Whiskey Ticket becomes experienced in the Illinois Derby

Jimi Hendrix famously asked, “Have you ever been experienced?” After the proceedings today at Hawthorne Race Course, Whiskey Ticket can answer with a determined, “Yes!" The occasion was the $400,000 Illinois Derby, and with only one career start going in, the good looking son of Ghostzapper was spotting his seven rivals some serious seasoning, but it mattered little down the lane, as the Bob Baffert trained colt dug in to just hold off Conquest Curlinate to win by a nose.

Sent off as a strong second choice at 2-1 despite only the lone maiden win by a head at Santa Anita four weeks ago, Whiskey Ticket gained an advantageous stalking position heading into the first turn after a brief stumble coming out of the gate.

“He broke a little sluggish but recovered right away,” said Pedroza. “I tracked right behind the other horses. He didn’t seem to mind the dirt too much. He didn’t like it at first but he got used to it. But, I didn’t want to get too much dirt on him so I put him in the clear. I didn’t want somebody to come along side of me and box me in.”

With clear sailing on the outside, Whiskey Ticket sat a dream trip behind a contentious pace which included the race favorite Cross the Line, as well as longshots A. Rod Again, and Kantune. Making his move on the turn, the dark bay ranged up to the leaders as the field hit the Hawthorne Race Course stretch, and opened up a 1 ½-length lead at the eighth pole. His work for the day was far from done, though, as the third choice, Conquest Curlinate was making a strong rally on the outside.

Last early, Conquest Curlinate had the momentum, but the lightly raced horse on the lead was not ready to give up his advantage without a fight. With Martin Pedroza supplying strong left-handed encouragement, Whiskey Ticket responded by moving outward towards his rallying opposition, and fought hard to hit the wire a nose to the better.

“I didn’t want to go by horses too early because I didn’t know if he would have a tendency to pull himself up when he gets to the lead,” said Pedroza. “Turning for home I was screaming bloody murder and whipping him left handed and right handed. I don’t think he ever saw the horse coming on the outside, he was kind of too far away, so I put my horse close to him. Anyway, we got the job done.”

Phenomenal Phoenix was four lengths behind Conquest Curlinate in third, but more than five lengths clear of the fourth place finisher, Verraco.

Final time for the nine furlongs over the fast track was 1:50.82. In winning his second race in two starts, Whiskey Ticket earned $240,000 for the ownership team of Pegram, Watson, and Weitman. He paid $6.40 for a two-dollar win ticket.

Pedroza went on to thank an old friend. “I want to thank my best friend Rene Douglas. He was the one of the reasons that I came over here. He told me I was crazy if I didn’t come for Baffert. He told me this was a nice horse. He won at a mile in his first start and there aren’t many horses that can do that.”

Baffert has now won the Santa Anita Derby (Dortmund), the Arkansas Derby (American Pharoah), and the Illinois Derby in the past three weeks. The Hall of Fame trainer would surely trade them all in for a win on the first Saturday in May with one of his big horses, American Pharoah or Dortmund.

As for today’s win with Whiskey Ticket, it represented a  pay off on a bold move by his connections to send their inexperienced horse to a $400,000 race. Being admittedly a second-stringer in the barn, the Preakness is unlikely. Whiskey Ticket will head next to Churchill Downs to train before his next race is decided upon, according to Baffert.