By GARRICK FELDMAN
Leader executive editor
Bob and Val Yagos, former owners of Archarcharch, winner of the Arkansas Derby, say they’re grooming future thoroughbred champions now that their colt is living in retirement and siring dozens of offspring.
The Yagoses sold Archarch-arch for $1.1 million after a career-ending injury at the Kentucky Derby on May 7.
They almost sold him in February, before he won the Arkansas Derby to qualify for the “fastest two minutes in sports.”
Someone in Great Britain purchased Archarcharch with plans to run him in the Dubai circuit, but deadlines couldn’t be met and Val Yagos had a last-minute, and fortuitous, change of heart.
With the post-prize-winning sale, they have retained some breeding rights to the horse’s offspring, allowing them to take up to five horses a year. Some of them should turn into winners, they said.
The Jacksonville couple were guests at a reception Thursday evening at the home of Larry and Wendy Wilson.
Mayor Gary Fletcher de-clared June 9 to be Bob and Val Yagos Day in Jacksonville.
Terry Wallace, the longtime announcer at Oaklawn Park, recreated the highlights of the Arkansas Derby on April 16:
“Here they come into the stretch, and it’s Sway Away, who comes up to take charge now along the inside, Dance City second. Archarcharch— here comes the local guy on the outside. The leader is Sway Away.
“Here is Archarcharch trying to win one for the locals. And it is Archarcharch having to hold off Nehro at the wire. “Archarcharch the winner of the Arkansas Derby by a head and Nehro was second.”
Archarcharch won the Ark-ansas Derby by a neck over Nehro.
Archarcharch won the Southwest Stakes before that, making him the only horse in the Kentucky Derby with two grade- stakes victories. The horse won $750,000 in those two races.
“He was the second-leading earner going into the Kentucky Derby,” Bob Yagos said.
“He took us to a lot of places,” he continued. “He has an amazing fan base.”
For what started out as a hobby 20 years ago, the Yagoses said they’d done well and appreciate the fan support in Arkansas.
Archarcharch drew the dreaded inside starting position at Churchill Downs, and struggled in the Kentucky Derby.
He was bumped out of the starting gate, causing rider Jon Court’s saddle to slip. Soon after, he was bumped again and somewhere in the fray, suffered a fracture on his front leg that required surgery.
William (Jinks) Fires, Arch-archarch’s trainer, and his brother Mannie, who is also a trainer, attended the reception at the Wilsons’.
Court is Jinks’ 50-year-old son-in-law.
“We appreciate everyone in Arkansas who has been behind us,” Bob Yagos said. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Larry Wilson said it was an extraordinary experience to see an Arkansas horse at the Kentucky Derby and this was perhaps the only time he would honor the winner of the Arkansas Derby from Jacksonville.
Bob Yagos said he expects more winners in the next few years.
