For those that ponied up $190,000 apiece for membership in Secretariat’s breeding syndicate, the period between the powerful chestnut’s loss in the April 21 Wood Memorial Stakes and the May 5 Kentucky Derby was gut-check time.
Bob Ehalt and Tom Pedulla became fast friends when they met on their first day at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, N.Y., in 1970. Bob soon introduced Tom to the joys of Thoroughbred racing.
They have endured some rough moments at the track, with Tom taking exception when Bob repeatedly smacks him on the back with a program as one of their horses launches an all-out drive. Much to Tom’s chagrin and the amusement of onlookers, Bob has been known to call for security as he proceeds to cash a $27 triple.
Real Quiet did not look or act the part of a champion early in his career. He was so crooked up front that he sold to Michael Pegram for only $17,000 as a yearling in 1996. He was so lacking in girth that his trainer, Bob Baffert, jokingly nicknamed him “The Fish.”
The countdown for the 2023 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve is down to hours, not months. The first Saturday in May is on the horizon and the best dirt 3-year-olds in the country and the world will gather at Churchill Downs for a memorable showdown.
BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his final Derby Dozen Presented by Spendthrift, with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 6.
