Big Truck Pulls Big Upset in Tampa; War Pass Imperfect.

Anyone daring enough to have been holding a win ticket on Big Truck for the Tampa Bay Derby probably made a decent chunk of change this afternoon. Big Truck (top right) went off as the 7-1 second choice behind champion War Pass (top left) at 1-9 (which was an exceptional 1-20 when the race finally started). As the field of seven walked over from the stable area, the crowd looked each one over carefully, and it was clear who they thought was the best—War Pass was applauded as he walked by the stands. And why not? The undefeated Breeder’s Cup Juvenile winner looked good. The sun glistened off his perfectly shiny coat as he walked by, the last in the field of seven. Last year’s Eclipse Award two year old champion deserves every ounce of credit he has gotten thus far. I had gone to the track for this race thinking that War Pass was the only horse in the field that even mattered. As they walked by me in my spot on the rail (I had to fight through a large crowd of people who’d had a bit much to drink to get there), I picked Atoned for the place, and Big Truck for the show. War Pass, of course was going to win. They say the overconfident can be humbled very quickly and unexpectedly. I wonder now if that is true even of innocent spectators. War Pass is one of the best three year olds in the country, and he may have been the best today, but the colt was clearly not himself. Big Truck got decent support after his runner up performance in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, and Atoned also looked very good, and went off as the third choice at 9-1.

Champion War Pass did not break sharply and never hit the lead. In fact, he was shut out, stuck behind horses early—something he had never experienced before. He appeared to be in good position around the backstretch, but never made a move and faded to be a shocking and disappointing dead last. Atoned carried the lead at the top of the stretch and looked free and clear, but Big Truck rallied fast and hard to best Todd Pletcher’s trainee by a neck at the wire. Take nothing away from Atoned, however. He ran very strongly and gamely in his three year old debut, but couldn’t quite hold off Big Truck, who was second to Fierce Wind in the Sam F. Davis Stakes, also at Tampa Bay Downs. As for War Pass, I don’t think this loss means much for him in the long haul. It’s always disappointing when an undefeated horse with that much talent suddenly becomes imperfect. But War Pass will get another crack at it in the Wood Memorial, provided that his training goes well between now and then. But he’s either going to have to get the lead on Derby day, or learn how to deal with being behind other horses, or he will not win.