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Associated Press 18y

Desormeaux misses workout aboard Sweetnorthernsaint

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Kent Desormeaux is one embarrassed Hall
of Fame jockey.

The two-time Derby winner who will ride Sweetnorthernsaint in
Saturday's $2 million Kentucky Derby failed to show up at Churchill
Downs on Saturday for the horses' final workouts.

The 3-year-old gelding worked out about 7 a.m., but with Calvin
Borel aboard instead of Desormeaux.

Jim Pegram, Desormeaux's agent, tried to explain the case of his
missing rider Monday. Here's his story: Desormeaux arrived in
Louisville from New York on a late Friday flight. He checked into a
hotel, left a wakeup call with the front desk and it never came.
And, Pegram said, Desormeaux's cell phone battery was dead.

"I finally called the hotel, and when someone knocked on his
door, about 8 a.m, it was too late," Pegram said. "So he went
back to New York.

"He's embarrassed by it," Pegram added. "He's a big-time
rider on a big-time horse in a big-time race."

Michael Trombetta, who trains the Illinois Derby winner, was
smiling over the foul-up Monday.

"I didn't expect it to happen, but I would need an awfully good
excuse to change riders," Trombetta said. "He called at 8 a.m.
and was embarrassed and apologetic. I just didn't get too caught up
in it all. It was an innocent mistake, and I got some help and he
got the work in."

Desormeaux recently left California to ride in New York. Pegram
said the jockey would return to Louisville to ride Friday and
Saturday.

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^UNBEATEN DERBY RUNNERS:@ Gretchen and Roy Jackson's first
attempt to win the Kentucky Derby could be a historic one: The
owners will be the first to send out two unbeaten 3-year-olds in
the same Derby.

The Jacksons, who operate as Lael Stables, own Florida Derby
winner Barbaro (5-for-5) and Lexington Stakes winner Showing Up
(3-for-3).

Showing Up, who had a solid workout Monday at Belmont Park, is
still not a definite. Trainer Barclay Tagg said he'd make a final
Derby decision Wednesday.

Smarty Jones in 2004 was the last undefeated horse to win the
Derby -- Smarty was 6-for-6 coming into the race. Before that, it
was Seattle Slew in 1977 -- Slew was 6-for-6, too.

A total of 18 horses went into the Derby without a loss -- five
won. The others were Regret in 1915, Morvich in 1922 and Majestic
Prince in 1969.<

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^ON THE BUBBLE:@ Twenty horses is the limit for starting spots
in the Kentucky Derby.

Graded stakes earnings determine which horses get in when
entries are taken Wednesday, and that's got Sunriver on the bubble.
The colt moved up one spot to No. 21, with $100,000, after it was
confirmed Monday that 20th-ranked Mister Triester won't start.

"Darn right I'd like to run him," said trainer Todd Pletcher,
who has two other entries. "I'd like to see him get his chance."

Mister Triester's defection helped out Flashy Bull, who moved
into the 20th spot with $109,000.

"That's good," said trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who saddled
71-1 shot Closing Argument to a second-place finish last year. "We
were training him to run in the Derby. We didn't have an alternate
plan."

Flashy Bull is a gray son of Holy Bull, who sired last year's
upset winner Giacomo, and will be ridden by Mike Smith, who won his
first Derby last year. The colt has just one win in his nine-race
career.

Owner B. Wayne Hughes decided it would be too much for Mister
Triester to run this weekend after his third-place finish last
Saturday in the Derby Trial.

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