10B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MOTOCROSS
THURSDAY. MAY 3. 2007
Ted S. Warren/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ryan Villopoto, of Poulsbo, Wash., flies through the air after going off a jump in an AMA Supercross "Lites" series motorcycle race Saturday at Qwest Field in Seattle. Villopoto has rapidly risen to be dirtbike racing's next young star.
Rider goes from unknown to champ
BYTIM BOOTH ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE — Mike Fisher wasn't all that impressed the first time he saw Ryan Villopoto ride.
Fisher was in research and development at the time for Kawasaki, and Villopoto was a willing test subject for some durability research. Sure, Villopoto was fast. But in no way did Fisher imagine the scrawny, red-headed kid from the soggy Pacific Northwest dominating races a few years later.
Since that first impression, Villopoto rapidly has risen to be dirtbike racing's next young star. He rode in front of his hometown fans in Seattle last weekend, having already wrapped up the AMA Western Region Supercross Lites division championship with two races remaining.
"He was a good rider for sure, but in no way his first year did I think he would win a national championship at that time," said Fisher, now the head of Kawasaki's race teams.
That title followed his AMA Motocross Lites championship from
last summer, which brought comparisons to some of the greats in dirtbike racing. Winning seven of the eight races this winter and spring during the Supercross season has increased those expectations — exponentially.
"Ryan, he's obviously in that mold. He's talked about in the same vain as (Jeremy) McGrath and (Ricky) Carmichael and (James) Stewart, the ones that have dominated the most recent history of the sport," said Roy Janson, vice president of operations for Live Nation Motorsports, promoter of the AMA Supercross Series.
Villopoto's skill is beyond question. Before joining the professional ranks, the 18-year-old was an amateur star and the winner of the 2005 AMA Horizon Award for his amateur achievements.
ride in warm climates, where the riding conditions are optimal for yearround practice and development. Instead, Villopoto's formative riding years were spent on land his family owned in Poulsbo, Wash., a 35-minute ferry ride from Seattle.
When conditions outside were too wet to ride — which occurred often between November and April
— Villopoto was relegated to riding on courses inside horse arenas.
"I was really into racing arenacross," Villopoto said. "I didn't like to ride in a whole lot of mud."
But what makes Villopoto unusual is his background. He didn't learn to
"I was really into racing arenacross. I didn't like to ride in a whole lot of mud."
RYAN VILLOPOTO Dirtbike racer
became a a Kawasaki Team Green
amateur rider in 2002 — before his
14th birthday. He won 12 titles in
by sixth grade, Villopoto's family realized their son might have a future. in the sport and relocated to Southern California. There, his talented accelerated with the ability to train year-round.
Villopoto
2003 and 2004 and concluded his amateur career in 2005 with the Horizon Award. In his first season racing the Supercross Lites series, Villopoto finished third, before dominating the Motocross circuit, winning six times.
"I always see an improvement in his style, in his riding. He's always ascending." Fisher said. "If you watch him a year ago and came back and watched him again, you'd say, 'Wow, he's improved a lot.' I don't see him peaking or anything yet."
Despite fans clamoring to see just how well Villopoo would do riding in the top series against Stewart, a fellow Kawasaki rider, he's in no rush to make the move. Villopoo will try to defend his Motocross Lites title this summer, then do the same next winter in Supercross.
Fans got a little taste of the future last Saturday night at Qwest Field. Stewart and Villopoto rode together during the opening ceremony.
"I've got to get ready and I wouldn't be ready next year." Villopoto said.
"It's a totally different bike. It's heavier, got a lot more power, and it takes a lot more out of you to ride."
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》 KENTUCKY DERBY
Ed Reinke/ASSOCIATED PRESS
An exercise rider puts Kentucky Derby entry Curlin through his paces during morning workouts at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky., on Wednesday. The 133rd Kentucky Derby will be held Saturday.
BY BETH HARRIS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Curlin will have to overcome 19 rivals and a lot of history if he is to win the Kentucky Derby.
The unbeaten colt was installed as the slight 7-2 favorite Wednesday after drawing the No. 2 post position. Affirmed was the last Derby winner to win from that post, and he went on to sweep the Triple Crown in 1978.
Curlin labeled race favorite
Winner of the Arkansas Derby for his third straight victory, Curlin will be ridden by Robby Albarado in a full field of 20 3-year-olds going 1 1/4 miles Saturday.
Besides Curlin, trainer Steve Assmussen will saddle Zano, a 30-
Curlin has two big things going against him: he didn't race as a 2-year-old and has run only three races in his career. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since the filly Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
1 shot.
Tampa Bay Derby winner Street Sense was made the second choice at 4-1. Street Sense, last year's 2-year-old male horse of the year, will try to end the Juvenile jinx: no Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner has ever gone on to win the Derby, an 0-for-23 drought. Street Sense, with Calvin Borel aboard, will leave from the No. 7 post for trainer Carl Nafzger, who won the 1990 Derby with Unbridled.
Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia said it was "very, very close" between Curlin and Street Sense, and he gave the nod to Asmussen's colt.
"He's undefeated." Battaglia said. "We don't know how good this horse is, but he's just been dominating."
Trainer Todd Pletcher will try to end his 0-for-14 skid in the Derby with a record-tying five entries: Any Given Saturday, Circular Quay, Cowtown Cat, Sam P. and Scat Daddy.
Circular Quay was made the 8-1 co-third choice, along with Nobiz Like Shobiz, trained by Barclay Tagg.
who won in 2003 with Funny Cide. Circular Quay, who comes in off an eight-week layoff, will start in the No.16 post. Wood Memorial winner Nobiz Like Shobiz will leave from the No.12 post.
Florida Derby winner Scat Daddy was installed as the 10-1 fourth choice and will break from the No. 14 post.
Pletcher's other horses were not among the favorites. Any Given Saturday was listed at 12-1; Cowtown Cat and Sam P. were both 20-1.
While Pletcher has five entries, four other trainers have two horses in the field — Asmussen has Curlin and Zanjero; Doug O'Neill has Great Hunter and Liquidity; Darrin Miller has Dominican and Sedgefield; and Bill Kaplan has Storm in May and Imawildcrazyguy. Since the 20-horse rule began in 1984, the race went off with the maximum field twice — in 2005 when Giacomo won at 50-1 odds and last year when Barbaro won by 6 1/2 lengths.
Absent from this year's Derby will be trainer Bob Baffert, who sent out three horses last year.
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