February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By John Manley
The 18th time proved the charm for Michael Kinane as the popular jockey enjoyed his first Budweiser Irish Derby triumph aboard Galileo at The Curragh on Sunday.
The 3-year-old son of Sadler’s Wells had four lengths on Morshdi at the wire, with Golan another four lengths back in third.
Galileo, owned by Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier, came into the Derby undefeated in four races, his most recent victory the Epsom Derby three weeks prior. There, he trounced Golan by three lengths.
The winner’s style in his brief career has been to rate a few lengths off the leaders in midpack, surge to the lead a couple furlongs from home, and maintain his advantage to the wire. The Irish Derby was no exception, although Kinane allowed Galileo a closer look at the pacesetters than has been the norm.
True to form, Galileo was thrown into overdrive a quarter mile from home and he didn’t disappoint, finishing his rivals off within a mere few strides. He galloped to the wire from there.
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Aidan O’Brien, Galileo’s trainer, indicated after the race that the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont Park in late October would be a prime target for the colt, who will try to make amends for Giant’s Causeway’s narrow defeat in that race at Churchill Downs last year.