Guillot Adds Cajun Spice to Keeneland Race

With D. Wayne Lukas no longer a reliable source of backstretch color during Kentucky Derby week because of the decline of his stable, fans of outsize personalities should be crossing their fingers and hoping a little colt named Salute the Sarge wins the Grade II $325,000 Lexington Stakes this afternoon at Keeneland and goes on to Churchill Downs.

The horse's trainer, Eric Guillot, is a double shot of Cajun spice, a native of New Iberia, La., who moved to California in body but, apparently, not in mind. He started fooling with horses at age 5 and grew up racing quarter horses at Louisiana bush tracks with the likes of Hall of Fame riders Eddie Delahoussaye and Kent Desormeaux. His Salute the Sarge was the top 2-year-old sprinter in California last year and won his first start at 3 last month.

Guillot's down-home patois is full of humor and banter, a marked departure from the businesslike trainers who populate racing today. A rambling good nature, however, should not cloud the seriousness of his intent. With deep-pocketed oilman Michael Moreno supplying him with millions of dollars in select horseflesh, Guillot, 46, is out to win.

Yet he can't seem to help but have fun along the way. During a national teleconference this week, Guillot engaged in the following exchange with a reporter:

"I definitely knew you were from Louisiana because in Houston, I've definitely known some of those guys. The first time I ever interviewed jockey Steve Bourque, I needed a translator, so you're way more articulate than . . . "

"Maybe I'm a hair better than Stevie," Guillot said.

"It's been a pleasure. You're a great interview."

"That's maybe because I don't have webbed toes like Steve does."

On the chances of 2-year-old champion War Pass in the Derby, Guillot couldn't have been blunter.

"I think the Derby will eat him up, in my opinion," he said. "I think he'll be maybe into the final turn and then -- phzzt -- that's it."

The 1 1/16 -mile Lexington is the last chance for 3-year-olds to collect graded stakes earnings needed to crash the top 20 list that qualifies for the Derby. Unlike entrant Tomcito, the Kentucky-bred winner of Peruvian classic races, Salute the Sarge already has the necessary earnings to run. Guillot, however, wants to see if the colt acts like he can travel a mile and a quarter. Moreno, who has spent millions trying to get a horse good enough for the Kentucky Derby, of course wants to go.

Keeneland linemaker Mike Battaglia has made Salute the Sarge the 4-1 morning-line second choice behind Todd Pletcher's Atoned.

"So, basically, my partner's got $40 million invested. If he wants to buy his wife a big, pretty outfit to go down to the Kentucky Derby then, hey, more power to him as I see it," Guillot said. "It's hard to get in this elusive race that people just put millions and millions and years and years into. . . . There's going to be one winner. The rest of them, no one's going to remember who they are, and there's going to be 19 losers, and there's going to be 15 that don't belong. We might be one of the 15 that don't belong."

Racing Notes: Regal Solo won the Maryland Million Nursery last year, finished third in the Maryland Juvenile Championship then won a seven-furlong sprint allowance Feb. 18 at Laurel Park. Yet despite his proven closing kick, the 3-year-old trained by Linda Albert for owner-breeder Allen Murray Jr. was sent off at odds of 20-1 in the Miracle Wood Stakes and a whopping 53-1 in the Private Terms.

Regal Solo's surge from last to miss winning the Private Terms by a half-length March 22 ought to ensure his talent won't be ignored again by bettors this afternoon in the $150,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds at Pimlico.

The 1 1/8 -mile dirt race, which attracted five Triple Crown nominees in the eight-horse field, is a steppingstone to the Preakness Stakes. It tops a full 10-race card that features three other stakes races.

"He shows up for every dance, but there always seems to be someone more interesting in the race than him," Albert said of Regal Solo. "They've beaten him sometimes, too, but he's always in the race. Every race he's ever run when they turn for home you're thinking you have a chance."