McKinzie and Bolt d'Oro locked in battle, photo by Gary Tasich
Bolt d'Oro and McKinzie raged down the stretch in an epic and relentless duel. The showdown in the San Felipe was living up to its hype as the tenacious pair battled it out tooth and nail beneath the ominous, storm laden sky. It looked like the win could go either way, but in the final strides of the race, McKinzie valiantly stretched his neck out just enough to maintain the advantage. Victory was his... Until the inquiry sign flashed.
Oh, the irony.
The drama continued well after the horses crossed the wire, as stewards hustled to review all of the bumping and slugging that went on in the stretch. Nerves were running high for all involved as the stunning plot twist in the San Felipe began to unfold. It is a position that no one wants to be involved in, but for McKinzie, this wasn't his first rodeo. Only a few months before, he had been involved in an extremely controversial inquiry when a disqualification in the Los Alamitos Futurity placed him as the winner when he had in fact, crossed the wire second.
Solomini was an obvious winner in the Los Alamitos Futurity that day, but his slight interference with third pace finisher, Instilled Regard, caused Solomini to be placed third instead, as stewards felt that he had caused Instilled Regard to finish third instead of second. Bumping or not, Solomini was clearly the best that day, but luck was not on his side. Instead, luck favored McKinzie, who despite being beat, was allowed to maintain an unblemished record. This time around, however, fate wouldn't be as kind to McKinzie. After much deliberation, the stewards made the difficult decision to disqualify McKinzie from first to second in the San Felipe Stakes. Bolt d'Oro was now declared the winner.
In the heat of the moment, McKinzie had bumped Bolt d'Oro multiple times, which caused him to shift out slightly in the stretch. The fact that McKinzie clearly pushed Bolt d'Oro out of his path resulted in the stewards to make a unanimous decision to take him down. It was a decision that left many fans reeling in disbelief. But whether or not you feel that the right decision was made, there is one clear takeaway from this race. Regardless of who won or lost, both horses stepped up to the plate and proved that they belong in America's greatest race, the Kentucky Derby.
A rematch looms for McKinzie and Bolt d'Oro on the first Saturday in May. Beneath the iconic Twin Spires, they will get their chance to settle this debate once and for all, on racing's biggest stage. Perhaps we will see the determined duo blazing down the stretch, locked in battle, at Churchill Downs, leading the rest of the fray as they decide who the better colt really is. Or maybe someone else will come flying down the lane to spoil the party for both of them. Only time will tell, but for now, fans of both horses can rest easy with the knowledge that both McKinzie and Bolt d'Oro are legitimate contenders.
Thank you to Gary Tasich for the wonderful photos!
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