Barbaro forces talk of a Crown

Kentucky Derby: Barbaro trainer Michael Matz remembers the day in 1973 he sat in the Belmont Park stands to watch Secretariat win the Triple Crown.

"The day before the race my friend and I were working with a horse, and we said, 'Let's just drive up'. So we hopped in the car. We had no seats, we had no nothing. We had a good time."

Thirty-three years later Matz is getting peppered with questions about the Triple Crown chances of Barbaro, a muscular dark bay by Dynaformer who is unbeaten in six career starts.

With the Preakness two weeks away, it is generally premature to discuss a colt's chances of a winning the coveted Triple Crown. But Barbaro's Kentucky Derby win on Saturday was so dominating it was hard to resist.

"You have to think that way," Matz said yesterday outside the Churchill Downs stables. "You have to have the Triple Crown in the back of your mind. We've got one down, two to go."

Barbaro assumed command at the quarter pole and drew away for a painless, 6½-length victory for jockey Edgar Prado in a crowded Derby field of 20.

Barbaro has won on the dirt, in the slop and even on turf.

Morning line favourite Brother Derek closed well to finish in a dead heat with Jazil for fourth, but ultimately breaking from the 18th post made it a difficult trip for jockey Alex Solis. When the pace slowed on the back-stretch, Brother Derek was forced wide and could not recover.

"He ran a big race, he never broke a sweat out of the paddock," said trainer Dan Hendricks. "He handled the crowd like a pro and handled the track. He did everything we asked of him. He just couldn't overcome all the adversity."

Brother Derek will be shipped to Pimlico for the Preakness where he will face Barbaro and Derby favourite Sweetnorthernsaint in what will probably be around an eight-horse field.

Sweetnorthernsaint was in third place in the Derby after a mile but wilted down the stretch and finished seventh.