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American Morning
As Pimlico Approaches, Many Wonder If Monarchos Will Win Horse Racing's High Honors
Aired May 18, 2001 - 09:41 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Speaking of sports.
NANCY NEWMAN, CNN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED ANCHOR: I'm up for that derby.
HARRIS: Nancy's coming in this morning.
Nancy Newman, it's good to see you again.
NEWMAN: Hi, you guys. It's so good to see you.
It's not a coincidence we're talking derby going into derby, right? You guys set that up really nicely. Thank you.
HARRIS: A little bit of segue here.
NEWMAN: I appreciate it
Monarchos looked so good wearing the blanket of roses. The gray son of Maria's Mon and winner of the 127th running of the Kentucky Derby looks to add a cloak made of black-eyed Susans to his wardrobe. The Preakness -- the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown -- goes off tomorrow at Baltimore's storied Pimlico.
With more, CNN/Sports Illustrated's Bob Lorenz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here comes Monarchos, who sweeps to the lead. He's pulling away by two. He's pulling away by three. Jorge Chavez and Monarchos have won the Kentucky Derby.
JOHN WARD, TRAINER, MONARCHOS: Going into the derby, you're apprehensive that you're going to make a fool out of yourself. Coming out of the derby, you're absolutely stunned that you were able to do it.
BOB LORENZ, CNN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In less than two weeks, Monarchos has gone from being a 10-1 afterthought at the Kentucky Derby to the favorite in Saturday's Preakness stakes. But any Triple Crown walk remains hushed, considering the top-tier talent that will compete for this middle jewel. DALLAS STEWART, TRAINER, DOLLAR BILL: All of these big races are going to be tough. You're never going to get a Triple Crown race where it's a one- or two-horse race, as you know; you're going to have four, five, or six in there that can win it.
NICK ZITO, TRAINER, A.P. VALENTINE: Whether it's Point Given, whether it's Congaree, or whether it's Monarchos or whoever we're leaving out, you have to beat them all, because you never know. It's horse racing; anything can happen.
WARD: You've got a big red X painted on you in the Preakness because you're the derby winner, and everyone in the race is going to be looking for you. That's just racing. That's what it's all about. That's the fun of it.
LORENZ: Aside from the crush of the attention, Monarchos will have to overcome the problems unique to the Preakness: Pimlico's tight turns and a shorter stretch less conducive to the kind of closing run he made at Churchill Downs.
Then there's the competition, particularly Point Given -- the heavy favorite going into the derby -- and Congaree, who beat Morarchos in the Wood Memorial earlier this spring.
WARD: I fear Congaree. I've got to always fear that animal. Jerry Bailey's going to add a new dimension to him, that new tactical side of him, and you've got to fear that.
LORENZ: But Ward believes his horse is prepared, or at least Monarchos will not be overprepared. Ward didn't breeze his colt before the Preakness, the same soft touch he applied before the derby, which was in direct contrast to the bullet workouts Bob Baffert directed for Point Given and Congaree.
WARD: If you're going to win the derby, and you've got enough horse to win the derby, then you ought to have enough horse do the rest of the game. I'm going to let this horse, this athlete, carry us through the Triple Crown. The main thing that I've got to do is stay out of middle of it. I can't do anything for him except help him present himself in the best possible way.
LORENZ: If Monarchos follows up the best race of his career with another gem, his resume will be one win away from racing royalty.
I'm Bob Lorenz.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWMAN: Thanks, Bob.
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