1987 Derby: Alysheba Prevails
Colt Avoids Fall at Three-Eighths Pole to Win Run for the Roses
Alysheba, son of Alydar, did inherit his father's heart and will to win. He demonstrated that in Kentucky Derby 1987 after surgery corrected his breathing problem.
In 1987, the rangy son of Triple Crown star Alydar put his stamp on immortality by winning the Kentucky Derby. Alysheba was foaled by Preston Madden's mare Bel Sheba and sired by Alydar. That took Alysheba's pedigree back to Native Dancer, Raise a Native's sire, and to the Man o' War and Nasrullah bloodlines through Blinking Owl, who foaled War Admiral's last baby.
Alysheba was bred by Preston Madden at Hamburg Place, Lexington, Kentucky. The Hamburg operation, founded by John E. Madden, Preston's grandfather, had produced five Kentucky Derby champions: Old Rosebud, 1914; Sir Barton (with Vivian Gooch), also Triple Crown champion, 1919; Paul Jones, 1920; Zev, 1913; and Flying Ebony, 1925.
Alysheba Goes to Keeneland Yearling Sales
Preston Madden had begun breeding thoroughbreds in earnest in the 1950s. In the 1960s he raced T.V.Lark, a champion grass horse who beat the five-time Horse of the Year, Kelso.
At the 1985 Keeneland yearling sales, Alysheba was picked out by trainer Jack Van Berg for purchase by Clarence and Dorothy Scharbauer.
Alysheba began as an all pedigree and no bite racing entrant. Despite his good training attitude and willing intelligence, Alysheba remained winless. Don Brumfield, Bill Shoemaker, and Pat Day, all top jockeys, rode Alysheba without the desired results. Day told Van Berg the colt lacked the will to win.
Trainer Van Berg said the son of Alydar, like his father, always tried, always gave what he had. Somehow, it didn't add up to victories. The mystery deepened until Alysheba ran a disappointing fourth at Santa Anita in March in a three-year-old allowance race.
A Little Diagnosis Goes A Long Way
After the dull performance, veterinarian Scott Merrell diagnosed Alysheba with an entrapped epiglottis, a blockage of the colt's airway. Alysheba had been running races the best way he could despite being unable to breath properly!
After the successful surgery to correct the problem, Chris McCarron agreed to ride Alysheba in the Blue Grass Stakes, a prominent Kentucky Derby prep race. Alysheba promptly responded to improved breathing capacity, jumping to the front to win the Blue Grass by a head. But his bad luck continued, as he was disqualified to third for bumping another horse when he fought for position.
Derby Traffic Jams Overcome
McCarron later said he and Alysheba were mince-meat in the huddled, seventeen-colt traffic out of the Kentucky Derby gate. The jockey had to pull Alysheba back. The real problem came in the stretch.
Demons Begone, ironically ridden by Pat Day, was the favorite. Bleeding from the nose put the Southwest Stakes, Rebel Stakes, and Arkansas Derby winner out of the race. McCarron and Alysheba moved to the outside, and the Alydar colt began his run for glory.
Moving swiftly at the three-eighths pole, Alysheba was in Porsche cruise control. Then, without a hint of oncoming trouble, Bet Twice swerved out, apparently shying from his rider's whip, and Alysheba misstepped downward, nearly to his knees, in trying to avoid further bumping. McCarron, not fully recovered from a previous spill that had claimed lives, was horrified, then amazed.
Alysheba had withstood the impending fall, and, regathered, he split out after Bet Twice with unmistakable determination. He caught Bet Twice, who again veered. Alysheba shook it off without losing stride, rather going around Bet Twice as though the troublesome colt were a parked Volkswagon.
Powering to the wire, Alysheba summoned the will to win for all to see and claimed the roses by three-quarters of a length.
