The 144th running of the Kentucky Derby is just around the corner and, in case you’re not aware, there is some Canadian flavour in this year’s Run for the Roses.
None of the horses that will run the first Saturday in May call Canada home (most are from the USA). And the majority of the trainers and jockeys hail from the North and South America or Europe. However, this year, one breeder hailing from British Columbia is in charge of a small farm in Kentucky that has bred two horses that will compete for one of the highest profile thoroughbred events in the world.
John Gunther is the owner of Glenwood Farm, located in rural Kentucky approximately 100 kilometres from Louisville. While his daughter Tanya handles day-to-day operations of the 350-acre farm, John keeps very close tabs on things from his home in Langley, B.C. While Glenwood is relatively small compared to most farms that raise championship horses, there are plenty of reasons why Gunther is dreaming big this spring. Two horses he has bred, Justify and Vino Rosso, are expected to be in contention to find the winner’s circle.
"This could be the most exciting Kentucky Derby I’ve ever been involved in," said Gunther from his home about 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver. "To have two horses that we’ve bred win two major Kentucky Derby preps (Santa Anita Derby & Wood Memorial), I think it’s just unbelievable. To actually be the breeder of two horses that will make the starting gate in the Kentucky Derby … it will be unreal."
Not all horse breeders own their horses. Many, like Gunther, sell their horses soon after they show signs of having a future on the track. Gunther says it’s one thing to own or train multiple horses in the Derby, but having two of your own-bred horses running in the same Triple Crown event is at a completely different level.
"I’ve had two home-bred that I’ve kept that ran in the Kentucky Derby (Eye of the Tiger finishing fifth in 2003 and Kimberlite Pipe finishing sixth in 1999). This Derby coming up, being the breeder for Justify and Vino Rosso, I think will be just as special as owning a couple horses in the Derby."
Justify enters the first stage of the Triple Crown as one of the heavy favourites for Churchill Downs. The three-year-old has been under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and has only gotten better each time out. He has won all three races he’s started, including the Santa Anita Derby on April 7, when he outclassed fellow Triple Crown threat Bolt D’Oro down the stretch.
"He does everything so easily," adds Gunther. "When Bolt D’Oro came up to him, he just found another gear and still won by 3 ½ lengths. They’ve actually measured the stride on Justify and compared him to Secretariat’s stride. Justify might have just a bit longer stride than even Secretariat himself."
The path Vino Rosso has taken to the Derby has been a bit different than what Justify has experienced. Trained by former Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher, Vino Rosso is co-owned by Vincent Viola, owner of the Florida Panthers. The fellow three-year-old is fresh off a win in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York on April 14. That victory came after finishing third and fourth in a pair of stakes races in Tampa Bay behind winners who are heading to Kentucky.
"I was pretty confident he’d run well in the Wood Memorial," adds Gunther. "Down the stretch he was in a bumping match with Enticed, but he still ended up drawing away and won by 3 ½ lengths. As far as the Derby is concerned, this horse is bred to go that extra distance. That extra eighth of a mile, I think, will be a big advantage for him."
When asked what it will be like to see two of his horses on the biggest horse racing stage in North America on May 5, the proud Canadian could only keep his fingers crossed that things work out for the best.
"It would be something you would remember forever. It would be a major event not only for myself but for everybody at Glenwood Farm, and especially for my daughter Tanya. As of now, Justify is the morning line favourite. One of the top handicappers, Steve Haskin, has Vino Rosso as his No. 1 pick. What I call it is a "Glenwood Farm Exacta", hoping they’ll run 1-2."