NOTEBOOK: BOSS IS SILENT AFTER DEFEAT.Byline: Kevin Modesti Staff Writer LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Thanks for coming, George. George Steinbrenner George Michael Steinbrenner III (born July 4, 1930 in Rocky River, Ohio), often known as "The Boss", is an American billionaire businessman and the principal owner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. , who didn't get to town until Friday and barely uttered a public word about the Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. in the week before the race, left Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, Ky.: see Louisville. silently Saturday after watching his much-hyped colt Bellamy Road finish seventh. Reporters who followed Steinbrenner to the parking lot were kept away from the New York Yankees  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. owner. The disappointing result left a couple of his employees with the unenviable task of explaining the failure. ``He ran well,'' jockey Javier Castellano Javier Castellano (born October 23, 1977 in Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Castellano began his riding career in his native Venezuela in 1996 and in June of 1997 moved to the United States where rode at race tracks in southern said of Bellamy Road, who finished about seven lengths behind winner Giacomo. ``And he seemed to handle the track well. But he just didn't have it today.'' Bellamy Road's defeat was one of five for trainer Nick Zito Nicholas Philip "Nick" Zito (born February 6, 1948 in New York City, New York) is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer. Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer. , who ran Andromeda's Hero (eighth), High Fly (10th), Noble Causeway (14th) and Sun King (15th) for other owners. ``It looked pretty good turning for home with High Fly and Bellamy Road, but it didn't happen for us today,'' Zito said. ``You look at the horses everyone was talking about and only (Afleet) Alex ran well (finishing third).'' --Second with a bullet? Closing Argument's second-place finish as the longest shot on the board (70-1) gave the colt momentum going into the May 21 Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown. ``It was the thrill of a lifetime Thrill of a Lifetime is a television reality series created by Sidney M. Cohen and Willie Stein ("Orange Colored Sky"). It was telecast from 1981 to 1988 in Canada on the CTV network. for an eighth of a mile,'' trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. ``He's one hell of a horse who might now start getting some respect.'' Closing Argument won the Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park in February before finishing third to Bandini and High Limit in the Blue Grass. Bandini and High Limit finished 19th and 20th in the 20-horse Derby. --At the turnstiles: On a beautiful day in Louisville, the first Kentucky Derby since the completion of Churchill Downs' renovation drew 156,435 fans, the second-most in Derby history. The biggest crowd was the 163,628 that attended in 1974, which was the 100th running and the Derby after Secretariat's victory the year before. Reviews in Louisville have generally been favorable for Churchill Downs' $121 million makeover, the biggest complaint being that the Twin Spires are obscured from some angles by the enlarged seating structures. Jennie Rees of the Louisville Courier-Journal calls Churchill's new profile the ``Twin Suites.'' --The undercard un·der·card n. The event or events coming before and supporting the main event, as of boxing matches. : Winners of the day's other stakes included Miss Terrible and Alex Solis in the Comp USA Turf Mile. The 6-year-old mare from Argentina had won the Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita last time out. Miss Terrible led from the start, pulled away from Sand Springs in the final yards, and paid $11.40. Solis didn't have a mount in the Kentucky Derby after riding in the race the past nine years and finishing second three times. America Alive ($37.60) and Robby Albarado caught the leaders late in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. My Trusty Cat ($23) and Javier Castellano won the Humana Distaff Handicap The Humana Distaff Handicap is a race for thoroughbred fillies and mares, four-years-old and up. The race is run each spring on Derby Day at Churchill Downs and set at a distance of 7 furlongs for a purse of $250,000. The Humana Distaff is a Grade I event. as 2-5 Madcap Escapade faded off the board. Battle Won ($35.80) and Ramon Dominguez took the Churchill Downs Handicap The Churchill Downs Handicap is a sprint at seven furlongs on the dirt for Thoroughbred horses run at Churchill Downs. The race is a Grade II event raced on the same day as the Kentucky Derby and is a prep to the Breeders' Cup Sprint. sprint. Todd Pletcher-trained Half Ours ($3) and John Velazquez won the Three Chimneys Juvenile for 2-year-olds. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: George Steinbrenner, owner of Bellamy Road, didn't have much to cheer about as his horse finished seventh Saturday. Darron Cummings/Associated Press |
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