Horse Racing: Iowa group's lead steed has Derby Dreams
By Dan Johnson dansjohn@dmreg.com
March 02, 2010 23:08 PM

Jerry Crawford has caught Derby fever. The Des Moines attorney heads the Derby Dreams partnership, whose Vow to Wager won Saturday's $100,000 Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park in Kentucky. Now the 3-year-old is on the Triple Crown trail, with his next race being the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes on March 27. Should he win or place, Vow to Wager would be entered in the Kentucky Derby on May 1.

"Derby Dreams is the right name for our partnership, because that's what we're doing," said Crawford, who is also the managing owner of the Iowa Energy. "We have a long, long ways to go - but if it were to pan out, it would be the dream of a lifetime." The Derby Dreams partnership includes Des Moines-area residents Dennis Albaugh, Jason Loutsch, Gary Kirke, George Cataldo, Dr. William Jacobson, and Judy Smith. It was formed in 2008, when the group spent $500,000 to buy eight yearlings at horse sales. "We only bought horses that were bred for classic distances," said Crawford, known in Democratic political circles for being an influential fundraiser and adviser to former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. "The specific goal of the partnership is to get a horse into the Kentucky Derby." Those yearlings are now 3-year-olds. Vow to Wager, a son of Broken Vow, was winless in three starts in 2009, but he has won both his races this year. He won his opening race by 51/2 lengths, then took the roughly-run Battaglia after Codoy was disqualified for interference. Vow to Wager was cut off turning for home and again when Codoy veered inward. "Broken Vow offspring often mature slowly," Crawford said. "When he was running poorly as a 2-year-old, (trainer) Dale Romans said 'I love this colt; don't give up hope on him.' Fortunately, I was wrong about the horse and Dale Romans was right. "He's going to have to take a gigantic step forward to get to the Derby. He's going to have to finish first or second in the Lane's End to get to the Derby. But I think, stretching out (in distance), it could happen." The group has another Triple Crown prospect in Paddy O'Prado, who was third in a stakes race on turf at 2. His long-range goal is the 11/2-mile Belmont Stakes in June. "He may end up being the best of the eight," Crawford said. "Both Paddy O'Prado and Vow to Wager, we'll give them a serious look for the Belmont, just because they're bred to run so long. We'll have to see if either of these horses earn the chance to do that." Another horse with Iowa ties that is on the Derby trail is Uh Oh Bango, who will run in the March 13 Rebel Stakes in Arkansas. He was based at Prairie Meadows last year for owner-trainer Kory Owens and won the Prairie Meadows Freshman.