Kentucky Derby Profile: South Bend
By Ed McNamara
South Bend – Courtesy of Churchill Downs/Coady Photography.
This late entry and fellow 50-1 shot Necker Island are the only horses in the field with two wins at Churchill.
Unfortunately for South Bend, he’s lost nine in a row (eight this year) after starting his career 3-for-3.
He made slight improvement in his last two starts (a distant fourth in the Travers, a close second in a weak Ohio Derby), but it would be a big surprise if he could even finish fourth on Saturday.
In the money three times in grass stakes (0-for-5), so he would have had a much better chance in the American Turf on the Derby undercard. No chance to win; best-case scenario is he plods into the bottom half of the superfecta.
Odds: 50-1
Post position: 8
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Trainer: Bill Mott
Owners: Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch and Pantofel Stable
Career record: 12-3-2-2
Career earnings: $390,114
Top Equibase speed figure: 103
Kentucky Derby points: 18
Pedigree: Algorithms-Sandra’s Rose, by Old Trieste
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notes: Gaffalione is a rising star and one of the country’s better young riders. He worked out a great trip while winning last year’s Preakness on War of Will, and they might have been close in the Derby if not for a nearly disastrous incident that led to the disqualification of Maximum Security … Hall of Famer Mott finally got his Derby trophy thanks to that DQ, which handed the victory to 65-1 shot Country House … South Bend ran 11 times for Stanley Hough before being moved to Mott’s stable prior to the Travers.
| 1 | Finnick the Fierce | 50-1 | Rey Hernandez | Martin Garcia |
| 2 | Max Player | 30-1 | Steve Asmussen | Ricardo Santana, Jr. |
| 3 | Enforceable | 30-1 | Mark Casse | Adam Beschizza |
| 4 | Storm the Court | 50-1 | Peter Eurton | Julien Leparoux |
| 5 | Major Fed | 50-1 | Greg Foley | James Graham |
| 6 | King Guillermo | 20-1 | Juan Carlos Avila | Samy Camacho |
| 7 | Money Moves | 30-1 | Todd Pletcher | Javier Castellano |
| 8 | South Bend | 50-1 | Jose L. Ortiz | William I. Mott |
| 9 | Mr. Big News | 50-1 | Bret Calhoun | Gabriel Saez |
| 10 | Thousand Words | 15-1 | Bob Baffert | Florent Geroux |
| 11 | Necker Island | 50-1 | Chris Hartman | Miguel Mena |
| 12 | Sole Volante | 30-1 | Patrick Biancone | Luca Panici |
| 13 | Attachment Rate | 50-1 | Dale Romans | Joe Talamo |
| 14 | Winning Impression | 50-1 | Dallas Stewart | Joe Rocco, Jr. |
| 15 | NY Traffic | 20-1 | Saffie Joseph, Jr. | Paco Lopez |
| 16 | Honor A. P. | 5-1 | John A Shirreffs | Mike Smith |
| 17 | Tiz the Law | 3-5 | Barclay Tagg | Manny Franco |
| 18 | Authentic | 8-1 | Bob Baffert | John Velazquez |
Ed McNamara is an award-winning journalist who has been writing about thoroughbred racing for 35 years. He has handicapped races for ESPN.com, Newsday and The Record of New Jersey. He is the author of “Cajun Racing: From the Bush Tracks to the Triple Crown” and co-author of “The Most Glorious Crown,” a chronicle of the first 12 Triple Crown champions.
