 “Was that a maiden race at Ellis or the Kentucky Derby?†trainer D. Wayne Lukas asked by phone from Saratoga minutes after Dial Me won Ellis Park’s seventh race for 2-year-old fillies Saturday afternoon.
It was Dial Me’s second start and also reflected the first victory for the Churchill Downs Racing Club, a pair of 200-person partnerships that cost $500 per participant to provide the experience of racehorse ownership without the large investment. Warrior’s Club, the first horse bought by the Churchill Downs Racing Club, sold out so quickly that Dial Me was bought and offered as a second partnership. Warrior’s Club also has run twice, finishing third earlier this meet.
Dial Me wore down favored Truthful to win by three-quarters of a length under Brian Hernandez Jr. She paid $7 to win as the second choice. Because of the massive crowd of Dial Me’s owners and their friends and family, track photographer Kurtis Coady staged the winner’s circle ceremony on the racetrack rather than in the traditional winner’s circle.Â
“I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference here, based on the winner’s circle,†Gary Palmisano, Churchill’s VIP services manager who oversees the partnerships, told Lukas, the four-time Kentucky Derby winner who trains both Dial Me and Warrior’s Club. “My heart’s beating out of my chest.â€
Said Lukas: “It’s extremely gratifying and special to bring that many people that much happiness for just a small amount (of investment). It really, really is special. It was fun to watch it.â€
“That was awesome,†Palmisano said. “She’s always shown a lot of ability. Wayne was very high on her; I was high on her. She’s always been forwardly training. Super fantastic. There were about 100 people here today, just overwhelmed with emotion. Hall of Fame trainer, one of my best friends riding, this was just a great experience. Looking forward to more, and we still have the colt, who has a lot of ability.â€
One owner not at the track was Kent Taylor, sports director for WAVE-3 in Louisville. Taylor and wife Connie Leonard are among Dial Me’s 200 investors, but Taylor was committed to a charity softball game. He later watched video of the race posted on Facebook.
“It was awesome,†Taylor said by phone. “This whole process has been so cool. It’s just icing on the cake to be even competitive. But to win a race, it’s just an amazing feeling. I can’t really put it into words.â€
Imagine if he’d actually been there. “I know. I can’t imagine,†Taylor said with a laugh. “I’d probably be going crazy. She looked good out of the gate, then she dropped back a little bit. When she turned for home and he pulled her out a little bit and she took off, it was so impressive. I’m sure the people who were there went absolutely nuts.â€
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    Lanerie sweeps ostrich, camel races
Too bad for Corey Lanerie that Ellis’ annual exotic animal races – this time an ostrich and camel heat – didn’t count toward his career win total, which stands at 3,966.
Lanerie won the ostrich race for the second time, but was breaking his maiden in the camel division. He was jokingly asked which was more exciting, approaching 4,000 victories or winning a camel race.
“Winning a camel race,†he joked back. “Finally I didn’t have Calvin (Borel) to deal with. I got to win. Calvin beat me twice by a hair. That was fun. I finally had a camel run today.â€
Two races earlier, Lanerie’s ostrich was slammed at the start when Rafael Mojica’s bird bore in at the break from the rail. But Lanerie extricated himself unscathed, quickly took a clear lead and led by so many lengths that he was waving to the crowd well before the wire.
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“You just want to keep your balance,†he said. “You’re so top heavy on them that if you get forward or sideways, you throw them off balance and they can fall. It’s just fun. It’s a challenge to get on ’em. Everyone in there (the jocks’ room), thinks I’m crazy, so that’s why I do it.
“I was disappointed the first couple of steps, because I thought my race was over. But he recovered and was the best ostrich today…. This was so fun. The rest of them, that’s our job. If I fall off this one or don’t win, I don’t have to come back and answer to the connections ‘what happened?’ It’s just me and the bird for fun. It’s not somebody’s livelihood, something they’re paying their bills with.â€
Sunday is the popular College Student Laptop Giveaway, sponsored by the Kentucky division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association. A laptop will be given away to a college student by random drawing after each of the nine races.Â
