In the run up to the 2015 Kentucky Derby, the Thorobros took a good hard look at the past 20 years of Derbies 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 Derbies 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.
Number 12: Charismatic (1999)
Charismatic was a great, and ultimately heartbreaking, story. But he also was a story of redemption, overcoming adversity to win the Kentucky Derby in the first place, and then overcoming even greater adversity just to survive a fractured leg suffered in the Belmont Stakes to make it to the breeding shed. While Charismatic may not be the best horse to ever win the Kentucky Derby – in fact, he may not even be close – its hard to imagine a better story
Prelude
Charismatic was owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis – among the bluest of racing’s blue bloods. But anybody with a spare $62,500 could have owned him in February of ’99, just three months before he won the Kentucky Derby. Charismatic’s record coming into Churchill Downs was 14 starts, with just 3 wins, 2 seconds and 3 third place finishes. He had run for in two different claiming races – once to break his maiden, and a second time in the aforementioned February ’99 claiming contest at Santa Anita. That February claiming race kick-started something for Charismatic, though, as he followed that with three consecutive 90+ Beyer speed figures, including a second place finish in the El Camino Real Derby and a fourth in the Santa Anita Derby. Sensing that Charismatic was getting better as he continued to race, his legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas fired him right back in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. With Jerry Bailey aboard for the first time, Charismatic exploded, running a 108 Beyer speed figure and taking down his first graded stakes victory at 12-1. Lukas may not have known it at the time, but he had found his next Derby winner.
Unfortunately, he would have to find a new Derby rider, as Bailey was already committed to riding Worldly Manner, the winner of the Del Mar Futurity and Best Pal stakes as a two-year old. This is where we welcome Chris Antley to the story – and the Ant-man came through big time.
The Race
Charismatic was 31-1 when the gates opened in the ’99 Derby. While that year’s race did not have any clear cut favorite (the post time chalk was the entry of Excellent Meeting and General Challenge), there were some real big time horses in the race: Menifee, Cat Thief, Lemon Drop Kid and Stephen Got Even, to name a few. In fact, Charismatic was the third longest shot on the board, with only Answer Lively and First American at longer odds. Charismatic and Chris Antley, however, ran a magnificent race – even overcoming getting shuffled back around the first turn to get first run down the lane and then hold off the hard charging Menifee at the wire.
When you watch this race a few times, perhaps the most notable thing about the stretch drive is Menifee. Menifee is absolutely FLYING down the lane, and ends up losing to Charismatic by a rapidly diminishing neck. D. Wayne Lukas is known for telling his Derby jockeys to make their move when they see the “track kitchen,” which is off the far turn. Lukas believes that this will allow his horses the best chance at getting first run and then squirting clear for the stretch drive. This race is a good example of that philosophy coming to fruition. Charismatic got first run, got clear, and there simply was not enough time for Menifee and Pat Day (perhaps living up to his reputation as sometimes patient to a fault) to get up. While he may have been saved by the wire, Charismatic’s performance in the Kentucky Derby was sublime – he was not going to be denied down the lane, passing horses down the middle of the track the others – except for the hard charging Menifee – were no match. Charismatic matched his 108 Beyer speed figure from the Lexington Stakes, which was 13 points higher than his previous top. Charismatic had pulled off the upset and run the race of his life – but could he do it again?
Aftermath
As the Triple Crown trail moved to Baltimore, the public decided that Charismatic’s victory was a nice story, but a fluke. He was sent post-ward in the Preakness at 8-1, with Menifee as the 2-1 chalk. Charismatic, the Derby winner, was the fifth choice in the wagering, also behind Cat Thief, Worldly Manner and Excellent Meeting. Worldly Manner and Excellent Meeting would finish second to last and last, respectively. Charismatic, of course, would win – once again besting Menifee and moving to New York City with a chance to capture the Triple Crown. And that is where Charismatic’s journey took a tragic turn. He led the Belmont Stakes as the horses reached the final furlong – one eighth of a mile to immortality. But Charismatic took a bad step and, though he still finished third behind Lemon Drop Kid and Vision and Verse, he had broken his leg in two places. Chris Antley pulled him up just past the wire, cradling his broken leg. Antley’s actions are widely credited with saving Charismatic’s life and allowing him to pursue a career in the breeding shed. But that was the last we would see of Charismatic on the track.
