Hansen upstaged by Macho Macho in West Virginia Derby

Bridge jumpers took a bath Saturday afternoon at Mountaineer Park as juvenile

champion Hansen could only finish fourth behind Jerry Durant's Macho Macho in

the Grade 2, $750,000

West

Virginia Derby.

Under pressure from the start of the 1 1/8-mile fixture by Grade 2 Louisiana

Derby winner Hero of Order, Hansen finally cleared that stubborn rival turning

for home. However, the 3-5 favorite was struggling to maintain his lead as a

trio of competitors threatened him from all sides.

The one who ultimately had the best kick was Macho Macho, the 9-2 second

choice who had tracked in third as Hansen and Hero of Order dueled through

splits of :24 1/5, :47 1/5 and 1:11 1/5. Appearing to lose a bit of momentum at

the top of the stretch as Bourbon Courage challenged from the inside and Called

to Serve made a four-wide rally, Macho Macho found his best kick from a

three-deep position under Corey Nakatani and got up by a half-length in a time

of 1:49 4/5 over the fast main track.

Macho Macho returned $11.60, $5.60 and $11. Bourbon Courage, the 5-1 third

choice, edged past Hansen with a rail rally and wound up second, a half-length

ahead of Called to Serve, a 12-1 chance whose bid fell flat. Hansen was another

1 1 /4 lengths behind in fourth.

Completing the order of finish were Hero of Order, Penn's Grant, Macho Bull,

Z Camelot and Le Bernardin. Morgan's Guerrilla was scratched.

This was the fourth West Virginia Derby score for trainer Steve Asmussen, who

previously saddled Real Dandy (2005), Zanjero (2007) and Soul Warrior (2009) to

victory.

Macho Macho did not debut until February 3 at Fair Grounds, where he finished

16 lengths behind Bourbon Courage in a six-furlong maiden. Rebounding to

graduate in his next start over the same track and distance, he lost to Bourbon

Courage again, by 6 3/4 lengths, in a first-level allowance in his final New

Orleans appearance.

After passing his first allowance condition at Churchill Downs by two lengths

in his next start, Macho Macho faced stakes company in two subsequent outings. A

distant third in the Grade 3 Matt Winn in his first added-money attempt, he

improved to finish a half-length second in the Long Branch at Monmouth Park July

8. His record now stands at 7-3-2-1, $546,214.

A gray son of Macho Uno, Macho Macho was bred in Kentucky by C. Kidder, J.K.

Griggs and Linda Griggs, and sold for $160,000 as a Keeneland September

yearling. Produced by the General Meeting mare Dazzling Contrast, he counts as a

half-sister the stakes-placed Hug It Out.

Macho Macho's second dam was Grade 1 heroine Fantastic Look, who's three

stakes-winning offspring included Grade 1 winner Designed for Luck. This is the

extended family of Grade 3 winners Miss Fortunate and Worldly Ways.

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