Columnist Ralph Siraco: Victorious Antley is no stranger to rough rides

Ralph Siraco

Monday, May 3, 1999 | 2 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday, and his Southern California selections run Tuesday through Friday. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View, Las Vegas, NV 89103.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The last Kentucky Derby of this century will go down in history as a Derby of almost records, heartwarming comebacks and a good old Kentucky re-creation of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

At the end it was a Charismatic climax for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, jockey Chris Antley and owners Bob and Beverly Lewis.

Leading up to Saturday's classic, trainer Bob Baffert had a trio of Derby starters in a quest for a record third consecutive blanket of roses. Carl Nafzger was looking to keep his Derby record perfect with his second victory of the nineties. And Nick Zito saddled a pair trying for his third Derby win of the decade.

But it was Lukas who got his fourth Derby victory in the last 11 runnings -- and insured that outcome with a third-place finisher as well.

An almost record attendance of 151,051 -- second largest in history behind the 163,628 for the 100th running in 1974 -- jammed historic Churchill Downs to witness and wager on the 125th Kentucky Derby. Finding a favorite for the race was as difficult as getting 7 p.m. dinner reservations at a local restaurant on Derby Eve.

So, when the Bob Baffert-trained entry of General Challenge and Excellent Meeting became the crowd's choice just four minutes to post time, it also set a record as the highest-priced favorite in Derby history at $4.80-to-a-dollar. They became the 21st straight favorites to go down in the Derby.

When the starting gate flew open to dispatch the 19-horse field, a bluegrass stampede began and it didn't take but a few strides from the barrier before this Derby was looking suspiciously like a rodeo.

Three Ring, one of two fillies in the race, was expected to go for the lead from her inside post, but when the saddle slipped and settled over her neck the game plan for jockey John Velazquez changed to survival rather than pace-setter. "I was like riding on her head," Velazquez said.

Without Three Ring to set the tempo, jockey Willie Martinez sent Valhol, the buzzer-beaten Arkansas Derby winner, to a tepid lead. From there everybody else seemed content to pack up behind him. After a half-mile in the 1 1/4- mile journey just 11 lengths separated Valhol from the trailing K One King. A spot on the impeccably maintained tan Louisville strip became as precious as Rodeo Drive real estate.

It was no wonder there was as much bumper-tapping in the race as in the Daytona 500. By the time the horses made it to the top of the long homestretch that spans the famed twin spires, eventual winner Charismatic had taken the lead with a posse of challengers spread as wide as a cavalry charge in a John Wayne western in pursuit.

Jockey Chris Antley was riding as though his life depended on it -- certainly his riding career did -- and trainer D. Wayne Lukas had Marty Feldman eyes as he watched his "other" horse, Cat Thief, relinquish the lead to the Lewis' color-bearer.

Before Team Lukas could celebrate the return to the Triple Crown limelight, a menacing Menifee began bearing down on the parade. Antley, in his exuberance, had raised his finger in a "No. 1" gesture when they put away Cat Thief, but came close to adding another finger to the total before officially winning by a dwindling neck. Menifee gave trainer Elliott Walden (Victory Gallop) deja vu, as he finished a fast-closing runner-up for the second straight year.

The time of 2:03:1 for Charismatic on a fast track was the slowest since Go For Gin stopped the clock in 2:03:3 on a muddy track in 1994, but it was good enough to earn the winner's share of $886,200 from a record purse of $1,186,000 while returning the third highest win payoff -- $64.60 -- in Derby history.

Lukas, who has had a least one Derby starter every year since 1981, garnered his fourth Derby to tie H.J. "Dick" Thompson for the second most Derby wins in history.

The recent Hall of Fame inductee has won his four Derbies from as diverse ends of the spectrum as a trainer can: in 1988 with the filly Winning Colors, in 1995 with Thunder Gulch who was a late private purchase, and in 1996 with the homebred Grindstone.

Charismatic raced for a claiming tag of $62,500 as late as February 11 and needed a disqualification to win that race after breaking his maiden for the same price tag in late November. Lukas admits that the chestnut son of Summer Squall (third in 1990 Kentucky Derby) had him baffled until the Lexington Stakes (the nation's final Derby prep) at Keeneland on April 18. Although Lukas acknowledged that Charismatic had him fooled, he also said that the horse was getting better every day leading up to the Derby.

For jockey Chris Antley, it was a full-circle redemption in a career that saw him win his first Derby in 1991 with Strike the Gold before sinking into retirement as late as February of this year.

Admitted personal and substance-abuse problems led to his exit from riding much of last year, and a bout with weight slowed his return to the saddle. But a refocused, mature Antley put in the work that brought him back to riding weight from a 147-pound frame.

Antley's famous 25-mile runs through his family's hometown of Columbia, South Carolina , prompted local residents to call him "Forrest Gump" as they rooted him back. An emotional 33-year-old Antley expressed gratitude as he told a full house of gathered press that this Derby was the greatest moment in his riding career.

The Lewises also took the time to thank and give praise to trainer Lukas and Bob Baffert -- with whom they won their first Derby with Silver Charm in 1997 -- as the two best trainers in the business.

But praise was not on the minds of most of the jockeys in this year's Derby.

Some of the riders thought it was the roughest race they have ever ridden. Robbie Davis (Ecton Park, 12th) said, "This was the worst race to ride in that I can recall."

Others concurred.

Kent Desormeaux (Excellent Meeting, fifth): "We had a horrible trip."

Alex Solis (K One King, eighth): "It was a tough race."

Pat Day (Menifee, second): "It never did spread out."

Corey Nakatani (Desert Hero, 13th): "I almost got dropped out there."

Gary Stevens (General Challenge, 11th): "This was the worst trip ever in horse racing."

Jorge Chavez (Adonis, 17th): "There was too much traffic, too many horses."

Jockey Shane Sellers was riding in his 10th Derby and finished a disappointing 18th with highly regarded Vicar after suffering other recent defeats with Skip Away in 1996 and Pulpit in 1997. He may have summed it up best when he said, "That's the Kentucky Derby, man."

It sure is.