LEXINGTON, Ky. — Trainer Tom Albertrani asked owner Charlotte Weber to write a $600 check last winter to nominate Brilliant Speed to the Triple Crown.
Four months ago, it hardly looked like money well spent. Brilliant Speed spent the winter running on the turf, and Albertrani admits it looked like his 3-year-old colt had “found his calling” after finishing second on the grass at Gulfstream Park in January.
Weber started teasing Albertrani, asking him “why did we nominate him for the Triple Crown then? Why did we spend $600?”
Albertrani quieted his boss by telling her maybe they could find a way to the Kentucky Derby through Saturday’s $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
“I told her before the race I’m not going to let that $600 go to waste for you,” Albertrani said.
Brilliant Speed backed up Albertrani’s faith with a perfectly timed surge, roaring from last to first in the stretch to edge Twinspired by a nose and punch his ticket to next month’s Run for the Roses.
The $450,000 payday gives Brilliant Speed more than enough graded-stakes earnings to run in the Derby on May 7.
“You might as well take your chances,” Albertrani said after the 1 1/8-mile race. “It’s wide open, why not?”
The Derby seemed like a distant dream as Brilliant Speed loped down the backstretch well behind the rest of the 12-horse field. Albertrani thought his colt looked sluggish and uncomfortable in his first start on a synthetic surface.
But when jockey Joel Rosario asked him to go, Brilliant Speed took off. Rosario moved him to the outside at the turn to give him some running room, and Brilliant Speed wasted little time chasing down the field with massive strides.
Archarcharch wins Arkansas Derby
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Archarcharch stormed home to win the $1 million Arkansas Derby.
The 25-1 colt trailed with a second group for much of the race before charging hard on the last portion of the 1 1/8-mile race. He overpowered Dance City and Sway Away on the home stretch and held off a late charge by Nehro to earn the win.
Heavy pre-race favorite The Factor entered with three wire-to-wire wins but fell behind the early pace of J P’s Gusto and Dance City and finished seventh.
