Monday, May 9, 2005 | 8:59 a.m.
Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.
In the end, the 131st Kentucky Derby was a dream Derby. A dream come true. But not for those whose dream was taking anything that resembled reality on Saturday.
On a beautiful spring day in Kentucky, to a backdrop of a new $121 million racing emporium as tribute to the sport's most famous race, the Kentucky Derby was turned upside down and a horse named after the son of recording star Sting stung the racing world at Churchill Downs.
Giacomo, at 50-1 odds, based on winning only one career race before Saturday, stormed down the homestretch under the famed twin spires to score the second-biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history.
He outfinished a 71-1 outsider, Closing Argument, by just a half-length while a horse that figured in as a contender to win the Derby before the race, Afleet Alex, was the third horse in a chorus-line trio as they streaked under the wire.
The roar of a crowd rooting for its bobtail nag turned to a shell-shocked whisper of silence.
Disbelief? No.
Disappointment? Maybe.
After all, this was the Derby!
The realization of this Derby dream for trainer John Shirreffs -- who was making his Derby debut this year with Giacomo -- was a reality nightmare for trainer Nick Zito, who had five of the 20 horses in the Run for the Roses.
The Derby favorite, George Steinbrenner's Bellamy Road, who finished seventh, was Zito's ace and ultimately did beat his stablemates.
The other Zito trainees were Andromeda's Hero (eighth), High Fly (10th), Noble Causeway (14th) and Sun King (15th).
Although Zito had the quantity with the touted quality, other well-backed runners finished up the track as well.
Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Wilko checked in sixth, although it was discovered he bled in the race, and the $200,000 supplemental entry Greeley's Galaxy finished 11th.
The most disappointing efforts came from the Bobby Frankel trainee High Limit, who finished last, and trainer Todd Pletcher's Bandini, who finished 19th.
The other Pletcher pair -- Flower Alley and Coin Silver -- finished ninth and 12th, respectively.
This Derby dream was also about sweet revenge. Jockey Mike Smith, who rode his first Derby in 1984, has had his Derby frustrations. Two of disappointment were a runner-up effort on favorite Prairie Bayou in 1993 and a Derby disaster aboard favorite Holy Bull, who finished 12th in 1994.
So it was with great satisfaction that Smith got his first Derby win aboard a son of Holy Bull on his 12th Derby try.
Shirreffs led the sweep of the top three finishers for first-time Derby trainers. Kiaran McLaughlin with Closing Argument and Tim Ritchey with Afleet Alex were also Derby rookies.
This Derby was also a sweet dream for owners Jerry and Ann Moss. Jerry was founder of A&M Records with partner Herb Alpert, so it was no surprise to discover the recording mogul named his Derby winner after the 9-year-old son of recording artist Sting. Giacomo's mother, Set Them Free, was named for a hit song by his friend Sting as well.
Giacomo won $1,639,600 from the record $2 million-added Derby purse for his second career victory. It was all music to the ears of Moss, who turned 70 on Sunday.
This was also a dream Derby for those who cashed in at the betting windows. Leading the long-shot brigade in the Derby, Giacomo ignited a Derby bonanza of payoffs for the players. His $102.60 win price was the second-highest in Derby history, surpassed by Donerail's $184.90 upset in 1913. The $2 exacta of 10/18 paid $9,814.80. The $2 trifecta of 10/18/12 paid $133,134.80 and the $2 superfecta coupling Giacomo, Closing Argument, Alfeet Alex and fourth place finisher Don't Get Mad of 10/18/12/17 returned a life-changing payoff of $1,728,507.
All the exotic wagers from a record Kentucky Derby handle of $103,325,518 were IRS signers, meaning each winning ticketholder had to sign an income tax form to get paid.
We heard no complaints from the few who did. None of the seven winning tickets on the record seven-figure superfecta payoff was purchased from the second-largest Derby crowd of 156,435 at Churchill Downs, but there was one sold in Nevada.
Finally, this Kentucky Derby will attest that speed kills.
Record fractions of 22.1 in the first quarter, 45.1 at the half-mile marker and the 3/4 time of 1:09.2 set by Spanish Chestnut and Going Wild may have been the demise of Bellamy Road, who was in close attendance to the suicide tempo.
The speedy cadence set up a cavalry charge that spread the field across the track at the top of the long Churchilll Downs homestretch, leading the blanket frenzy to the finish. The final time for the 1 1/4-mile Derby was a pedestrian 2:02:3, well off the Derby record set by Secretariat of 1:59:4 in 1973.
The top three finishers in the Derby are scheduled to move up the road to Maryland for the Preakness Stakes, with Giacomo now the only one eligible to win this year's Triple Crown.
The other high-profile Derby prospects will have to regroup. Pondering the trip to Baltimore for the second jewel of the Triple Crown is Wilko. Trainer Zito said he may send a "couple" of Derby runners, but one won't be Andromeda's Hero, who he is saving for the longer Belmont Stakes. Pletcher said the only possible Derby runner from his barn would be Flower Alley.
Like Funny Cide in 2003 and Smarty Jones last year, Giacomo will take center stage now. And this year's dream continues ... for now.
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