All was positive at the barn of trainer Jinks Fires Sunday morning as the
Fires and assistant Pat Tanner reported the colt was in fine shape after
“He’s doing great,” Tanner said. “He’s like he was never in a horse race
For owner Bob Yagos, the euphoria had yet to wear off after watching his star
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“I sure feel like we were in a horse race yesterday,” said Yagos, an owner of a
salvage yard in Jacksonville, Arkansas. “I told everyone that if we keep up this
stress my hair is going to turn as white as Bob Baffert.”
The stress levels and excitement are sure to rise now that the team is moving on
to Kentucky, but Archarcharch looks to them like “the complete package” and his
upbringing on the Yagos’ farm will help in the circus-like atmosphere at
Churchill Downs.
“Just before we sent him to be broken, he lived with us on the farm, and that’s
right next to the salvage yard,” Yagos said. “He’s been used to forklifts and
trucks and equipment since he was a baby.
“And we are also right in the flight path for an Air Force base. We get those
big C-130s coming and going all the time. He’s sure going to be used to all the
noise.”
Fires’s phone has not stopped ringing since the victory — his first career
Grade 1 win.
“He’s great,” he said. “It’s been incredible. Everybody has called. It felt
like everyone in Arkansas was in the winner’s circle.”
For the second straight race, Zayat Stable’s Nehro had to settle for a runner-up
“Those are $800,000 worth of inches there,” said Darren Fleming, assistant to
Fleming reported Nehro was “great” Sunday morning and would fly to Kentucky
While the losses were costly for the up-and-coming Nehro, the fact that they
It was a big day for the Asmussen team on Saturday’s closing day card. They won
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Fleming personally owned 3RD race allowance winner Chef Eric (Eddington) and 12TH race runner-up General Partner
(Pulpit).
“It was a lot of fun,” Fleming said. “My horse lost the Trail’s End (final race
on the card), but finished second, and the Derby loss, it kind of makes
you a little disappointed, but everybody ran well and it looks like Nehro is
really set up now with the way he ran to peak at the right time.”
While Arkansas Derby winner Archarcharch and runner-up Nehro are guaranteed
Dance City, his stablemate BRETHREN (Distorted Humor), who finished 11th in the Arkansas Derby,
“With Sway Away and the Derby we are going to lay back and see where it goes,”
Bonde was also sending Smiling Tiger to Kentucky, but his main objective was
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The only other Arkansas Derby runners with enough earnings currently to make
the Kentucky Derby field are The Factor ($272,500) and the
Joe Petalino-trained J P’S GUSTO ($544,000), who finished seventh and eighth
respectively.
“We’ll see how he is,” said Baffert, who was very non-committal
about the Derby following the race. “Right now, I’m not even going to comment on
that. We’re just going to go back and lick our wounds.”
Plans for J P’s Gusto were not set as of Sunday morning. The horse was sent by
Gem Stables of Dr. John Waken to Petalino in February specifically for the
Arkansas Derby series. He had originally been based in Southern California with
trainer David Hofmans. Should the ridgling move farther east, the owners have
employed other trainers when racing in New York and Maryland.