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CNN Live Saturday

Kentucky Derby Gets Under Way

Aired May 05, 2001 - 12:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: The most prestigious event in horse racing gets under way later today in Louisville; 17 jockeys are making their final adjustments for the 127th Kentucky Derby. They'll be mounting their horses at Churchill Downs today for the run for the roses.

That's where CNN Sports Illustrated's John Giannone is live with a preview for us -- John.

JOHN GIANNONE, CNN SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, the race day has begun here at Churchill Downs. They are into the third race of the day, all in anticipation of the 127th running of the Kentucky Derby.

The weather is perfect. Some rain was expected on and off throughout the day, but now they have receded that forecast, it will not rain. 6:07 is the post time of the Kentucky Derby, and it's expected to be 80 degrees and clear in time for the race.

Now the fans have been flocking here almost since day break. Plenty of fans, they are expecting almost 150,000 fans to hit the grounds by the time of the derby run, and that could rival the record, which was set last year.

Now, certainly for the fans plenty to do, plenty of fun to be had, but for the jockies and the owners and especially the trainers of these 17 derby horses, there is plenty of stress. A short time ago, I caught up with Nick Zito, who is a two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer. He will train AP Valentine in today's Kentucky Derby, and Nick Zito talked about just how stressful it is to be a trainer on derby day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIANNONE: Nick, your horse owner, Nick, Rick Pitino says that all the pressure, the anxiety, the emotion, maybe the nausea falls on you. Are you feeling any of that this morning?

NICK ZITO, HORSE TRAINER: Well, a little bit. I got a couple of aspirins in my pocket. I mean, that happens. I don't know why around derby time, it happens. Here they are.

I don't know. It is just something about the derby that does that, and of course, if you are the trainer, you are responsible. So he is going to be sitting up there with his friends, having good time, and his family -- and he deserves it, and I hope AP Valentine does well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIANNONE: Now, the favorite in today's race, the horse that many people believe might win the triple crown, which is the Kentucky Derby, the Prickness and the Belmont Stakes, is Point Given.

But Point Given threw a huge scare to his trainer Bob Baffert early this morning. Just after dawn, Baffert walked Point Given out onto the track, and Point Given, in his excitement, reared back twice, threw the exercise rider off his back, and Bob Baffert said that could have been very dangerous if Point Given had fallen all the way onto his back. But as it turned out, Bob Baffert said, it really is a good news, because that means Point Given is ready to run in today's race.

Once again, Point Given is the favorite. He will run from the 17 post position, the extreme outside, and no horse from that post position has ever won the Kentucky Derby.

Reporting from Churchill Downs in Louisville, I am John Giannone.

KELLEY: John, before you go, can you tell us -- and I don't know if people are telling you, but are they betting with the favorite, or who are they choosing?

GIANNONE: All during the week, the early line was that Point Given was seeing much of the money, but then this morning, much of the early money in the race was going on a horse called Dollar Bill, who has had phenomenal practice times leading into the derby. He is also ridden by Pat Day, who is the local favorite, a three-time Derby winner.

So, certainly, Dollar Bill right now is getting some of the early dollars, but Point Given, by the time the race comes, will be the proverbial favorite.

KELLEY: John Giannone there at the derby, thanks very much.

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