Stop the presses!!! Isn’t He Clever, the three-year-old gelding owned by El Paso’s Kirk Robison, may yet get into next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. No kidding.
Here’s how it happened:
Robison got a call last week from Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is held. It turns out that some horses with more graded earnings have, for various reasons, decided not to enter the Run for the Roses. As a result, Isn’t He Clever now ranks 21st in the nation in graded earnings. The Kentucky Derby takes the top 20 three-year-olds in graded earnings so if two or more horses decide to drop out of the race this coming week Isn’t He Clever will become eligible.
ROBISON HAS his fingers crossed. It’s been a life-long ambition of his to have a horse in the Kentucky Derby. He’s so hopeful, he’s already sent Isn’t He Clever to Kentucky.
“If he doesn’t get in the Derby Isn’t He Clever may run in one of the other races on the undercard,” Henry Dominguez, Isn’t He Clever’s trainer, says.
By the way, Dominguez won’t be listed as Isn’t He Clever’s trainer in Kentucky. Robison has many horses around the country under other trainers. One is Steve Asmussen, who already has an eligible Kentucky Derby horse. So Asmussen will take care of Isn’t He Clever in Kentucky and will be listed as his trainer.
THERE IS a downside for Dominguez. If Isn’t He Clever happens to do well in the Kentucky Derby and earn a share of the huge prize money the trainer’s share will go to Asmussen although it will be Dominguez who got Isn’t He Clever there.
Dominguez is philosophical about it. “That’s part of the business of horse racing,” he says. Besides, he’s more interested in the welfare of the horse.
However, you can be sure Dominguez will be there to cheer on Isn’t He Clever if he does get into the Kentucky Derby and will receive much of the credit.
TRIVIA QUESTION: Only one El Pasoan has won two national Golden Gloves boxing championships. Can you name him? Answer at end.
THE EL PASO Athletic Hall of Fame wound up with its annual induction banquet last Wednesday. Up next: The El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame.
The latter will be celebrating its Silver Anniversary and held its first meeting of the year last week. The new president of the El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame is Larry Hernandez. He writes:
“It’s time for our ‘First Pitch’ of 2012. As per our bylaws, I have organized three meetings with our current executive committee to review all phases of our organizational composition as well as attempting to modernize our compliance with current financial requirements as a not for profit organization.”
More to come.
SUPER GOLF event coming up:
You’ll be able to watch current PGA Tour members J.P. Hayes, Paul Stankowski and Chris Baryla plus LPGA Tour member Gerina Mendoza-Piller and Nationwide/Champions Tour member Steve Haskins display there swings along with UTEP golf coach Scott Lieberwirth on Saturday, May 12, at El Paso Country Club.
The event, which benefits Kristi Albers’ First Tee Program for kids, was originally scheduled for last November.
Not only can you learn from watching El Paso’s finest pros but you may learn more about the swing by attending a Skills Clinic at 1 p.m. A nine-hole skins game will follow. It’s all open to the public.
How sweet it is.
ANSWER to trivia question: Pete Melendez.
2 May