Churchill Downs stewards were notified late Thursday that Stonestreet Stables, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Stanford would not run in Saturday’s $2,203,800 Kentucky Derby and his defection enables Mossarosa’s Frammento to secure the No. 20 spot in the starting gate and leave Charles Fipke’s Tale of Verve as the lone also-eligible.
UAE Derby (GII) winner Mubtaahij (IRE) blew out three furlongs in :37.40 over a fast track after the morning renovation break at Churchill Downs as hopefuls for Saturday’s Run for the Roses continue their preparations for the Grade I American classic.
Jockey Christophe Soumillon was aboard Mubtaahij for the work that was the 10th fastest of 15 at the distance.
One day before the first leg of the Triple Crown, all indications point to a fast track for the Derby as well as for Friday’s 141st running of the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI). Sunny skies are forecast for Friday and Saturday with temperatures in the 70s at race time both days.
KENTUCKY DERBY NOTES
AMERICAN PHAROAH/DORTMUND – Because his colts American Pharoah and Dortmund are the first and second choices on the Kentucky Derby morning line, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffertspent time answering questions about a 1-2 finish. That ended up as a prime topic after the colts galloped 1 1/2 miles on the track.
It has been 67 years since stablemates Citation and Coaltown made Derby history with their top-two finish in 1948. Baffert threatened to match that result in 1998 when Real Quiet was first andIndian Charlie was third.
“Turning for home they were 1-2. It was a really good feeling that I had,” Baffert said. “Victory Gallop came and split us at the end. He could have easily won. He had a tough trip. I don’t really think about that right now. We just want to get them up there and saddle them. Dortmund is tough getting the saddle on. The other horse is pretty quiet and relaxed, pretty professional.”
Baffert never really got away from the subject as he discussed his two stars. Kaleem Shah’s Dortmund is unbeaten in six starts, while Zayat Stables’ American Pharoah has reeled off four straight wins after losing badly in this debut last summer. American Pharoah emerged as the Derby favorite with the apparent ease in which he posted an eight-length victory in the Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 11.
“I don’t know what was behind him in the Arkansas Derby,” Baffert said. “Dortmund has been running against better horses. I think the California horses are pretty tough this year. I watch them work at Santa Anita. We know that Pharoah is a brilliant horse from what he did in California in the morning. But they are both good horses. They are pretty close.”
BOLO – The California-based colt Bolo galloped a mile and three-eighths Thursday morning under exercise rider Tony Rubalcava during the 8:30 to 8:45 Derby/Oaks special training period. TrainerCarla Gaines looked on approvingly.
“He’s loving it here and having fun with all this Derby stuff,” the conditioner said about her son of the young Dynaformer stallion Temple City. “He likes the fact all the people are coming around and paying attention to him. Back at Santa Anita, nobody gives us a second look, except on race day. But he’s having his fun here and because of that I’m really liking it, too.”
Gaines scheduled a paddock schooling session during the races Thursday afternoon for Bolo.
CARPE DIEM/MATERIALITY/ITSAKNOCKOUT/STANFORD – The Todd Pletcher Quartet – they run, not sing – headed trackside shortly after the special Derby/Oaks training period had opened for business and turned in gallops of varying distances as they all move forward toward their dates with destiny at 6:34 p.m. Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Patti Krotenko was aboard for the spin by Blue Grass Stakes (GI) winner Carpe Diem, who pulled hard on the exercise rider as he went one time around the track. Florida Derby (GI) winner Materialityhad exercise rider Carlos Cano as his partner and they toured a mile and three-eighths. Also covering 11 furlongs was Stanford, runner-up in the Louisiana Derby (GII), who had exercise rider Isabelle Bourezattached. Finally, Ezequiel Perez was the exercise pilot for Itsaknockout as they navigated a mile and one half.
Pletcher observed the gallops from the grandstand, then returned to his Barn 40 headquarters.
Wednesday evening, the four Pletcher horses drew their post position assignments and they came up Carpe Diem (#2), Materiality (#3), Stanford (#11) and Itsaknockout (#13). The No. 2 post for Carpe Diem, who is listed as the third betting choice in the race at 8-1, was considered especially problematic.
But Thursday morning Pletcher had his spirits lifted in that regard by an old friend.
“(Hall of Fame jockey) Angel Cordero (Jr.) stopped by this morning and told me not to worry about the two hole,” the trainer said. “He said he’d won out of the two twice, once with Cannonade(1974) and then with Bold Forbes (1976).”
Early Thursday afternoon, the connections of Stanford opted to pass on the Derby.
“We entered the horse in the race to see what sort of post he might draw,” Pletcher said. “We were on the fence as to whether or not to run him, but we thought we’d take a look. But after seeing the draw and talking to the owners, we decided it might be best to take him out and consider other options.
“We’re thinking now that either the Peter Pan (at Belmont Park on May 9) or the Preakness (at Pimlico on May 16) might be better spots for him. The horse is fine. We’ll train him tomorrow morning and we’ll probably work him the morning of the Derby before we ship him to New York. We didn’t wait to scratch him. We did it now to ensure that the also-eligibles would have their chance to run. We think him coming out now is for the best of all.”
DANZIG MOON – John Oxley’s Danzig Moon galloped 1 ½ miles after the renovation break under exercise rider William Cano for trainer Mark Casse.
The runner-up in the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) has made a favorable impression among onlookers in the mornings and has emerged as a bit of a buzz horse this week.
“I certainly hope he has (created a buzz),” Casse said. “I am not really a good predictor, but he was super this morning and he hasn’t had a bad day. I do know that in a 20-horse field, you have got to have some luck.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for the horses in the race, but if American Pharoahbreaks a step slow, he is going to find himself in a situation that he has not faced before.”
Danzig Moon drew post position five for Saturday’s race.
“(Jockey) Julien (Leparoux) and I talked about it and the five is OK,” Casse said. “We need everything to go our way and that would have been harder from the outside.”
From Churchill Downs Communications