Horse racing and bass fishing crossed over last week after Rich Strike’s miraculous win at the 148th Kentucky Derby. Fortunate his horse even received a last-minute entry, trainer Eric Reed actually buckled to the ground as his 80-to-1 longshot stunned the world.
Mike and Becky Iaconelli were nearly as shocked when Reed’s postrace interview included mention of Ike and his famous line en route to winning the 2003 Bassmaster Classic.
“Never give up,” Reed said to a reporter’s question. “Mike Iaconelli, the bass fishing man, says that. That was his story, he went through a lot.”
Word travels fast, but the Iaconellis didn’t even need the heads up from folks like BassCat president Rick Pierce, who that evening sent a link to the interview. Becky happens to be a huge Derby fan and heard it in the news conference.
“It’s crazy,” Iaconelli said. “It’s so funny how all this has come full circle. We always watch it. Whether we’re at home or out, she has to watch it. I mean the whole nine yards — she wears a fascinator (fancy hat).
“During the race, she’s yelling. She’s screaming, jumping on the couch like Oprah. She was like blown away by the race.”
And the mention. Becky quickly searched for Reed’s contact info and sent him a note. He responded, saying he’s a “big fishhead” and a huge fan of Ike. The Iaconellis are sending Reed a signed jersey and he in turn is sending them a signed hat for their man-cave, and they plan to speak soon.
In the 2003 Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta, Ike landed the winning fish in the final minutes of competition and screamed, “Never give up! Never give up, man!” It’s been repeated countless times since by anglers, and now a horseman.
“I was blown away. I was floored,” Mike said. “To hear him say that, it’s very flattering. And I love the story. The story of a regular dude winning the event is a great story. Nothing against the big-name horses and trainers, who win every other year, but it’s so nice to see a longshot that nobody expected to win it. I’m so happy for him. It’s awesome.”
Ike, who will speak with Reed soon, agrees there’s some similarities in both his and Reed’s stories. Iaconelli came from New Jersey, off the beaten path of pro anglers, through the B.A.S.S. Nation to win a Classic as well as an Angler of the Year title. Reed, who nearly quit the sport after a barn-fire tragedy, won the most prestigious event in horse racing after getting entry when a horse scratched at the 11th hour.
“It’s funny in life how many things happen like that,” Ike said. “You can look at it from a lot of different perspectives, but some of that stuff almost seems to happen for a reason.
“That horse was a maniac. He couldn’t start from any further back, and the fact that he found those lanes, it was amazing. At the end, dude, he just turned it on and blew it away.”
Unfortunately, Iaconelli said he didn’t put any money on Rich Strike, probably because “Becky and I are the worst gamblers ever — we won’t even win bingo at the fire hall.”
After speaking with Reed, who Ike imagined had some rather incredible stories to tell, Ike is prepping for the next tournament, the Simms Bassmaster Elite on Lake Fork. Iaconelli, in his return to B.A.S.S. after three years away, said he needs to run like Rich Strike if he hopes to climb up the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and qualify for his 21st Bassmaster Classic.
“I’m going to need five top 20s,” he said.
Run, Ike, run.