West Saratoga has Demeritte smiling about Breeders’ Futurity

There are not too many more welcoming sights on abackstretch than the Larry Demeritte barn at Keeneland. Especially since thetrainer himself has a megawatt smile that nothing can wipe away.

“That’s my life,” he said. “Who could read you if you have abig smile?”

A big laugh followed, the soundtrack perhaps for a unique pokerface.

If his newly minted, graded-stakes winner West Saratogashould pull off an upset Saturday in the Grade 1, $600,000 Breeders’ Futurity,that triumph would carry Demeritte to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 3 atSanta Anita. It also would take that smile to Hollywood.

“It’d go from a smile to a grin,” he said.

More food for thought from a trainer who moved to America 47years ago from his native Bahamas. His stable is small. He has just nine horseswho he manages from his home base at The Thoroughbred Center, a 12-mile drivefrom the six stalls he has at Keeneland.

Since winning last month’s Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs,West Saratoga became the unrivaled star of the barn. He was just a few steps awaywhen Demeritte did an interview Thursday for Horse Racing Nation’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. The gray-roan Exaggerator colt who cost Demeritte’s friendHarry Veruchi only $11,000 was munching on the grass while assistant trainer DontéLowery held his rein.

“He’s moved forward I think again since the Iroquois,”Demeritte said. “He’s training very well. I’m looking forward to this run,because you’re going to see some Derby horses come out of this field. It’s areally good bunch of horses in this field.”

Morning-line maker Nick Tammaro gave odds of 20-1 to WestSaratoga. Todd Pletcher’s $425,000 Gun Runner colt Locked is the 7-5 favorite inthe field of nine 2-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles Saturday. He broke his maidenwith a 7 1/4-length win Sept. 1 at Saratoga and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of96, according to Daily Racing Form.

“I only can talk about my horse and how he’s moving forward,”Demeritte said. “I don’t know what the other horses are doing. Win, lose ordraw, I know this horse has improvement to make because of the way he’straining, the handling in the barn. He’s eating up everything. He’s holding hisweight very well, so I’m excited for this one, and that will tell us where we’reat with him after this race.”

West Saratoga is an exception to Demeritte’s usual businessmodel. If he were a realtor, he would be the guy who buys a house, fixes it upand flips it at a much higher price to the next buyer. He does the same thingwith horses. But not now. Demeritte said he and Veruchi would hold onto this guywho they came perilously close to losing before they ever had him.

“I just was fortunate and blessed to pick him up when I did,”Demeritte said. “I was close to the end of my ropes on how much I could spend.”

That was about 200 yards away during last year’s KeenelandSeptember yearling sale. West Saratoga was hip 4146. After him, only 15 morehorses went through the ring before that 12th and final day of the sale wasdone. Demeritte’s budget was nearly spent.

If the price for West Saratoga had gone higher than 11grand, “I had 12,” Demeritte said with another big laugh.

It turned out to be money well spent. With a record of 6:3-2-0 this year, West Saratoga has rung up $276,815 in purse earnings. HisIroquois victory also made Demeritte the first Black trainer to win a KentuckyDerby prep since the current points system was established 11 years ago.

If West Saratoga were to pull off the upset in the Breeders’Futurity or perhaps make a strong showing in defeat, Demeritte could become thesecond Black trainer based in the U.S. to get a horse to the Breeders’ Cup,which is about to have its 40th annual running. George Arnold was believed tohave been the first when he took California Angel to the 2021 Breeders’ CupJuvenile Fillies Turf.

“That means a great deal, because I always tell my staff werepresent a race of people,” Demeritte said. “When some trainers win, they winfor them. I feel like when I win, I win for a country. My whole country. Mycountry celebrates, and that’s the way we do it for our athletes in theBahamas. ... We take a lot of pride in where we’re from, representing people.”

Demeritte has been asked about this before. Not just afterhe won the Iroquois. A web search turned up a 1978 story from The AssociatedPress about owner Archie Donaldson and trainer Oscar Dishman, two Black menbased at Hialeah in Florida. Also quoted in that story that was picked up by TheNew York Times was a young groom by the name of Larry Demeritte.

This week he preferred not to reveal his age, but Demerittecould not hide the wisdom and perspective he has gained in the 45 years sincethat story was written. In short, he has refused to be stymied by the 120 yearsof barriers in racing that have been built on race.

“We have enough negatives in the world,” he said. “I don’t dwellon negatives. It’s all about positives, and there’s a lot of positive that wehope will come out of this to encourage not only so much people of color butpeople who need a break in life. I hope my life could be an example for them.That there’s a chance, but you have to dedicate yourself to it.”

Demeritte said it was his grandmother who taught him to makehimself better on his own terms.

“My grandmother always told me as a kid, ‘Larry, you have tobe twice as good to be equal.’ That’s what I strive for all the time through myentire life.”

That rings of an unjust, double standard, but Demeritte wouldhave none of that. He said it was absolutely fair.

“Yes, yes, yes,” he said. “Because my grandmother said it,and she’s the smartest woman I’ve ever known in my life. My grandmother’smother was a white lady, and this is back in the day. My grandmother was bornin 1900. She’d give us things to ground us properly, so it’s OK to be twice asgood to be equal. It makes you walk around with a smile on your face.”

Demeritte is a man of faith. He called himself “a prayingperson” who has been fortunate to have found a good life in horse racing.

“I have been blessed coming over here,” he said. “I alwaysset goals for myself, like when I left the Bahamas and a leading trainer tocome here. I said if it’s the Lord’s will, He’ll bless me within the first fiveyears. I gave myself time to have success, not overnight success.”

Those early years working for Dishman exposed Demeritte tothe modest accomplishments of Florida-bred horse Silver Series, who won theHawthorne Derby, Ohio Derby and American Derby Handicap in a four-week span of1977.

On his own since 1981, Demeritte’s previous biggest splash camewith Kentucky-bred gelding Memorial Maniac, who won the 2010 Stars and Stripes (G3)at Arlington. That was his only graded-stakes winner until West Saratoga lastmonth.

There may have been 13 years between those triumphs, butDemeritte said they were just part of the journey.

“There’s a lot of bumps in the road,” he said. “Life is likea blacktop road. It’s very long but very shallow. Sometimes you hit potholes.When you hit a pothole in life, what do you do with it? That’s where my faithcomes in, right there.

“I’ve seen a lot of trainers come and go. People with a lotof money come and go, but God still sustains me in this business, and I look atit as being a platform for Him. That’s why I have so many people pulling forme, and I’m so grateful for it. I really, really appreciate that more thananything.”

No matter what happens Saturday in the Breeders’ Futurity, Demerittesaid he would be happy to have another chance to have a visitor return andcatch up with him.

“Hopefully you could come back again after the race, and wego from there. You know, it’s one race at a time,” he said. Beaming.