‘I hate that gender thing,’ female trainer says

Make Music for Me's Barba seeks historic Kentucky Derby victory Saturday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The lone woman trainer at this weekend's Kentucky Derby is angered that her gender is an issue as she sets out to become the first female winner of the "Run for the Roses."

Alexis Barba, the trainer of Kentucky-bred Make Music for Me, will be the 14th woman to saddle a horse in the Derby, where none have made it to the winner's circle.

"We should be beyond that," Barba told Reuters on Friday. "I hate that gender thing. It's great for anyone — boy or girl — to be in the Derby." 

Trainer Shelley Riley's second place finish with Casual Lies in 1992 is the top Derby result for a woman, while Kristin Mulhall came third with Imperialism in 2004.

Make Music for Me became eligible for Saturday's race when Sunland Derby winner Endorsement broke an ankle after a workout and trainer Todd Pletcher opted not to run Interactif.

Barba, speaking at her Churchill Downs barn, said horse racing is a "male-dominated profession" but said it would be no more of an honor to win the race as a female than a male.

"Women are very interested in this business," said the 57-year-old Barba. "It's just a matter of getting a lucky break with an owner. The women who have gotten that lucky break have gone on to run horses in the Derby."

Make Music for Me, a bay son of Bernstein who will be ridden on Saturday by Derby newcomer Joel Rosario, is a 50-1 morning-line longshot.

Mine That Bird, however, was 50-1 a year ago but won by an eyebrow-raising 6-3/4 lengths in one of the Derby's greatest upsets.

If Make Music for Me wins the Derby and Barba becomes the first female trainer to win there, she fully expects her daily routine to remain the same.

"My life will change for a little while," said Barba, who runs a nine-horse stable in Southern California. "Then it all goes back to normal. Let's face it. I'm back to work on Monday regardless if he wins on Saturday or not."