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Trippi Is Spelled S-P-E-E-D


It's not often that a horse catches my eye. I don't possess the knack of consistently spotting steeds who look good enough to bet no matter the conditions.

But on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park, I nudged a friend and said: "Boy -- look at that horse. He certainly doesn't look like a first-time starter."

My friend responded: "You're right."

Out pranced Trippi, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Jerry Bailey. No lead pony. A perfect gentleman. I hadn't seen that shiny a reddish-brown coat in a long time. Body language communicates positives: a horse prancing on toes, head tucked toward the chest, neck arched, ears pointed and tail slightly raised sends incontestable signals.

I don't waste anytime betting an exacta box with him nor a sizable wager to win and place. Neither does my friend.

They're off and he breaks in the air. Oh, my, I think to myself, so much for that selection.

Then Trippi makes up a ton of ground. He wins in a hand ride, covering five furlongs in 57 2/5 -- four-fifths of a second off the track record -- and 1:10 1/5 for the six furlongs isn't too shabby. He won by more than four lengths.

In his first outing against older horses in the Tom Fool at Belmont on July 2, the son of End Sweep won his fifth sprint a great deal more impressively after dueling with the speedy Brutally Frank.

He reeled off fast fractions of 22 for the quarter-mile, 44 2/5 for the half and 1:08 4/5 for six furlongs, covering the seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:21 3/5. He won by more than four lengths.

Trippi is deceiving, Bailey said. "He doesn't give you the burst of energy -- he keeps going at the same wicked pace. He has a real smooth stride and he covers a lot of ground. He's only 3, but he's got a lot of talent."

His only loss in seven starts came in the Kentucky Derby when he ran 11th after grabbing the lead and holding it until the top of the Churchill Downs stretch.

Unraced as a juvenile, when he sold for $65,000 at Keeneland, the colt's earnings top $428,000. Some of his victories include the Flamingo Stakes during the Hialeah-at-Gulfstream meeting and the Riva Ridge at Belmont.

Trippi is named for the famous football player who led the University of Georgia to victory in the first Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1947.
The copyright of the article Trippi Is Spelled S-P-E-E-D in Horse Racing is owned by Greg Melikov. Permission to republish Trippi Is Spelled S-P-E-E-D in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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