned $300,000 for the win, establishing enough graded earnings to beg the question: Is the next logical step the the first Saturday in May?
"I told Louie [Roussel] to pack his bags," Lemarque said. "We’re going to the Kentucky Derby."
April 25 - Five furlongs breezing in 1:01.20 at Churchill Downs track fast. Ninth best of 27 workouts at the distance.
April 17 - Five furlongs breezing in 1:01.00 at Churchill Downs, track fast. Fifth best of 16 workouts at the distance.
Trainer and co-owner Louie Roussel III on the Kentucky Derby (G1):
"It's a very tough race to win. You have to have your horse at a peak--not two days before the race, but on the first Saturday in May. He's got to be able to run his best race, and you've got to bring a horse here that is coming off of these other races and hope that he can improve. Because if he's coming off of these prep races, even though you're winning and you're running good, if he cannot improve for that first Saturday in May it's no good."