45th Anniversary of Kentucky Derby Glory Decidedly - California ...

The 45th Anniversary Of Decidedly’s1962 Kentucky Derby VictoryThe Triple Crownby GENE WILLIAMSIt’s been exactly 45 years to the day since a California-bredthree-year-old won the Kentucky Derby, but that winner—Decidedly—made quite a statement under the crafty handlingof Bill Hartack back on May 5, 1962.Decidedly, the gray son of 1954 Derby champion Determine,out of the 10-time winner Gloire Fille, by War Glory,broke the Derby record of 2:01 2/5 set by the remarkableWhirlaway in 1941, by skimming across Louisville’sChurchill Downs surface in 2:00 2/5. That’s still the fourthfastest time ever registered for the “Run for the Roses”—bettered since by only Northern Dancer, Secretariat andMonarchos.On that day, Decidedly, bred and owned by George A.Pope Jr., came closest to running what could be called “thefastest two minutes in sports.” That takeoff on the Derby’saccepted moniker, “the greatest two minutes in sports,”lasted only two years, however, as Northern Dancer hit thetwo-minute mark in 1964.Still only the third Cal-bred to win the Kentucky Derby,the dashing gray, trained by the equally dashing HoratioLuro, not only honored his sire with the victory but alsogave Californians a chance to swellwith pride for the second time in sevenyears. Rex Ellsworth’s Swaps had endeda 33-year drought for Cal-breds in theChurchill Downs winner’s circle bycapturing the classic in 1955.Morvich was California’s first winner,hitting the wire ahead of the rest ofthe 10-horse field in 1922.The victory made Decidedly onlythe second gray to win the Derby,following his sire’s lead in 1954. Overall,only eight grays have won the Derby,including Spectacular Bid, Silver Charmand Giacomo. The last two named, ofcourse, were trained in California butnot bred here.The record time that awaited Decidedly’swinning effort was perfectly setup for a classic come-from-behindhorse. Aside from the first quarter time,each of the remaining split times—half-mile, three-quarter-mile and milemarkers—were run faster than in anyprevious Derby. While languishing farback in the pack early in the 1 1/4-mile,Decidedly was the beneficiary of one ofthe classic rides in Derby lore, pickingoff horses easily as he improved hisposition at every call.Though still running fifth as the field turned into thehomestretch, the long-striding gray was ready to pounce onthe leaders. And pounce he did, with Hartack guiding himthrough a gap between Ridan on the outside and SunriseCounty on his inside. Accelerating through the gap to leaveSunrise County behind, the race’s 8-1 third choice took deadaim on Ridan, then his closest rival, and Roman Line, a headfarther in front.The gray comet went on by both of them and strided purposefullytoward the wire. He cleared his nearest rival, RomanLine, by 2 1/4 lengths, who was a neck to the good of Ridan.It’s appropriate in this 45-year look back at the historicrace to quote an article from The Thoroughbred Record forsome perspective on the winner and his accomplishment.It said: “The star of the production, Decidedly, is asattractive in appearance as he is brilliant in performance. Abeautiful dark gray, whose coat takes on a darker, almostblack hue when lathered with the sweat of exertion, he is ofaverage size, almost 16 hands at his prominent withers; hasthe rangy, long-muscled look of the stayer, fine depth ofContinued on next pageCalifornia-bred Decidedly wins the 1962 Kentucky Derby by 2 1/4 lengthsin a Churchill Downs track record time of 2:00 2/5 for the 1/1/4-mile trip.www.ctba.com CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED • MAY 2007 19

©The Thoroughbred RecordThe Triple Crown Cont’d.chest, finely turnedhead with intelligenteyes set widely, stronglyresembling his sire Determine, except as is the case with all“boys” today he has outgrown his dad in height.“His combination of speed and stamina is amazing. Histotal race time was 2:00 2/5, plus which he did the last twoquarters in :24 1/5 and :24 2/5, which is a last half-mile in:48 3/5 because he made up the eight lengths he was behindat the half-mile pole.”The usually taciturn Hartack got downright expansive inhis discussion of the race, saying, among other things that“it was a very important Derby for me. I was afraid of Ridan… He looked like a real tough horse in the Blue Grass, buthe wasn’t running well today … I didn’t want to be tooclose to him because he had bothered me in an earlier race.But [jockey Manuel] Ycaza left me a hole and I wentthrough. There were three of us all running well when Idropped my horse down for home. The others droppeddown, too, but they all weakened.”The victory was the third in the Churchill Downsclassic for Hartack, who would go on to win two moreand enter the record books with Eddie Arcaro as the onlyriders to win a quintet of Derbys. Among Hartack’sfellow riders who went down to defeat in the race wereDetermine’s Derby-winning rider York, Swaps winnerCal-bred Decidedly in the 1962 Kentucky Derby winner’s circle at Churchill Downswith jockey Bill Hartack, breeder/owner George A. Pope Jr. and trainer Horatio A. Luro.Bill Shoemaker and Johnny Longden, winner on 1943’sCount Fleet.Decidedly’s debonair trainer, Argentinian Horatio A.Luro, was a co-star with the winning colt during the run-upto the Derby, smooth in appearance and diplomatic inspeech as he approached the Run for the Roses with confidence.That confidence, he acknowledged at one point,owed a lot to the Bluegrass that Decidedly had beenchomping on as he trained at Churchill Downs, foreverearning a spot in the hearts of Kentuckians. Luro, known as“El Gran Senor” among his colleagues and members of themedia, defended his training methods with just as muchaplomb, saying, “I like sunlight. I do not get up at fouro’clock. I get up at six.”Decidedly’s training regimen reflected that, with the biggray seldom went to the track before 8:30.Luro’s take on his arrival at the racetrack, was echoedin a way years later by another Derby-winning trainer,Lazaro Barrera, who saddled Bold Forbes and Affirmed,the most recent Triple Crown winner, for their respectivevictories in 1976 and 1978. When asked why he didn’tarrive at his Santa Anita Park barn before dawn like someof his training cohorts did, the fiery Cuban-born Barrerareportedly shot back, “I am a horse trainer, not a nightwatchman.”As for Decidedly, who was born on March 3, 1959, hesubsequently ran unplaced in thenext two legs of the Triple Crown, thePreakness and Belmont Stakes, beforewinning three stakes races as a four-yearoldand then retiring to stud for the 1965breeding season with a lifetime record of43-11-9-4 and $318,989 in earnings.As a stallion in both California andKentucky, Decidedly sired 18 stakeswinners from 20 crops that produced theearners of over $9 million.His most accomplished runners werea quartet of colts, the multiple gradedstakes winner Grey Beret, dual gradedstakes winner Wardlaw, graded stakeswinner Delay—his highest earner witha $370,160 career bankroll—and 1971Puerto Rican Horse of the Year Tinajero,as well as the filly Stole the Showwho won $250,099 from a 54-14-10-10record that included nine stakes wins.After spending his first year at Pope’sEl Peco Ranch near the town of Maderain the San Joaquin Valley, Decidedlystood in Lexington at Claiborne Farm(1966 to 1970) and then SpendthriftFarm (1971 to 1974) before returningto the place of his birth where he stooduntil his death, five years after Popepassed away, on Nov. 12, 1984.20 CALIFORNIA THOROUGHBRED • MAY 2007 www.ctba.com