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Even though he won just one of four starts, Pyro had a strong 2-year-old campaign. He finished behind 2007 Eclipse champion War Pass all three times he faced him, including a second in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I). Now stabled at Fair Grounds with trainer Steve Asmussen, Pyro will take the Louisiana road to the Derby. After wins in both the Risen Star (gr. III) and the Louisiana Derby (gr. II), the April 12 Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) served as his final Kentucky Derby (gr. I) prep. Things certainly went awry for the potential Kentucky Derby favorite, as he managed to beat only one horse at Keeneland. The connections feel it was a dislike for the synthetic track, and are drawing a line through the race and expecting a big effort at Churchill Downs.

Racing History

Date	Race Name	Distance	Finish	Earnings
04/12/08	Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I)	9f	10	$0
03/08/08	Louisiana Derby (gr. II)	8.5f	1	$360,000
02/09/08	Risen Star (gr. III)	8.5f	1	$180,000
10/27/07	Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I)	8.5f	2	$400,000
10/06/07	Champagne (gr. I)	8f	2	$80,000
08/26/07	Allowance/Optional Claiming	6f	3	$6,700
07/07/07	MSW	6f	1	$30,018
Record: 7 Starts, 3-2-1 | Total Earnings: $1,056,718
Race Records provided by equineline.com

By Steve Haskin

If horses were people, you can bet Pyro would have only one thing on his mind right now-revenge. The heck with all those horses he mowed down in the Risen Star Stakes (gr. III); they were merely the means to an end. And that end is War Pass, whom Pyro no doubt still has nightmares about. He must wake up nights in a sweat after running and running in his sleep and seeing nothing but War Pass' rear end and tail in front of him.

Pyro has gone to the post three times against the swift, free-running War Pass, and three times he could do nothing but give chase. In the grade I Champagne Stakes and Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Pyro came flying late, cutting into War Pass' lead, but he could never get close enough to threaten the Nick Zito-trained colt.

But now the distances stretch out, and with each furlong Pyro moves closer to catching his nemesis. At least that's what trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Ron Winchell hope.

If their confidence needed boosting, they got it in the Risen Star when Pyro, engulfed in a mass of horseflesh at the back of the pack, somehow was able to meander his way around and through the field and storm home to win by two lengths in one of the most powerful stretch explosions ever witnessed on the Derby trail. Behind him, 10 opponents were wondering what hit them.

As much as Pyro wants another crack at War Pass, he'll have to wait until May 3 when he'll have 10 glorious furlongs to catch the champ. Judging by his victory in the Risen Star, he'll be packing some powerful weapons.

Winchell gave Pyro his name because he wanted it to denote something strong and powerful. Pyro was able to burn his foes in the Risen Star, but when it comes to War Pass, the real fire is still in his eyes.

By Avalyn Hunter

After playing bridesmaid to champion War Pass as a juvenile, Pyro finally grabbed a share of the limelight for himself with a powerful victory in the Risen Star Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds Feb. 9. He is a son of Pulpit (by A.P. Indy), who won the 1997 Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. II) before finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I).

Pulpit is from the family of Monarchy, a full sister to 1958 Horse of the Year Round Table who won the 1959 Arlington Lassie Stakes at 2, but failed to train on at that level. Generally speaking, Monarchy's family has been more noted for speed than staying ability, and perhaps in keeping with that ancestry, Pulpit has generally thrown a bit less stamina than his sire.

Pyro is out of the Wild Again mare Wild Vision, a winning full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Wild Wonder. The siblings were produced from Carol's Wonder (by Pass the Tab), a stakes-placed half-sister to 1991 Hollywood Derby (gr. IT) winner Olympio (by Naskra), to 1994 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (gr. II) winner Call Now (by Wild Again), and to stakes winner Your Call (also by Wild Again).

The dam of Carol's Wonder, Carols Christmas, was a solid allowance runner by Whitesburg. Aside from the produce already mentioned, she is the granddam of 2003 Futurity Stakes (gr. I) winner Cuvee (by Carson City), 2007 True North Handicap (gr. II) winner Will He Shine (by Silver Deputy), WinStar Galaxy Stakes (gr. IIT) winner Bien Nicole (by Bien Bien), 2001 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) winner Early Flyer (by Gilded Time), and 2004 Buena Vista Handicap (gr. IIT) winner Fun House (by Prized).

Generally speaking, the best members in the family of Carols Christmas have been strongest in the range of seven to nine furlongs. If Pyro has a touch of stamina, he should remain among the leading contenders on the road to the Triple Crown.

By Jason Shandler

Corinthia Farm manager David Fiske did not have to think long when asked what he liked most about Winchell Thoroughbreds' ultra-talented, 3-year-old homebred colt, Pyro. Was it his pedigree? His form? Perhaps his determination? Fiske's answer was much more simplistic than any of those.

"I like that he is really, really fast," Fiske said with a laugh. "That is kind of an important attribute for a racehorse."

Fiske, who has been with Winchell Thoroughbreds' Corinthia Farm since 1980 (it was formerly known as Oakwind Farm), went on to elaborate, admitting that Pyro's ability to tackle two turns was another factor that could make him perfectly suited for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) in May.

He also said the son of Pulpit has created a hype that has far exceeded any potential Triple Crown horse Winchell has ever had, including Tapit (also by Pulpit) and Zanjero, two recent Derby starters who were highly regarded.

"This horse is on a different level than anything we've had before," Fiske said. "You can't Google his name without hundreds of stories coming up. Tapit was the favorite in the early future pool, but I don't know that it was anything like this. The excitement never stops around here."

The excitement, of course, is mostly due to Pyro's breathtaking victory Feb. 9 in the Risen Star Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds, a last-to-first performance in which he ran an incredible :22.3 final quarter. The win propelled Pyro, trained by Steve Asmussen, onto most everyone's list of top three Derby contenders.

Winchell has been one of Thoroughbred racing's premier operations ever since Verne Winchell, the former chairman of Denny's restaurants, purchased 320-acre Oakwind, located near Lexington, in 1978. Winchell's other top horses included 1991 champion turf male Tight Spot, multiple graded stakes winner and 1991 Derby starter homebred Sea Cadet, and 2005 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Summerly. Winchell had six Derby starters, a fourth-place finish by Classic Go Go being his best in 1981.

The success of the farm has continued since Verne Winchell died in 2002 at age 87. Winchell's widow, Joan, and son Ron took over at that point, continuing to run the farm from Las Vegas. The operation currently consists of about 25 horses in training-all with Asmussen-25 broodmares, and a pair of stallions, Tapit and Cuvee.

"My dad and I were involved (in racing) practically my whole life," said Ron Winchell, who is also involved in real estate and construction, and has three gaming taverns in Las Vegas called Winchell's Pub and Grill. "We made all the decisions together, so when he passed away, not much changed in the operation. The biggest change was not being able to talk about it over dinner together. We enjoyed it very much."

Like most owners, Winchell has the ultimate goal of winning the classic. Although not an end-all, be-all, it would provide a great sense of satisfaction.

"My dad chased the Derby for almost 50 years," Ron Winchell said. "We've had some good shots and some OK shots at it. It would be a nice way to complete his legacy.

"Pyro has that raw talent that Tapit had. His Risen Star performance reminded me a lot of Tapit in the Laurel Futurity (gr. III)-the way he had nowhere to go and was weaving his way through traffic. It would be nice to do it with Pyro, especially because he is a homebred, and we own most of the family, including the mother (Wild Vision)."

By Claire Novak

Call Shaun Bridgmohan the strong, silent type. This 28-year-old rider keeps a relatively low profile in the jockeys' room and could be overshadowed by his more flamboyant fellow riders. But his exceedingly professional approach has been the foundation for a highly successful partnership with trainer Steve Asmussen, for whom Bridgmohan will ride Pyro in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

Asmussen is known for his somewhat volatile temperament, which pairs perfectly with Bridgmohan's icy-cool demeanor. As the trainer told Louisville Courier-Journal reporter Jennie Rees, "It isn't simply following instructions. It's information. It's feedback. It's understanding the bigger picture."

And Bridgmohan definitely possesses those traits, along with an uncanny knack for handicapping. His ability brought him an Eclipse Award as the outstanding apprentice of 1998 after he got his first win at Calder the season before, and he went on to develop a career as a journeyman that included grade I scores in the Garden City Handicap aboard Alexander Tango, the Forego Handicap aboard Midnight Lute, and back-to-back wins in the 2000 and ’01 editions of the Carter Handicap on Brutally Frank and Peeping Tom, respectively.

This year's Derby is Bridgmohan's third—he finished 12th aboard Zanjero last year and was 15th on Private Vow in 2006.

Height: 5'3"

Weight: 111

Career wins: 1,704

Born: June 24, 1979, in Spanish Town, Jamaica

Residence: Oldham County, Ky.

Family: Sons Alexander and Steve; younger brother Jermaine is also a jockey

Favorite food: Seafood

Favorite sport: “Football, and I like soccer, too.”

Most hated chore: “I don’t do that much, so I don’t have one.” 

I can't live without: “I don’t know; I can live without my cell phone, so I don’t really have a clue.”

The fastest I’ve ever driven was: “120 miles per hour, because I was late to get to Delaware one day from New York, and I’d been stuck in traffic.”

If I could trade careers with another professional athlete, I would: “Play basketball and be Michael Jordan.”

Another rider I admire is: “John Velazquez. He’s a pretty good rider.”

One thing I wish people knew about jockeys: “I don’t know.”

The best part about winning the Derby this year would be: “Dedicating the race to my dad, Gerald Bridgmohan. He got me started in horse racing, and he’s been a big influence in my career. This has always been his dream, and I’m getting to follow it. He’s the one I’d win it for.”