In the run up to the 2015 Kentucky Derby, the Thorobros took a good hard look at the past 20 years of Derbys and tried to rank the top twelve. We were able to arrive at this highly scientific ranking through a complicated logarithm that generated a foolproof list of the best Kentucky Derbys of the past two decades. This year’s renewal of America’s most famous horse race looks to be particularly strong – perhaps we will have a new addition to these rankings come May 2, 2015.
Six minutes.
Over 360 seconds.
That’s how long the viewing public waited after the conclusion of the race until they finally learned who won the 1996 Kentucky Derby. Was it Cavonnier clinging to the lead on the inside, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Chris McCarron? Or was the winner Grindstone, flying on the outside, trained by D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by Jerry Bailey. The two had crossed the wire in seeming harmony. And for six minutes, no one knew who won.
You can see Baffert mouth “we got it.” Lukas seems to say “Boy, I don’t know, but I think we got it.” McCarron told the outrider it was his. Tom Hammond thought Cavonnier had won as well. It was high drama, on the highest stage, with some of racing’s all time legends as the cast. The wait was so long, that ABC had to go to commercial (which featured a great ad for “White Men Can’t Jump,” by the way). When the broadcast returned, Grindstone had been declared the winner by the slimmest of margins.
It is this drama that led this voter to place the 1996 Derby number 1 on his ballot as the best Kentucky Derby of the past 20 years.
Prelude
The 1996 Derby featured a star studded field. The favorite was two year old Champion Unbridled Song who won the 1995 Breeder’s Cup Juvenile in dominating fashion. Piloted by Mike Smith, Unbridled Song showed no signs of slowing down in the Spring of 1996. After being upset by 133-1 long shot Built for Pleasure in the Fountain of Youth, Song won the Florida Derby and the Wood Memorial. However, in the Wood, he suffered a quarter crack which forced him to wear bar shoes in the Kentucky Derby.
Also in the field were future Preakness winner Louis Quatorze and Belmont winner Editor’s Note, successful runner and sire Honour and Glory, and a future hall of famer and Breeder’s Cup Classic winner, Skip Away.
Grindstone was a lightly raced colt for William T. Young and Overbrook Farms entering the Kentucky Derby. He had won the Louisiana Derby and was second in the Arkansas Derby and thus had some betting support on the first Saturday in May. However, even his Hall of Fame rider was not overly optimistic–”My horse is going to need a perfect trip” Bailey said before the race. More on that trip later.
Cavonnier, the California bred gelding, by contrast, was heavily raced at two and three. He was coming off a win in the Santa Anita Derby and had the support of my two dollar across the board bet (high stakes for a 13 year old).
The Race
In addition to the quarter crack and bar shoes, Unbridled’s Song also had to navigate breaking from the outside post. Fear of being swept wide around the first turn likely caused jockey Mike Smith to forwardly place the juvenile champ. Honour and Glory–a horse who had success at shorter distances such as the King’s Bishop–sprinted to the lead and set hot fractions including a 46 second half mile. Perhaps trying to steal the race sensing a tiring speed horse unlikely to get the distance, Smith moved on Song half way down the back stretch. He opened up by three lengths as they rounded the final turn. However, around that turn, Unbridled Song went extremely wide. As he neared the 1/8th pole, the favorite had nothing left and Cavonnier had assumed the lead.
At this point, there was still no mention of Grindstone, who was 15th at the first call. However, at the start of far turn, Bailey began asking Grindstone for his run. Starting up the rail Bailey began to weave his way through horses before angling out Grindstone as they rounded into the final stretch. Even at the 1/16th pole, however, it didn’t look like Grindstone would get there. But Bailey kept asking, and asking. And Grindstone responded, gobbling up Cavonnier’s lead with every stride. Cavonnier and McCarron begged for the wire to arrive and Bailey and Grindstone hoped for one final jump. They crossed the wire in unison as America held its collective breath…. And then continued to hold its breath…. And continued.
Until six suspenseful minutes later when the photo finally revealed that Grindstone had won by a nose (just thought of this, but “Nose to the Grindstone” would have made for a great Sunday morning headline). It was the only split second during the race that Grindstone had led, but it was the only second that mattered.
Full Broadcast of 1996 Kentucky Derby
Post Race
Unfortunately, just five days after the Kentucky Derby, it was discovered that Grindstone had knee chips and he was being retired. Cavonnier only raced two more times with little success. Unbridled’s Song returned as a four year old but was never the same. Of course, not all success for this Derby class ended in May of 1996, as Skip Away went on to a Hall of Fame career.
Grindstone stands stud in Oregon, the only Kentucky Derby champ in the Northwest. Grindstone is the sire of Belmont and Travers winner Birdstone, and thus the grandsire of Mine That Bird and Summer Bird. However, overall, many have considered his stud career to be below expectations.
Grindstone’s early injury and unremarkable career at stud may be contributing factors to the 1996 Kentucky Derby often being overlooked when pundits discuss the greatest Derbies of all time. If you are in that camp, I would urge you to watch the replay above. I have linked to the full broadcast for full effect. The race begins at minute mark 48:33 and ends at 50:36. At that point, watch and wait. And wait some more.
