You are here
Pyro Wins Kentucky Derby Warmup in Louisiana
Pyro and Shaun Bridgmohan took the Louisiana Derby. (AP Images)
At Fair Grounds the Grade 2, $600,000 Louisiana Derby was run this Saturday. With a number of big name Derby Contenders running, it was definitely the race to watch this weekend. Along with Pyro, the race featured a number of Derby favorites such as Majestic Warrior, Blackberry Road and Tale of Ekati.
Despite an impressive list of contenders, Pyro definitely stole the show with a well paced first half of the race staying in the fourth and third position. After rounding the last turn, however, Pyro and his jockey Shaun Bridgmohan made their way in between the two leaders in the last stretch. Pyro won the Louisiana Derby by three lengths and running the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.44.
"I knew what I had under me. I wasn't panicking at all,” said Bridgmohan. “I wanted to keep him closer to see how he would handle that scenario. We saw what an explosive kick he had coming from far back last time."
Following Pyro came an unexpected finish. The 60-1 longshot My Pal Charlie held a lead position for the race and ended up taking second place. Yankee Bravo took third with Blackberry Road taking fourth, Tale of Ekati in sixth and Majestic Warrior taking seventh in the field of nine.
"I'm very pleased, especially with the fact that he put himself in the race," said Steve Asmussen, Pyro’s trainer. "To get done what we're hoping to get done, which is win the Kentucky Derby, he's going to have to be a horse who can make more than one move."
You can expect to see Pyro next on April 12th in the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.