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Medford horse owner has a big stake in Preakness Barry Thiriot owns half of U S S Tinosa, an entrant who some think could do well in today's Triple Crown race By TIM TROWER Barry Thiriot won't be in his customary place today to watch the second leg of the Triple Crown. The Medford businessman will watch the Preakness Stakes from a far better vantage point than a Medford sports bar that features live horse racing. He'll be in a box seat at Pimlico Race Course with a decidedly biased rooting interest - he owns half of U S S Tinosa, one of the entries who in many quarters is given a better-than-fair chance to contend. Thiriot, 44, has lived in the Rogue Valley for two decades and owns 17 KFC franchises in Oregon and Washington. He purchased his half-interest in the 3-year-old last December, but declined to give the price he paid. He's owned horses for 24 years, dating to when he lived in Utah and took them to Phoenix to race, but he's never been involved with one of this stature. "He's a lot better caliber than I've ever had," said Thiriot, who barely was shut out of the Kentucky Derby. "I've had stakes winners before, and I've won the California Derby, but nothing on this scale." The morning line puts U S S Tinosa at 15-1, the co-sixth betting choice, and he'll break from the No. 1 post position. Kent Desormeaux, among the world's finest jockeys, has ride. Thiriot, reached by telephone, is in Baltimore this week getting his first taste of the Triple Crown scene. He was at the back side of the track at the stakes barn on Friday with everyone else. He's visited with the likes of trainers D. Wayne Lukas, Bob Baffert and Nick Zito and has marveled at the hubbub. "It's pretty hectic here with all the press buzzing around and trying to get interviews," he said. "I'm not really an interview guy. There's a lot of commotion going on back there right now. It's great. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience." U S S Tinosa was first brought to Thiriot's attention last October by a good friend of his, Jamie Ough, a blood-stock agent. Half of the horse was up for sale, but Thiriot wasn't interested. Peter Abruzzo of Chicago bought into him. "He hadn't really been running," said Thiriot. "He'd been laid off for a couple of months." U S S Tinosa, sired by Foxhound by way of Danzig, was shipped to Northern California from Chicago. As he readied for his first race, Abruzzo's partner put his half up for sale, and Thiriot stepped up. Since Thiriot has had him, U S S Tinosa has run twice at Golden Gate and three times at Santa Anita. He won the Sham Stakes with Desormeaux aboard for the first time, then finished second by 21/2 lengths to Medaglia d'Oro, the Preakness favorite, in the San Felipe, a Grade II stakes race. In April, his last race, U S S Tinosa was squeezed at the start and finished fifth, 51/2 lengths back at the Grade I Santa Anita Derby. Thiriot and Co. tried to get their horse into the Kentucky Derby but came up just short. Horses get in based on their graded stakes earnings, not total earnings. U S S Tinosa has more than $250,000 in earnings, but not all of it in graded stakes. "We were one spot from getting into the Derby," said Thiriot. They got into this one, a 1-3/16-mile trip that seems to favor U S S Tinosa. "He's bred to the mile-and-a-quarter, mile-and-a-half," said Thiriot. "He's not just your typical speed horse." That's the primary reason he's given a chance to do well. There is a lot of speed in this race. Conventional thinking is that several horses could set a blistering pace, daring others to follow. If some of the better ones do, such as Derby winner War Emblem, it could leave room for the endurance entrants to pass those fading in the homestretch. U S S Tinosa has shown he can rally. Andrew Beyer, one of the most respected handicappers in the business, writes in The Washington Post: "U S S Tinosa ... has been training impressively in the last few weeks and could be a longshot, off-the-pace threat, too." On the ESPN Web site, handicapper Bill Finley picks Thiriot's horse to finish second to War Emblem and ahead of third-place Medaglia d'Oro. Thiriot doesn't need their testimony to believe in U S S Tinosa. He has no less an authority in his corner than Desormeaux, who has ridden the horse the last three times out. "He thought we'd get in the Derby," said Thiriot, "and he never took another Derby mount. He wanted to ride this horse. He's pretty convinced it's a nice horse that can compete at this level." Their prospects improve with Desormeaux, who "grew up on this track and has ridden a lot of winners here," said Thiriot. Desormeaux nearly won the Triple Crown in 1998 aboard Real Quiet, capturing the Derby and Preakness before finishing a close second in the Belmont Stakes. He won Derby again 2000 aboard favorite Fusaichi Pegasus, and in 2001 became the youngest jockey to win 4,000 races. "There's some serious speed horses in the race breaking from the 8, 9 and 10 positions," said Thiriot. "Hopefully, we can good a good trip down on the inside." Whatever kind of trip and performance they have will determine whether the horse is entered in the Belmont, the third leg of the Triple Crown. It also might determine what kind of birthday Thiriot has. He turns 45 on Tuesday. "A trophy at the Preakness, that would be a good birthday present," he mused. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.