Sooner or later, McPeek is going to get his Breeders' Cup win
DEL MAR, Calif. - Anytime a Thoroughbred trainer is compared to the late Bobby Frankel, it’s got to be good, right? After all, Frankel was a Hall of Famer nonpareil.
Not so fast there, says Kenny McPeek.
“In this case, it’s not exactly the company you want to be in,” said McPeek.
:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2017: Fields, odds, comments, and more
Frankel went winless with his first 38 Breeders’ Cup starters before winning the 2001 Sprint with Squirtle Squirt. Similarly, McPeek has failed to win with his first 28 BC runners – although his record is fairly remarkable otherwise, with five seconds and nine thirds since he ran his first BC horse in 1994. Only John Sadler (0 for 39) and Christophe Clement (0 for 32) have had more BC starts without a win.
“We’ve had horses run really well, but we just haven’t had much luck getting over the top,” said McPeek.
McPeek is here from Kentucky with Princess Warrior, his 29th BC starter, and he is optimistic the bay Midshipman filly can break his drought when she runs Saturday in the $2 million BC Juvenile Fillies. With Brian Hernandez Jr. riding, Princess Warrior will break from post 3 as one of the mid-range wagering choices after running second as the favorite in the Grade 1 Alcibiades last month at Keeneland.
“She’s fast and she’s already a pro,” said McPeek. “Her first race” - a maiden victory in September at Churchill Downs - “was ultra impressive. Then I thought she ran great in the Alcibiades, even though not a whole lot went right for her. I do like this inside post a lot. Brian can save ground in the first turn and hopefully work out a trip from there.”
Frankel wound up with six BC winners from 82 starters prior to his death in November 2009 at age 68. McPeek, 55, is hoping Princess Warrior can get him off the schneid – and if not, he’ll still try to enjoy the trip to Del Mar with his wife, Sherri, and their friends.
“We’re going to have a good experience out here and hope for the best,” he said.