John Shirreffs out to rekindle his Kentucky Derby magic
Winning the Kentucky Derby once is hard enough. Winning it twice puts you in elite company, and places you on a fast track for racing's Hall of Fame. Trainer John Shirreffs was fortunate enough to win the Run for the Roses in his very first attempt. That moment in the sun came a dozen years ago when Giacomo upset Afleet Alex and the rest of the Derby field to score at odds of 50-1.
Best known in racing circles as the trainer of the mighty Zenyatta, Shirreffs has enjoyed quite a bit of success since that famous win at Churchill Downs, but has not come close to visiting the Kentucky Derby winner's circle again. That could change in 2017, as the now 71-year-old Vietnam Veteran has two of the top California contenders in Gormley and Royal Mo.
Around horses all of his life, the Kansas native was an assistant trainer for years before finally going out on his own in 1994 as the private trainer for Marshall Naify’s 505 Farm. He trained the excellent California-bred Bertrando at the tail of his career for 505, but never took a horse to the Derby until Giacomo. When Naify died in 2000, Shirreffs opened his stable as a public trainer.
Since his big win with Giacomo, Shirreffs has won many important races with horses like A.P. Warrior, Tiago, Manistique, Hollywood Story, After Market, and Zardana. He also won three times in the Breeders' Cup; once with Life Is Sweet, and of course, two more with Zenyatta. He's actually only tried the Derby twice more after his first go-round 12 years ago.
Both of those attempts came in the immediate years after Giacomo's big upset, and both came with horses sent off at 14-1 on the first Saturday in May. In 2006, the San Felipe winner, A.P. Warrior could do no better than an 18th-place finish. One year later, it was Tiago who ran in the Derby for Shirrefs, but the upset winner of the Santa Anita Derby could only rally for 7th-place under the twin spires. Ten years since his last attempt, can Shirreffs rekindle the magic he found in his first try? He has two well bred colts who look on course to give it the old college try.
Gormley impressed us all when he transitioned smoothly from a debut win in a maiden sprint to strong win in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes in his second career start. His third race, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile was disappointment, as he never even sniffed the lead, before fading out of the picture completely. In 2017, he bounced back nicely in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes, while stalking, pouncing, and battling the talented American Anthem to a hard-earned victory. With classic distance pedigree on both sides of his bloodlines, it would be no surprise to see Gormley handle the ten furlongs of the Kentucky Derby.
Royal Mo, meanwhile, is a bit more of a late developer for the likable winner of the 2009 Big Sport of Turdom Award. A sizable physical specimen, much like Zenyatta, the son of Uncle Mo is beginning to put things together. After finishing second in his first two starts, he has now won two in a row. On November 27, he went all the way in a one-mile maiden at Del Mar, and more recently, he again used a front-running style to score an impressive win in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes. The competition only looks to get tougher from here, but considering the amount of improvement the big colt demonstrated in his first start as a three-year-old, there is no telling how good he may become.
Both talented colts are owned by Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Moss, who also owned both Zenyatta and Giacomo for Shirreffs. The veteran trainer will look to keep the lightly raced Derby contenders apart until Louisville, so look for one in the San Felipe on March 11, and the other to ship to Oaklawn Park for the Rebel Stakes on March 18. Good performances by each will send the good guy, and excellent horseman, back to the Derby with a shot at catching lightning in the bottle for a second time.