Pegram Pulls from Kentucky Derby for the Second Time

Race horse owner, Mike Pegram, has been forced to pull  his Kentucky Derby hopeful, Governor Charlie from the race,
the second year in a row that he has been faced with this situation.  Last year, Pegram had to make the painful decision of pulling Secret Circle from the Kentucky Derby and it’s deja vu this year too.

Governor Charlie has been nursing a foot bruise and his trainer Bob Baffert and Pegram deemed him  fit enough to run the race. However, because he hasn’t had enough time to practice ahead of the Kentucky Derby which kicks off at Churchill Downs this Saturday, Pegram opted to let him build up momentum for the Preakness Stakes on May 18th instead.

“It’s kind of disappointing. It’s the second year in a row we thought we’d be in the race,” said Pegram about his decision to pull out of the Kentucky Derby.

The decision was especially difficult considering that Pegram already knows how it feels to win the Derby.  His horse, Real Quiet, came in first at the finishing line in 1998, before taking the Preakness title in the same year.  Pegram’s Lookin at Lucky won the Preakness Stakes in 2010.

This is the first time that Hall of Fame trainer Baffert will not take part in the Kentucky Derby in five years.  Speaking about the decision regarding Governor Charlie, the three times Kentucky Derby winner Baffert said: “I’m going to wait. I sat down with Mike and we said let’s not push it and get him right. There are other races. It’s tough to miss it, but if you don’t think you can run 1-2-3, I just don’t want to run. I know there have been some longshots (that have been winners), but I didn’t feel it. You have to feel it. I didn’t feel that we were going to be competitive. That’s why we passed on it.”