GRINDSTONE, one of a record five-strong Wayne Lukas entry in the richest ever Kentucky Derby, maintained that trainer's fierce grip on American Triple Crown races with a thrilling last gasp win over Cavonnier at overcast Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Jerry Bailey's mount lay 15th in a field of 19 after a quarter of a mile but the pair made steady progress, and the powerful finish of the Lukas colt enabled him to pip Cavonnier by a nose in the last stride.
It was the closest finish since Tomy Lee edged out Sword Dancer by an identical margin in 1959, with the time of 2 minute, 01.06 seconds the sixth fastest in the 122 year history of the race.
Prince of Thieves, also Lukas-trained, was a further three and a half lengths back in third and a neck and a nose in front of Halo Sunshine and the tiring favourite Unbridled's Song.
Lukas has now won the last six Triple Crown races - a record - and he now joins an elite band of trainers to have won the Kentucky Derby three times - a feat managed previously by only James Fitzsimmons and Max Hirsch.
Grindstone was a 5.9 to 1 shot on the Pari-Mutuel (coupled with sixth placed Editor's Note), and Lukas indicated that the Preakness Stakes was the next likely objective of both colts plus Prince of Thieves.
Lukas said: "This is the happiest I have ever been. Grindstone had arthroscopic surgery on his knee as two-year-old. We knew that he wasn't going to make any of the fall races so we brought him back slowly this spring. It was a good promotional job by me to bring him back and get him over here today with that limited amount of racing."
