NEW ORLEANS -- Kimberlite Pipe, a little-known horse dismissed at odds of 21-1, derailed Bob Baffert's runaway Kentucky Derby express yesterday -- for an hour and a half, anyway.
The overlooked 3-year-old colt barreled home along the rail to win the $600,000 Louisiana Derby, the signature race at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. He edged Answer Lively by a head, who in turn edged Ecton Park by a head, in the weekend's second exciting three-horse finish in a major Kentucky Derby prep.
On Saturday, Vicar, Wondertross and Cat Thief -- in that order -- swooped under the wire in a blanket finish in the $750,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.
The California-based Baffert did not start a horse in the Florida Derby. But in Saturday's two other major stakes for 3-years-olds, Baffert trained the winners -- Prime Timber in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park and Silverbulletday, a filly, in the Fair Grounds Oaks.
In the Louisiana Derby, Baffert saddled the 4-5 favorite, General Challenge -- and he got beat, a rare occurrence for a Baffert horse along this year's trail to the Kentucky Derby.
"That stinks," Baffert said, seeking to become the first trainer to win three consecutive Kentucky Derbies. "That really stinks."
But 90 minutes later, in the weekend's fifth stakes for 3-year-olds, the powerful late-running filly Excellent Meeting lifted the Baffert express back on track. As the 1-9 favorite, she won the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks at Santa Anita Park. And what's more, a Baffert-trained filly named Tout Charmant finished second.
Baffert spent the weekend in New Orleans with Silverbulletday and General Challenge, who entered their races at the Fair Grounds with a combined record of 10 wins in 11 races.
"I was pleased," Baffert said of the weekend outcomes, "except for this one here. I was sort of disappointed, because I think he's one of the better ones."
That's high praise from Baffert, who trains six of the Daily Racing Form's top nine Kentucky Derby prospects. A son of General Meeting and Excellent Lady, General Challenge left California an inexperienced, undefeated colt. He had won three races -- one at Hollywood Park and two at Santa Anita Park.
He returns with not only a blemish on his record but also perhaps invaluable experience.
"That's why we brought him down here," Baffert said. "These young horses, they need to learn how to run. He'd never had dirt in his face. He wasn't going to get that in California.
"He'd never shipped anywhere. And he didn't take the shipping all that well. But you've got to put them through that. He's got a lot of talent, this horse. But he's way too green."
General Challenge showed his lack of seasoning at the start of the 1 1/16-mile race. He broke with his front feet in the air, falling immediately behind in the eight-horse field.
Under jockey Gary Stevens, General Challenge surged back into contention with a bold move around the far turn. But he flattened out in the homestretch and finished fifth.
"Getting left like that left him with too much to do," Stevens said. "He got tired with that big move. He just needs to focus, you know."
Baffert said he'd outfit General Challenge with blinkers in his next start, probably the Santa Anita Derby on April 3 at Santa Anita Park. Baffert wouldn't say which other horses he might send into that race, California's premier Kentucky Derby prep. He said he'd have to get back home and see how everyone was doing.
As General Challenge faltered down the long Fair Grounds stretch, the top three finishers flourished in a furious change to the wire. Kimberlite Pipe's winning time of 1 minute, 43 2/5 seconds was excellent over a racing strip dulled by recent rains.
His trainer, Dallas Stewart, a former assistant to D. Wayne Lukas, said his long-shot colt had trained tremendously since finishing third three weeks ago here in the Risen Star Stakes. He'll race next in the Arkansas Derby or Blue Grass Stakes, Stewart said.
Kimberlite Pipe beat the two horses who finished in front of him in the Risen Star -- Ecton Park and Answer Lively. The 9-5 Answer Lively, the 1998 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding 2-year-old male, lost for the third straight time as a 3-year-old.
"My horse gave 110 percent," said Pay Day, Answer Lively's jockey. "Obviously, I want to get his number up. I can't fault him for his effort. They came home running, and he was in the thick of it the whole way."
The trainer perhaps most pleased with his horse's performance was Elliott Walden, whose 4-1 Ecton Park charged from far back only to fall two heads short.
"He wants to go a mile and a quarter," Walden said. "He was a little immature. It's only his fourth start. The winner ran a great race. But I wouldn't change horses with him."
Pub Date: 3/15/99