Contenders
Recapturetheglory
Trainer: Louie J. Roussel, III
Jockey: E. T. Baird
Owner: Ronnie Lamarque
Breeder: Charles Jacobi
Recapturetheglory finished a respectable 5th in the Derby after using up much of his energy in the paddock before the race. He was a late nominee to the Triple Crown, made eligible for the Classics with a $6,000 payment just prior to the March 29 deadline. He quickly made up that expense and more when he took home the $300,000 winner's share of the Illinois Derby (gr. II) just a week later. Prior to that, the son of Cherokee Run had been spending his time in allowance and maiden races, winning one of five starts. The owner/trainer team or Lamarque/Roussel (VIDEO: Part 1 / Part 2) have been down the Triple Crown Trail twice before: with Risen Star, who was third in the Derby but won the Preakness and Belmont in 1988; and six years later with Kandaly, who took the Louisiana Derby but didn't make it to the gate in Louisville.
Auction History
| Year | Sale | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Keeneland November Weanling Sale | $130,000 |
| 2006 | Fasig Tipton Kentucky Summer Yearling Sale | $160,000 |
| 2006 | Fasig Tipton Florida Select 2YO Sale | $215,000 |
Racing History
| Date | Race Name | Distance | Finish | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/03/08 | Kentucky Derby (gr. I) | 10 f | 5 | $60,000 |
| 04/05/08 | Illinois Derby (gr. II) | 9 f | 1 | $300,000 |
| 02/29/08 | Allowance @ Fair Grounds | 8.5 f | 3 | $4,400 |
| 11/03/07 | Allowance @ Churchill | 8.5 f | 2 | $10,000 |
| 09/29/07 | Maiden @ Hawthorne | 8 f 70 yds | 1 | $15,600 |
| 08/11/07 | Maiden @ Arlington | 6 f | 3 | $3,080 |
| 07/14/07 | Maiden @ Arlington | 5 f | 9 | $0 |
| Record: 7 Starts, 2-1-2 | Total Earnings: $393,080 | ||||
| Race Records provided by equineline.com | ||||
By Claire Novak
He can't live without his cell phone. If he could choose another profession, he would be a rock star. He once drove 165 miles per hour to reach the track in time for the first race. And May 3, E.T. Baird will be riding to the post aboard Recapturetheglory in the 134th Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
The windy city of Chicago is no easy place to build a riding career. Still, E.T. Baird, 41, has done just that since making his riding debut at Hawthorne Race Course in 1985. Baird followed in the footsteps of his father, the late Robert "Bobby" Baird, who rode until he was 62. As an apprentice, the younger Baird won the 1986 Hawthorne riding title with a then-record 103 wins. He was inducted into the Hawthorne Hall of Fame in 1998, but his career-best season did not come until 2007, when he won 121 races and earned $2,635,539 in purses.
This will be Baird's first start in the Derby, a race his father tackled five times between 1950 and 1978.
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 116
Career wins: 1,866
Born: November 19, 1966, in Chicago, Ill.
Residence: Palatine, Ill.
Family: Single
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite sport: Football
I can't live without: "My phone"
Most hated chore: “I’ll pretty much do anything I need to do.”
The fastest I’ve ever driven was: “165 miles per hour. I’d been dating somebody out of state and was visiting her, and I had to get back in time to ride the first race. I was in a 300zx twin turbo; the pin stopped at 162, and I was over that.”
If I could trade careers with another professional athlete, I would: “Rather be a rock star, to be honest with you.”
Another rider I admire is: “The guys who do it for such a long time, older guys like Earlie Fires. You see a lot of guys come and go, and I like the idea of riders who have that busted-up, old warrior type of attitude. Those are the guys I admire, the ones who’ve been hurt and been busted up and keep on coming back, and when you see them coming back, you know they’ve got it.”
One thing I wish people knew about jockeys: “This can be a big mental game. I don’t think people realize how much pressure comes with it; not only mentally, but physically. You’re riding under public opinion – and everybody has one – but you can’t please everybody. It can be hard to deal with.”
The best part about winning the Derby this year would be: ”Well, it’s every jockey’s dream. The Kentucky Derby is like the Super Bowl of horse racing. There might be races worth more money, but as far as prestige, I don’t know any rider who wouldn’t give it all up to win the Derby.”
More on BloodHorse.com:
Recapturetheglory Out of Preakness
Recapturetheglory, fifth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), has had his Preakness Stakes (gr. I) plans derailed by a fever. The son of Cherokee Run is officially out, according to co-owner Ronnie Lamarque, who confirmed the news at 2 p.m. EDT May 10.
Recapturetheglory Headed to Preakness
Saying "we're there to win", co-owner Ronnie Lamarque announced May 7 that Recapturetheglory, who finished fifth to Big Brown in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), is confirmed for $1 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I) May 17 at Pimlico Race Course.
Seven Confirmed for Preakness
With the May 17 Preakness Stakes (gr. I) 11 days away, the field set to test Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Big Brown continues to change as the connections of some of the top 3-year-olds weigh a start in the middle jewel of racing's Triple Crown at Pimlico Race Course.
Haskin's Derby Recap: Highs and Lows
Thoroughbred racing treads a fine line between its loftiest peak and its deepest abyss. Once again, celebration and sorrow clashed in the Kentucky Derby.
Daily Derby Notes: May 5
Big Brown to return to track Wed. morning; Stevil works for Preakness
Big Brown Delivers; Filly Breaks Down
United Parcel Service has never made a delivery like Big Brown delivered May 3 at Churchill Downs, romping home by nearly five lengths to remain unbeaten in four starts with a scintillating win in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
De Merics Rooting for Recapturetheglory
Nick and Jaqui de Meric will have a special rooting interest in this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Recapturetheglory, who will be running for the roses May 3 at Churchill Downs after capturing the Illinois Derby (gr. II) by four lengths, is a graduate of the couple's Florida-based pinhooking program.
Recapturing Louie Roussel
As trainer Louie Roussel III feeds his 3-year-old bay colt a mint to keep him quiet during a morning bath in the week leading up to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), it isn't so hard to imagine it is Risen Star being rinsed down, not the appropriately named Recapturetheglory.
Recapturetheglory Works 5 Furlongs
Recapturetheglory wasn't scheduled to work Friday morning at Churchill Downs, but trainer and co-owner Louie Roussel changed his plan for the colt.
Recapturetheglory Works at Churchill
Illinois Derby (gr. II) winner Recapturetheglory, a potential contender for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), worked five furlongs at Churchill Downs April 17.
Ky. Derby Trail: Tale of the Colonel
Well, we're down to our final two major preps, the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) and Arkansas Derby (gr. II), with the Coolmore Lexington (gr. II) and Holy Bull (gr. III) thrown in for good measure. The question right now is: what did we learn from last Saturday's preps?
Recapturetheglory Shocks Illinois Derby
Recapturetheglory, thought to be nothing more than a pacesetter, jumped to the early lead and never gave it up, powering home to a commanding four-length victory in the $500,000 Illinois Derby (gr. II) April 5 at Hawthorne Race Course.
Illinois Derby: Denis of Cork Faces Six
William K. Warren's Denis of Cork will put his undefeated record on the line and try to remain near the top of a small list of Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) favorites April 5 when he takes on six rivals in the $500,000 Illinois Derby (gr. II) at Hawthorne Race Course.
| Recapturetheglory | Cherokee Run | Runaway Groom |
| Cherokee Dame | ||
| Cold Awakening | Dehere | |
| Chilly Chick |
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