Impeachment captures show at Churchill Downs

Danette Goulet

Impeachment, one of three horses that Newport Beach couple Bob and

Beverly Lewis are part owners of, came from behind Saturday to capture

third place in the Kentucky Derby.

The couple returned home Sunday exhausted, but exhilarated with $25,000

in their pocket.

In the Kentucky Derby, third place takes 10% of the $1 million purse, said Bob Lewis. Since the couple owns a quarter of Impeachment they

walked away with $25,000 of the $100,000 he brought his owners.

“He ran third, and in the first quarter mile was running 19th, at the

very end and closed that distance -- it was quite remarkable,” Lewis

said.

But when a half-mile into the race, Impeachment was in last place it did

not concern his owners. Although the colt’s burst of energy may have

surprised many viewers, it was what Lewis had been waiting for.

“We knew that Impeachment was an excellent closer,” Lewis said. “He

really comes charging in at the end of the race, but there were also

other horses that also had that running style.”

Lewis did speculate that if the race were a bit longer, Impeachment may

have overtaken Fusaichi Pegasus, who he said everyone can expect to see

great things from.

The couple are also the owners of Commendable who came in 17th and part

owners of High Yield who came in 15th.

Lewis said he has not yet spoken to Impeachments trainer Todd Pletcher or

Wayne Lucas who trains High Yield and Commendable to discuss if the colts

would be headed on to the Preakness.

It was the third time in four year that one of the couple’s horses has

placed at Churchill Downs. Three years ago, their horse Silver Charm won

the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, but failed to capture first place

at the Belmont Stakes, which would have given them the coveted Triple

Crown of horse racing. Then in 1999 their 3-year-old thoroughbred

Charismatic captured first place after having suffered a broken leg the

year before.