LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) 鈥� Great White is doing well after flipping before the Kentucky Derby, throwing his jockey and getting scratched minutes before the Triple Crown race, trainer John Ennis said.
鈥淗e’s perfect,鈥� Ennis told The Associated Press after the race, which was to make Cherie DeVaux the with a Derby champion. 鈥淰ery fresh. (The incident) took nothing out of him.鈥�
The big gray gelding who weighs roughly 1,370 pounds was spooked by something while he and the other horses were waiting to get walked into the starting gate for the opening race of the Triple Crown. He threw off rider Alex Achard, who walked away under his own power.
The track veterinarians scratched Great White and prevented Achard and Ennis from entering the Derby for the first time. Ennis confirmed Achard was also doing well afterward.
Great White flipping caused a delay to the race, which was supposed to start just after 7 p.m. Because of how long it took, horses who had been loaded into the gate had to be backed out.
Golden Tempo had not yet gone in.
鈥淲hen you load into the gate, you don鈥檛 want to back up,鈥� jockey Jose Ortiz said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 in there yet, so I was very happy. My guy wanted to put me in. (I said): “No, no, no. He鈥檚 going to be scratched. Don鈥檛 put me in.”
Ortiz, who passed brother Irad aboard Renegade to win the race by a neck, did not think the situation made much of an impact on the race. But he knew Golden Tempo was ready.
鈥淪eems like a pretty clean break,鈥� Ortiz said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to be loaded and back off. I would hate that. I think the horse is ready. His mind is ready to go. When you put him in, he knows he鈥檚 going forward. As soon as you back him up, then everything changes.鈥�
Great White only got into the field Wednesday after because of a foot injury.
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