Carpe Diem finishes 10th in Kentucky Derby

Carpe Diem, the horse co-owned by Jackson Family Wines' Barbara Banke, finished 10th in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Banke, chairwoman and proprietor of the Santa Rosa-based company, said her 3-year-old colt 'didn't seem to fire' after making a strong start.

Carpe Diem was briefly in third but dropped back going into the stretch and never challenged the leaders.

'He just didn't seem to have the energy today,' Banke said from her ranch, Stonestreet Farms, in Lexington, Ky. 'That happens. You just have to regroup.'

Stonestreet was established a decade ago by Banke's late husband, Jess Jackson, founder of the iconic winery that helped put Sonoma County on the map as a premier wine region. The stable's successes include Curlin, which won the 2007 Preakness Stakes, and Rachel Alexandra, a filly that won the 2009 Preakness and was named Horse of the Year.

Banke said it's possible Carpe Diem used too much energy trying to overcome a poor starting position close to the rail.

She credited jockey John Velazquez with getting him within range of the top three horses. For a moment she was hopeful.

But that faded. She said perhaps Velazquez sensed Carpe Diem wasn't going to do it and held back so as not to risk hurting him. Stonestreet and partners WinStar farm paid $1.6 million for the pedigree mount.

'If he had been the Carpe Diem we're used to he would have run with them,' she said. 'He just couldn't do it.'

What's next for Carpe Diem? Banke said he will not race at the Preakness in two weeks, in part because he's not in contention for the Triple Crown.

But he will compete in other races this summer with an eye toward entering the Breeder's Cup, generally considered the fourth- or fifth-most prestigious horse race in North America, in October.

This year's Breeder's Cup is in Lexington, a track where Carpe Diem has been successful, she said.

'We know he loves Lexington,' she said. 'He's won a couple of great ones there.'

After undergoing a post-Derby physical checkout, Carpe Diem will head for training in upstate New York for the next few months and possibly race at Saratoga or Belmont Park, she said.

'Stay tuned,' she said. 'Things can change.'

Meanwhile, Banke said the Derby experience didn't fail to impress with its pomp and pageantry. She attended the race with family members including her children, sister and others.

'It's awesome to be there,' she said. 'It would have been better if our horse had been feeling up to the task.'

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.