Wandering Eyes

LOUISVILLE, Ky – In the summer of 2012, officials at Churchill Downs announced the launch of the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ points series with hopes of establishing a “fan-friendly, cohesive and simplified system” in order to “create compelling drama to appeal to a wider customer base.” With five Kentucky Derbies now in the books since ditching the previous graded earnings qualifying system, so far so good, reports Senior Director of Communications at Churchill Downs Darren Rogers. “We’re thrilled with the results and the way things are going,” Rogers said. “We established a clear and condensed road map that we believe is fan friendly. It’s a compact schedule that features competitive races and the captivating drama is second to none. We still had drama with the earnings system, but I don’t think it was as fan friendly or clearly defined.” Points are awarded to the top four finishers in a series of designated races across the country and around the world. The 20 3-year-olds with the most points earn a spot in the starting gate for the ‘Run for the Roses.’ Unbeaten GI Arkansas Derby hero and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon) finished atop this year’s leaderboard with 150 points. After a pair of defections, GIII Lecomte S. winner Instilled Regard (Arch) filled the final of 20 slots with 29 points. “Increased fan interest and wagering–those were the goals and I think they have been well-received,” Rogers said. “A number of our partners and fellow stakeholders have seen record days when they’re hosting ‘Road to the Derby’ races and that’s great for the sport of racing. We’re certainly pleased, and on an annual basis, we continue to meet after the Triple Crown and figure out if there are ways to tweak it and make it better, including the recent additions of the Japanese and European Roads to the Derby.” You won’t find a happier group on the First Saturday in May than chalk players these days. Kentucky Derby post-time favorites are now a perfect five-for-five since the tiered point system began in 2013, with Orb (Malibu Moon) returning $12.80, California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) $7.00, American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) $7.80, Nyquist (Uncle Mo) $6.60 and Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) $11.40. All five entered the Derby starting gate without a prior losing effort at three. Pace Makes the Race… Has it become more important to have early speed in the Kentucky Derby? Talks of the early pace slowing down have become a hot topic with the last four Derby winners utilizing their high-cruising early speed to turn in similar stalk-and-pounce trips. One thing that the points system has done is reward recency. The final round of major prep races–the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby Mar. 24, G2 UAE Derby Mar. 31, GI Xpressbet Florida Derby Mar. 31, GII Wood Memorial Apr. 7, GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 7, GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 7 and GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 14–all carry maximum points of 100-40-20-10 to the first four finishers. The GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, on the contrary, only offers 20-8-4-2. As a result, speedy one-turn graded winners and past Derby pace factors like Keyed Entry (Honour and Glory) (2006) and Trinniberg (Teuflesberg) (2012), or even an early season graded winner going a two-turn mile such as the front-running Spanish Chestnut (Horse Chestnut {SAf}) (2005), who finished off the board in his final two preps, are now more likely to be excluded from the starting gate. Trinniberg, winner of the GIII Swale S. and GIII Bay Shore S., both at seven furlongs, famously pressed eventual Derby runner-up Bodemeister (Empire Maker) through scorching opening splits of :22.32 and :45.39 and faded to 17th behind I’ll Have Another (Flower Alley). Giacomo (Holy Bull) rallied from far back behind a hot opening pace of :22.28 and :45.38 established by eventual 16th-place finisher Spanish Chestnut to pull off a 50-1 upset. Keyed Entry, winner of the GII Hutcheson S. going 7 1/2 furlongs and third-place finisher in the GI Wood Memorial, was last of 20 behind the mighty Barbaro (Dynaformer) after showing the way through fractions of :22.63 and :46.07. The 2007 Derby, won in dramatic come-from-behind fashion by juvenile champ Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}), is another renewal to take a closer look at. The game runner-up Hard Spun (Danzig) had plenty of pursuers on his tail through fractions of :22.96 and :46.26, including Stormello (Stormy Atlantic) and Teuflesberg (Johannesburg). Stormello, winner of the GI Hollywood Futurity, was a narrow second in his best attempt at three in the GII Fountain of Youth S. Southwest winner Teuflesberg would’ve also been on the bubble after finishing third in the GIII Rebel S. and fourth in the GI Blue Grass S. in his final two preps. Neither stuck around in the stretch, with Stormello finishing 19th and Teuflesberg 17th. “It seems that you’ve taken a lot of the horses that were precocious at two and mostly speed and you’ve kind of eliminated them unless they’ve gotten just so mature and carried that on to their 3-year-old year,” retired Hall of Fame jockey turned NBC analyst Jerry Bailey said. “So, yeah, I think [the points system] has had an effect of minimizing, if not eliminating, for the most part, that crazy speed that does nothing but ensure a fast pace.” Bailey, a two-time Derby winner courtesy of Sea Hero (Polish Navy) in 1993 and Grindstone (Unbridled) three years later, also crossed the line second aboard Tejano Run (Tejano) (1995) and Empire Maker (Unbridled) (2003) and was third with Blumin Affair (Dynaformer) (1994). “As a jockey, I think it’s always important to have tactical speed in a 20-horse field,” Bailey said. “It’s the rare individual that has early tactical speed and the stamina and staying power to go a mile and a quarter. You’re supposed to be special to win that race.” Of the points system, Bailey said, “I think it’s probably overall a good thing.” The speedy Promises Fulfilled (Shackleford), an upset front-running winner of the GII Xpressbet Fountain of Youth S., is one of several runners that figure prominent early on paper in this year’s Derby. Last of nine after lighting up the tote board with a :21.95 opening quarter-mile in the Florida Derby, he compiled a total of 52 points on the ‘Road to the Derby,’ placing him 14th overall. “Promises Fulfilled has the points–he won the Fountain of Youth–so he’s a legitimate entrant in this year’s Kentucky Derby,” Bailey said. “But he’s going to probably employ the same tactics, and if there’s a one-dimensional horse in there, he’s going to cook their goose.” Rogers is quick to acknowledge that a fast pace is still very possible with the points system as evidenced by the 2013 and 2016 renewals of the Kentucky Derby. The points system era began with a first-time blinkered and next out GI Belmont S. winner Palace Malice (Curlin) speeding off through blistering early fractions of :22.57 and :45.33, good for the fourth fastest half-mile in Derby history. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Danzing Candy (Twirling Candy), meanwhile, led by four lengths through a :45.72 half-mile in Nyquist’s win, ninth fastest of all time. The three other Derby half-miles since the points series began were: :47.37 [set by Uncle Sigh (Indian Charlie) – 2014], :47.34 [Dortmund (Big Brown) – 2015] and :46.53 [State of Honor (To Honor and Serve) – 2017]. “From an analytical standpoint, I don’t know if five years is enough of a data point to really draw any significant conclusions,” Rogers said. “I believe a favorite winning each of the five years we’ve done this is more of a statistical anomaly. And the same thing with the pace. Twice in the last five years, we’ve had two of the nine fastest half-miles in Derby history. That’s why I don’t know if I can buy into that yet.” Rogers concluded, “Anytime you have a 20-horse field, I still think you have to have an elite horse, a good trip and a lot of luck. And maybe that’s been the case each of the last five years.” Stars of the Show… No trainer has navigated the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ better than seven-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher. Fresh off the heels of saddling his second Derby winner, all four members of this year’s ‘Todd Squad’ captured 100 pointers-Audible (Into Mischief) (Florida Derby), Magnum Moon (Arkansas Derby), ‘TDN Rising Star’ Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy) (Louisiana Derby) and Vino Rosso (Curlin) (Wood Memorial). Pletcher has saddled a total of 17 starters in the last five Derbies, led by as many as five in 2013 and as few as two in 2016. “It appears to be a fair system,” Pletcher said. “It doesn’t look like anybody has been left out that you could make a super, strong case for. I’ve always said with any system of qualifying for a race, everyone’s aware well in advance of what the system is and has time to prepare for it.” The 2017 Derby winner Always Dreaming didn’t have any points to show for prior to making his stakes debut with a five-length tour de force in the Florida Derby. “There’s always that risk like we took last year with Always Dreaming where we took a shot at one race [to qualify] in the Florida Derby,” Pletcher said. “God forbid something goes wrong and you stumble at the start, you could potentially put yourself in a precarious position, but it worked out in his case. I think in most scenarios, it seems like it’s worked out for all the right horses.” Pletcher continued, “Some horses that maybe were qualifying before on graded earnings from sprint races might have had an impact on the outcome of some Derbies because of the pace scenario, but again, it’s all laid out there. And, obviously, if you have a filly that you’re seriously considering, you need to adjust your plans at least one race before and test the colts before you go to the Kentucky Derby.” WinStar Farm will be locked and loaded in the starting gate as an owner of three runners in partnership, headed by the unbeaten Santa Anita Derby winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Justify (Scat Daddy). The flashy chestnut, a very well-documented unraced at two, has been installed as the morning-line favorite at 3-1. Kenny Troutt’s operation, which tasted Derby success in 2010 with Super Saver (Maria’s Mon) and finished third with Revolutionary (War Pass) in 2013 and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) last year, will also be represented by Audible and Noble Indy. WinStar Farm is also the breeder of MGISW Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro) and Noble Indy. “It’s been very formful over the five years that they’ve done it so far,” WinStar Farm President/CEO Elliott Walden said of the points series. “The Derby winner has been a horse that has been among the top in points and I think that shows that the system is working. It does have an impact on the style of the race and the pace. With the 2-year-old form basically getting kicked out, it lends itself to a slower first half-mile, which in turn can cause some traffic issues for horses because the 20-horse field is not as spread out.” View the full article

Breeders’ Cup is launching a new sweepstakes tied to the 2018 GI Kentucky Derby titled “The Road to Churchill: Breeders’ Cup Kentucky Derby Sweepstakes.” The competition tasks participants to predict the winner of Saturday’s 144th running of the Derby for a chance to win a VIP trip for two to the 2018 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs Nov. 2-3. The prize will include roundtrip airfare to Louisville, VIP tickets to the Friday and Saturday races, and three nights of luxurious accommodations. “The Kentucky Derby is one of the most spectacular events in horse racing and the perfect moment to get fans excited about the season ahead,” said Breeders’ Cup President and CEO Craig Fravel. “We look forward to bringing one lucky fan and their guest to the 2018 Breeders’ Cup to experience the event in style and to providing many more with a fun and interactive way to enjoy the Derby this weekend.” The sweepstakes is accepting entries now through May 5 at 6:50 p.m. ET, immediately ahead of the Derby race. To enter, fans are asked to go here, where they can select the horse they think will win the Derby. Participants who engage in social sharing through Twitter, follow the Breeders’ Cup on Instagram and share unique referral links can earn additional entries into the sweepstakes. One Grand Prize winner will be randomly chosen from the eligible entries that selected the winning horse and will be notified of their status via e-mail. Both the winner and their guest must be 18 years of age or older. View the full article

Trainer Joe Sharp took a reasoned approach to spotting the 2017 Betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) winner's 2018 debut, with an eye on a prize under the Twin Spires a little farther down the line. View the full article

LOUISVILLE, Ky – e Five Racing’s Bob Edwards and retired Hall of Fame jockey and two-time Derby winner Chris McCarron helped jumpstart another action-packed morning at Churchill Downs Wednesday, joining Ed DeRosa and Joe Kristufek on the backstretch set of the popular Kentucky Derby Morning Show. A mostly cloudy and humid morning with temperatures in the high 60s greeted the Derby/Oaks horses at the 7:30 a.m. training window with the unbeaten ‘TDN Rising Star’ Justify (Scat Daddy) once again headlining the production. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert watched on the track by the gap as the GI Santa Anita Derby hero visited the gate and turned in another powerful 1 1/2-mile gallop beneath Humberto Gomez, who had his hands full of horse for the second straight day. The ‘First Saturday in May’ can’t come soon enough for the stunning chestnut. Streaking GI Santa Anita Oaks heroine and potential GI Kentucky Oaks favorite Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) immediately caught the eye as she entered the track and jogged along the outer rail. Sporting a pair of red front wraps, the dark bay galloped like a very happy horse and was met on the track by co-owner and former rider Jeff Bloom while heading off. The Pletcher quartet were all in action again during this time frame, including ‘TDN Rising Star’ Noble Indy (Take Charge Indy), who was equipped with a pair of white WinStar Farm blinkers. He captured the GII Twin Spires.com Louisiana Derby while sporting the hood for the first time last out. His stablemate Vino Rosso (Curlin) took a nice look at the large crowd assembled along the rail, which included Mike Tirico of NBC Sports, as he exited the track. The lightly raced GI Florida Derby runner-up Hofburg (Tapit), a half-brother to millionaire Emollient (Empire Maker), has generated plenty of chatter on the backstretch with the way he’s been training here throughout the week and he continued to live up to the billing Wednesday. This year’s ‘wise-guy horse’? It was all smiles back at the barn as two-time Grade I winner Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro) was walking the shedrow following his 1 1/4-mile gallop and trip to the starting gate. The Spendthrift team, including owner B. Wayne Hughes, Ned Toffey and Mark Toothaker, all seemed in good spirits as they chatted with owner/trainer Mick Ruis. Bolt d’Oro will carry the orange-and-purple silks of Spendthrift for the first time in the Derby and will stand at the Lexington, Kentucky, farm upon his conclusion from racing. Stabled in the Chad Brown barn along with e Five and Stonestreet’s champion Good Magic (Curlin), the duo drew a very nice audience, including Bill Farish of Lane’s End Farm, while out for their morning baths. Three-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey and Bolt d’Oro pilot Victor Espinoza was one of several onlookers with their camera phones out snapping away. Stay tuned for Thursday’s report, which will include an update on intriguing G2 UAE Derby winner Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy), who is expected to train over the surface for the first time after clearing quarantine. View the full article

Group 1-winning 2-year-old Invader (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) heads Aquis’s cross-country roster of 13 stallions for 2018 at a fee of A$27,500. The winner of last year’s G1 Sires’ Produce S. stands for the partnership of Aquis and Phoenix Thoroughbreds. He will be joined at Aquis’s Hunter Valley branch at Emirates Park Stud by Spieth (Aus) (Thorn Park {Aus}), whose fee will be determined after the Brisbane winter carnival, as well as the likes of G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Divine Prophet (Aus) and Dream Ahead. Heading up Aquis’s Queensland roster is the G2 Todman S. winner Kiss and Make Up (Aus) at A$16,500, and he is joined by the likes of Spill The Beans (Aus) and proven sire Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). The Mission (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), who turned the tables on Invader in last year’s G1 Champagne S., will also join the Queensland roster with a fee to be determined upon retirement from racing. Aquis Chief Executive Officer Shane McGrath said, “Highlighting the roster will be the champion 2-year-old colt and Snitzel’s highest-ever rated 2-year-old Invader, who will be joined on the Hunter Valley roster by the speed machine Spieth, who is the best son of champion sire Thorn Park to stand at stud in Australia. Spieth, who came within a lip of winning a Group 1 in both the Darley Classic and the Lightning S., will be retired at the end of the Brisbane Winter Carnival, with Craig Williams booked to ride him throughout his final campaign.” “We are also delighted to welcome the outstanding Group 1-winning juvenile The Mission, who is by the emerging sire of sires Choisir.” “Standing alongside The Mission in Queensland will be Kobayashi. An exceptionally fast 2-year-old who is completely free of Danehill blood, Kobayashi will be the first son of I Am Invincible to stand at stud in Queensland.” View the full article

The final several days prior to the GI Kentucky Derby can seem like a longer wait than the six-month prep season that preceded it. Here are the final TDN Top 20 rankings after an entertaining and intriguing buildup to the first Saturday in May: 1) MAGNUM MOON (c, Malibu Moon–Dazzling Song, by Unbridled’s Song) ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-Robert E. & Lawana L. Low. B-Ramona S. Bass, LLC (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $380,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-4-0-0, $1,177,800. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 1 Last Start: 1st, GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr.14. Achievements: 1st, GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 17. Equineline PPs. Caulfield on Magnum Moon. KY Derby Points: 150 Undefeated ‘TDN Rising Star’ Magnum Moon commandeers the top-ranked spot in the final Derby Top 20 rankings because he possesses the right blend of to-date accomplishments combined with the highest potential upside for continued progression. Even though he’s a May 9 foal who didn’t debut until January, this $380,000 KEESEP Malibu Moon colt has impressed with sharp natural quickness, tactical in-race adaptability, and a willingness to engage and swat away challengers while handling different racing surfaces and pace scenarios at progressively longer distances. If his stalking style results in Magnum Moon being in contention at the head of the lane, I’m looking forward to seeing what type of stretch run he will be able to produce when fully unleashed and focused on the finish. “Focused” is the key word there, because Magnum Moon has drifted in the stretch in each of his last two Oaklawn preps. But I’m willing to gamble that he can overcome that sign of inexperience in the heat of battle (and because he is unlikely to be clear by open lengths and gawking about like he was in previous starts). Post 16 in the auxiliary gate is a minor concern, and it is slightly troublesome that Magnum Moon has yet to face A-level sophomores (the only horses he beat in the Oaklawn stakes that have gone on to enter the Derby are ranked 15th and 19th on this list). But those legitimate questions will also cause his price to drift slightly above his morning line of 6-1, adding a sweet bit of value to Magnum Moon’s overall encouraging profile. 2) BOLT D’ORO (c, Medaglia d’Oro—Globe Trot, by A.P. Indy) O-Ruis Racing. B-WinStar Farm (KY). T-Mick Ruis. Sales History: $630,000 yrl FTSAUG ’16. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 6-4-1-1, $1,016,000. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 3 Last Start: 2nd, GI Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 7 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI Del Mar Futurity, DMR, Sept. 4; 1st GI FrontRunner S., SA, Sept. 30. 3rd GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, SA, Nov. 4; 1st GII San Felipe S., SA, Mar. 10. Equineline PPs. Caulfield on Bolt d’Oro. KY Derby Points: 104 Bolt d’Oro is the “now” horse in this year’s Derby, and his edge in experience–plus the fact that he is known as an unruffled, composed horse who does not waste his pre-race energy–is what nudges him past arch-rival Justify (Scat Daddy) in the final Derby Top 20 rankings. This $630,000 FTSAUG Medaglia d’Oro colt put together near-championship form at age two, and his eye-catching win via disqualification off a long vacation in the most impressive Derby prep stretch battle of the spring (the GII San Felipe S.) shows he can slug it out with the division’s best. Owner/trainer Mick Ruis made a shrewd decision in not having “Bolt” throttled hard to engage in a “battle before the war” when chasing Justify in the GI Santa Anita Derby, and this colt’s relentless, pace-pressing presence means he’ll be looming just behind the front of the Derby pack for most of the race, while the stamina influences in his pedigree should embolden Bolt for a stern stretch kick. As for concerns, Bolt hasn’t crossed the finish wire first since Sep. 30, and he has had well-documented gate issues that have cost him coveted early positioning in previous races. But every potential Derby winner must smooth out a few flaws along the way, and Bolt d’Oro is positioned better than most in this field to strike a resounding blow in his third start off an extended layoff. 3) JUSTIFY (c, Scat Daddy–Stage Magic, by Ghostzapper) ‘TDN Rising Star’ O-China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Starlight Racing & WinStar Farm. B- John D. Gunther (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $500,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GISW, 3-3-0-0, $666,000. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 2 Last Start: 1st, GI Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 7 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 100 ‘TDN Rising Star’ Justify has the makings of a crop-defining phenom based on the power trio of performances he’s treated us to in his rapid rise through the ranks, going from unraced maiden to Grade I winner in a span of only 48 days. He’s dazzled the racing world with three triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures, has the services of America’s best big-money rider, Mike Smith, and is conditioned by Triple Crown- and four-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert. This undefeated $500,000 KEESEP Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) colt owns a huge, powerful stride and carries himself like he knows he belongs at the top of the pecking order, making it appear as if the sky is the limit. But at some point, a reality check is required, and even though Justify has the look of a horse who could end up dominating his division by year’s end, his task on Derby day is much more daunting than it appears to be–especially considering he’ll be an overzealously backed favorite. Justify has yet to face significant pace pressure, repeated multi-horse attacks, a field larger than seven, a demanding stretch drive, or even the experience of shipping and racing away from his home track at Santa Anita. In the grand scheme of things, Justify does merit a hefty dollop of long-term respect. But as for his chances on Saturday, the advice here is decidedly contrarian, because the Derby hurdle is incredibly high at far too short a price on this proposition. 4) MENDELSSOHN (c, Scat Daddy—Leslie’s Lady, by Tricky Creek) O-Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier & Derrick Smith. B-Clarkland Farm (KY). T-Aiden O’Brien. Sales history: $3,000,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-4-1-0, $1,961,137. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20: 4 Last Start: 1st, G2 UAE Derby, MEY, Mar.31 Accomplishments: 1st, GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, DMR, Nov.3; 2nd, G1 Darley Dewhurst S., NEW, Oct. 14 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 100 This $3 million KEESEP Scat Daddy colt figures to be the lowest-priced European-based starter in the history of the Derby, and Mendelssohn deserves that honor considering he legitimately has the best chance to win compared to all the previous foreign-based horses who have shipped stateside for the Run for the Roses. But I wonder if bettors are going to go overboard with regard to his blowout 18 1/2-length, track-record win in the G2 UAE Derby, which objectively rates as an aberration because it came on a on a speed-favoring track against below-par competition. More important to me is the professionalism Mendelssohn displayed when winning from post one against a solidly matched GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf group last autumn, plus the fact that his older sister is the four-time American dirt champion Beholder (Henny Hughes). Mendelssohn has plenty of early lick, but I don’t necessarily envision him as one of the horses who will be battling for the Derby lead. Rather, an ideal scenario would be for him to pressure the pace not too far off the early gunners, and as the only Derby entrant to have won beyond nine furlongs (the UAE Derby was 1 3/16 miles), he should have more than enough left late to be a factor in whatever stretch drama unfolds. 5) GOOD MAGIC (c, Curlin—Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun) O-e Five Thoroughbreds & Stonestreet Stables. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY). T-C Brown. Sales History: $1,000,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo, GISW, 5-2-2-1, $1,855,000. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 5 Last Start: 1st, GII Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 7 Accomplishments Include: 1st GI Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, SA, Nov. 4.; 2nd GI Champagne S., BEL, Oct. 7. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 134 Before an exact campaign had been mapped out for the 2-year-old Eclipse winner, the game plan was to have Good Magic peak in his third start off a winter break. Even though this $1 million KEESEP Curlin colt’s beaten-fave third in the GII Fountain of Youth S. was hardly the season-starting springboard many expected, trainer Chad Brown meticulously had Good Magic ready with a rebound win in the GII Blue Grass S. Judging by his subsequently impressive track work at Churchill, Good Magic appears poised to advance another step forward in the Derby. But will “another step” be good enough? The answer to this question hinges on how you perceive his Blue Grass victory. An optimistic read is that Good Magic carved out a sweet stalking spot from an outer post, advanced at will, then withstood a prolonged stretch tussle. A more skeptical read takes into account that Good Magic benefited from a favorable pace duel, then only had to wrestle one of the tiring frontrunners into submission while the onrushing third and fourth-place finishers both got hampered by trip trouble. Either way, Good Magic will likely go off as the fifth betting choice in the Derby, which is right about where he belongs–a potential value play as a solid contender, but not a dominant standout. 6) MY BOY JACK (c, Creative Cause—Gold N Shaft, by Mineshaft) O-Don’t Tell My Wife Stables & Monomoy Stables LLC. B-Brereton C. Jones (KY). T-Keith Desormeaux. Sales History: $14,000 RNA wlg KEENOV ’15; $20,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 10-3-3-2, $645,145. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 8 Last Start: 1st, GIII Lexington S., KEE, Apr. 14. Accomplishments Include: 1st, GIII Southwest S., OP, Feb. 19; 1st, Zuma Beach S., SA, Oct. 9 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 52 My Boy Jack creeps up a couple of spots within the final Top 20 rankings purely because his development into a relaxed, one-run closer (he was always a closer; the “relaxed” part didn’t evolve until February) is highly appealing in a Derby that is thick on paper with speed and stalkers. Of all the horses who will start north of 20-1 odds, I believe he’s got the best chance of orchestrating a stretch-storming upset. This $20,000 KEESEP Creative Cause has a pedigree that portends stamina, and his foundation of nine straight route races eclipses the number of starts (at any distance) for almost every other horse in the race. “Jack” has been reported to have bounced back alertly and energetically after his now-or-never qualifying points-clinching try in the GII Lexington S., and it’s notable that he’s a reliable mudder if the track comes up wet on Derby day. 7) AUDIBLE (c, Into Mischief–Blue Devil Bel, by Gilded Time) O-WinStar, China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing. B-Oak Bluff Stables LLC (NY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $175,000 FTNSAR yrl ’16; $500,000 FTFMAR 2yo ’17. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 5-4-0-1, $882,920. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 6 Last Start: 1st, GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 31 Accomplishments: 1st, GII Holy Bull S., GP, Feb. 3. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 110 Audible rolls into Louisville off a four-race winning streak, rising from the New York-bred maiden ranks to consecutive open-length graded stakes wins. The exclamation point on his prep-race campaign was a GI Florida Derby score, and the winner of that race has gone on to win the Kentucky Derby in each of the last two years and in five of the last 12. This $500,000 FTFMAR son of Into Mischief has been well served by being able to pick a spot not too far off the lead, settle, and then make one confident run when cued to quicken. But its not evident how deeply this colt has had to dig when kicking into overdrive for his stretch runs, because in the GII Holy Bull S., and again in the Florida Derby, Audible’s chief challengers had already wilted (or failed to fire) by the time the real running started. The Kentucky Derby is a difficult spot to find out for the first time what a horse is capable of in a stretch fight at an elite level. But if you believe Audible has been precisely honed to peak on Derby day, his speed figures and progression arc both indicate he’s not too far off of what the top-ranked contenders are capable of delivering. 8) INSTILLED REGARD (c, Arch–Enhancing, by Forestry) O-OXO Equine LLC. B-KatieRich Farms (KY). T-Jerry Hollendorfer. Sales History: $110,000 RNA yrl KEESEP ’16; $1,050,000 2yo OBSMAR ’17. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 7-2-2-1, $294,000. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: N/A Last Start: 4th, GI Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 7 Accomplishments: 1st, GIII Lecomte S., FG, Jan. 13 KY Derby Points: 29 Equineline PPs Two weeks ago, Instilled Regard wasn’t even considered a Derby candidate. Now he pops up at No. 8 in the rankings after barely sneaking in on qualifying points. This $1.05 million OBSMAR son of Arch attains this advanced placement purely because he’s my “leap of faith” Derby long shot. Instilled Regard flashed huge promise back in December and January. Then he ran an uninspiring fourth as the beaten fave in the GII Risen Star S., got seven weeks off, and resurfaced in the Santa Anita Derby, where his stalking style was a total mismatch in a short field that featured a heavy favorite coasting home unpressured. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said back in March that Instilled Regard is better suited to racing in larger fields, and this relatively fresh colt’s athleticism should allow him to snag a competitive midpack position from post 15. Instilled Regard is reportedly far more focused in his pre-Derby workouts, and I’m willing to bet he’ll outrun his odds, similar to how 40-1 Battle of Midway (Smart Strike) ran third for Hollendorfer in last year’s Derby. 9) NOBLE INDY (c, Take Charge Indy–Noble Maz, by Storm Boot) O-WinStar Farm LLC & Repole Stable. B-WinStar Farm LLC. T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $45,000 RNA yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-1, $691,600. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 7 Last Start: 1st, Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 24. Equineline PPs. Caulfield on Noble Indy. KY Derby Points: 110 Since bounding away to an 8 3/4-length debut win, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Noble Indy has pretty much handled everything thrown his way through limited opportunities (just four lifetime starts). Even the lone defeat on his record in his first stakes start was a useful learning experience (third in the GII Risen Star S.), because this $45,000 KEESEP Take Charge Indy colt rebounded with blinkers added to next win the GII Louisiana Derby. That victory was impressive in that Noble Indy showed an ability to commandeer a forward early position after bouncing off the side of the gate, then was resilient enough to claw back the lead after being double-teamed in the long Fair Grounds stretch. But the strength of that Louisiana Derby field was softer than nearly all of the subsequent nine-furlong preps, and it also has to be noted that winners of the Louisiana Derby have a poor historical record in the Kentucky Derby, with only Grindstone (1996) and Black Gold (1924) managing to win both. Noble Indy will have to deliver an outsized, over-the-top performance to come up with a 1-2-3 Derby finish from post 19. But he will be a double-digit overlay who gets totally ignored in the betting, so if you’re seeking a value-oriented overachiever, there is some upside here. 10) VINO ROSSO (c, Curlin–Mythical Bride, by Street Cry {Ire}) O-Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable. B- John D. Gunther (KY). T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $410,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-1, $620,500. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 9 Last Start: 1st, GII Wood Memorial S., AQU, Apr. 7. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 107 Vino Rosso has had five lifetime races, but it was really only after his aggressively won GII Wood Memorial S. that he emerged as a legit Classics contender. His three winter races at Tampa Bay Downs–a maiden win at 1-20 odds; two stakes routes in which he never was a major presence–now look like a detour to the Twilight Zone considering how well this $410,000 KEESEP Curlin colt finally put it all together in New York, where his performance finally equaled his Derby-trail hype. A change of tactics–rallying from nine lengths off the action instead of stalking much closer–contributed to Vino Rosso looking much more in his element in the Wood, and it’s notable that jockey John Velazquez committed to this mount despite (presumably) also having the call aboard two other Todd Pletcher trainees he had won with (Audible and Noble Indy). This colt could be a chief beneficiary of a Derby pace meltdown if all of the projected speed on paper actually materializes, but Vino Ross will still have to out-hoof history to wear a blanket of roses on Saturday: In the past 37 years, only Fusaichi Pegasus (2000) and Pleasant Colony (1981) have pulled off the elusive Wood-Derby double. 11) FREE DROP BILLY (c, Union Rags—Trensa, by Giant’s Causeway) O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC. B-Helen K. Groves Revokable Trust (KY). T-Dale Romans. Sales history: $200,000 KEESEP yrl ’16. Lifetime Record: GISW, 8-2-3-2, $625,220. Apr. 17 TDN Top 12 Rank: 11 Last Start: 3rd, GII Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 7 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GI Breeders’ Futurity, KEE, Oct.7; 2nd, GI Hopeful S. Sept. 4. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 44 Even though he’s a chestnut, Free Drop Billy rates as the proverbial Derby “dark horse.” This late-running May 3 foal could be blossoming at the right time, but to accept that assessment you have to look past his up-the-track flop in last year’s Breeders’ Cup and his pair of underwhelming in-the-money efforts in 2018 prep stakes in Florida and New York. This $200,000 KEESEP Union Rags colt’s Blue Grass S., however, could end up being a much-better-than-it- looks tightener for the Derby. In that Apr. 7 race, “Billy” got caught three wide into the first turn, was shuffled back five-eighths out, then regained a fluid three-wide momentum on the far turn before spinning into the lane in the six path. He was motoring home nicely when sideswiped by a veering-out rival a sixteenth from the wire, and ended up getting elevated from fourth to third via DQ. If Free Drop Billy can relax somewhere near the back behind a hot Derby pace, he has the potential to once again wind up for a prolonged bid. It’s not difficult to envision him charging hard in the final two furlongs when a number of spent rivals are likely to be packing it in. 12) HOFBURG (c, Tapit-Soothing Touch, by Touch Gold) O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc. (KY). T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: GISP, 3-1-1-0, $227,950. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 12 Last Start: 2nd, GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 31. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 40 This Tapit homebred out of a Touch Gold mare isn’t as much of an outlier as his odds might indicate. You can’t see it in his past performance lines, but go back and watch the replay of the Florida Derby when Hofburg was parked widest off the turn yet never looked discouraged when giving chase to a much more experienced winner in Audible. That display of tenacity was not only admirable, it was exceptional considering Hofburg had never started beyond the maiden ranks. Trainer Bill Mott isn’t known as a horseman who is gung-ho to be represented in the Derby every year. In fact, he hasn’t had a starter in the race since 2009, which could be a tipoff that he thinks Hofburg truly merits a chance against the top of the crop. 13) FLAMEAWAY (c, Scat Daddy—Vulcan Rose, by Fusaichi Pegasus) O-John Oxley; B-Phoenix Rising Farms (ON). T-Mark Casse. Sales history: $150,000 yrl KEEJAN ’16; $400,000 yrl SARAUG ’16. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 9-5-2-0, $704,834. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 10 Last Start: 2nd, GII Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 7 Accomplishments: 1st, GIII Bourbon S., KEE, Oct. 8; 1st, GIII Sam F. Davis S., TAM, Feb. 10. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 70 Flameaway’s best races have all been on or near the lead, and his post draw of four for the Derby really puts the pressure on him to gun for the front. Confirmed speedster Promises Fulfilled is drawn to Flameaway’s direct inside and tactical specialists Audible and Justify loom not too far away outside. But this $400,000 FTSAUG Scat Daddy overachiever has gamely withstood heated pace pressure in several of his prep races, and he put up tenacious resistance when second to Good Magic in the Blue Grass S., even after getting softened up in a speed duel. Flameaway admirably handles any type of racing surface (wins over fast dirt, firm turf, mud, slop, and synthetic), and if you pick apart his company lines, he’s already beaten Vino Rosso and was only 3 1/4 lengths off the well-regarded Mendelssohn in the Breeders’ Cup. I’m still not entirely convinced Flameaway is a bona fide Derby win threat. But he’s also more likely than many in here to keep on fighting long after you expect him to crack. 14) ENTICED (c, Medaglia d’Oro—It’s Tricky, by Mineshaft) O/B-Godolphin (KY). T-Kiaran McLaughlin. Lifetime Record: MGSW & GISP, 6-3-1-1, $595,680. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 13 Last Start: 2nd, GII Wood Memorial S., AQU, Arp. 7 Accomplishments Include: 1st, GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 25; 3rd, GI Champagne S., BEL, Oct. 7; 1st GIII Gotham S., AQU, Mar. 10 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 103 You don’t hear much debate about whether Enticed will be able to get 10 furlongs or if he will like the Churchill Downs footing. We know he’s a big-striding Medaglia d’Oro colt with a stamina-centric pedigree, and his most visually impressive race was a Louisville win in the Nov. 25 GII Kentucky Jockey Club S.. Instead, the chief Derby unknowns here center on whether Enticed will be nimble enough to make his own breaks once he starts winding up for a big run. His three prep stakes in 2018 are a mixed bag: A beaten-fave fourth in the GII Holy Bull without apparent excuse, an under-wraps win in the one-turn mile GIII Gotham S. in which his only stretch challenger was a spent 35-1 pacemaker, and a capable second in the Wood Memorial after being bumped soundly twice by winner Vino Rosso. A bet on Enticed on Saturday is essentially a wager that he’s got several more dimensions we haven’t yet seen. Yet even then, the race’s pace and positioning would also have to unfold in fortuitous fashion for him to win. 15) SOLOMINI (c, Curlin-Surf Song, by Storm Cat) O-Zayat Stables LLC. B-Glenna R. Salyer (KY). T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $270,000 KEESEP ’16 yrl. Lifetime Record: MGISP, 6-1-3-2, $752,000 Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 15 Last Start: 3rd, GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr. 14 Accomplishments Include: 3rd GI Los Alamitos Futurity, LRC, Dec.9; 2nd GI Frontrunner S., SA, Sept. 30; 2nd GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, DMR, Nov. 4 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 54 Solomini won on debut at Del Mar last September but hasn’t visited the winner’s circle since, and he picks a tough spot to try and shake his reputation of being an “it’s always something” near-misser. He displayed greenness when he hit the front but couldn’t sustain his lead in the stretch of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, then he lost his focus (and got demoted from a win via DQ) in the GI Los Alamitos Futurity. In a pair of preps at Oaklawn, this $270,000 KEESEP Curlin colt got caught in tight with an inside trip in the GII Rebel S., then gave up too much real estate when parked wide in the GI Arkansas Derby. Still, Solomini has never finished out of the top three in his six-race career, and his grind-it-out efforts have yielded seconds and thirds in the wake of some pretty tough winners (Magnum Moon, Bolt d’Oro, Good Magic). But until he produces a powerhouse finish that indicates he can compete on level terms with the division’s best, Solomini rates as more of a menace to snag a minor share than a credible win proposition at 30-1. 16) BRAVAZO (c, Awesome Again—Tiz o’ Gold, by Cee’s Tizzy) O/B-Calumet Farm. T-D. Wayne Lukas. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 8-3-1-1, $436,528. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 17 Last Start: 8th, GII Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 24. Accomplishments: 1st, GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 17; 2nd, GI Breeders’ Futurity, KEE, Oct. 7. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 54 Bravazo’s positives: 1) Nice foundation of seven straight races at a mile or longer; 2) Second in his only career Grade I try at 47-1 odds; 3) Broke his maiden by open lengths over the Churchill strip. His negatives: 1) Lack of consistency; 2) Subpar speed figures; 3) Inexplicably poor final prep (eighth beaten 21 1/4 lengths) combined with a six-week gap into the Derby. This Awesome Again (Deputy Minister) homebred has run some decent races when forcing the issue or pressing from just off the pace. But with the glut of speed drawn to his inside, it’s conceivable he could attempt to settle a touch farther back in the field and try to muster up a “take your best shot” rally that puts him in contention turning for home. 17) PROMISES FULFILLED (c, Shackleford—Marquee Delivery, by Marquetry) O-Robert J. Baron. B-David Jacobs (KY). T-Dale Romans. Sales history: $37,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-1, $337,280. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 16 Last Start: 9th, GI Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 31 Accomplishments: 1st, GII Fountain of Youth S., GP, Mar. 3. Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 52 As the innermost-drawn speed horse in the Derby, Promises Fulfilled faces the prospect of the pesky Flameaway directly to his outside applying immediate pressure and the lightly raced front-end force Justify also gunning for the lead from gate seven. There are plenty of other pressers and stalkers drawn outside, but the best shot for this $37,000 KEESEP son of Shackleford to avoid being a “sacrificial” pace component would seem to be to try and win the race into the first turn while hoping a few of the other forwardly placed contenders encounter chaos. Under that scenario, it’s plausible that Promises Fulfilled could be able to slow down the tempo while saving ground up front, similar to how he led a large field deep into the homestretch over this same Churchill strip in his Kentucky Jockey Club S. third-place try last November. But more likely than not, this colt won’t have an easy go on the front end on Saturday, and we already saw what happens when Promises Fulfilled blazes too fast too early against top-level competition (ninth, beaten 35 lengths in the Florida Derby). 18) LONE SAILOR (c, Majestic Warrior-Ambitious, by Mr. Greeley) O-GMB Racing. B-Alexander-Groves-Matz, LLC (KY). T-Thomas Amoss. Sales history: $120,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: GISP, 8-1-3-1, $334,237. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 19 Last Start: 2nd, GII Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 24 Accomplishments: 3rd, GI Breeders Futurity S., KEE, Oct. 7 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 42 Lone Sailor seemed in his element romping to an 11-length victory in the mud over seven furlongs last September at Saratoga, but this $120,000 KEESEP Majestic Warrior colt picks a tough spot seeking lifetime win number two after six consecutive route attempts since then. He’s been second, beaten by a head and a neck in two of his stakes tries, including runner-up honors in the Louisiana Derby after he wrested control of the lead inside the final furlong but couldn’t stave off re-rallying favorite Noble Indy. His company lines are dotted with the names of a handful of other Derby starters, but they too are also likely to be double-digit long shots on Saturday. A wet track theoretically helps Lone Sailor’s chances, but don’t assume an affinity for Spa mud equates to liking Louisville goo. 19) COMBATANT (c, Scat Daddy–Border Dispute, by Boundary) O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC & Willis Horton Racing LLC. B-Paget Bloodstock. T-Steven Asmussen. Sales history: $320,000 yrl KEESEP ’16. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 7-1-3-1, $388,550. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: N/A Last Start: 4th, GI Arkansas Derby, Apr. 14 Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 32 Combatant is winless since his maiden score last Oct. 29, although it is a mild plus that his lone victory came over the Churchill strip. He always seemed on the cusp of punching through to top sophomore contention while decently backed on the Remington/Oaklawn prep path this winter and spring, but his résumé chronologically reads three seconds, a third, and a fourth during that time frame. Still, this $320,000 KEESEP Scat Daddy colt has never been beaten by more than 4 1/2 lengths for all the money, and Combatant has the advantage of racing at a mile or longer in all seven of his lifetime starts. Note that trainer Steve Asmussen last year conditioned 33-1 bomb Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky) to an upset second in the Derby. Like Combatant, that long shot also hadn’t won a race in over six months. 20) FIRENZE FIRE (c, Poseidon’s Warrior–My Every Wish, by Langfuhr) O/B-Mr. Amore Stables (FL). T-Jason Servis. Lifetime Record: GISW, 9-4-1-0, $669,100. Apr. 17 TDN Top 20 Rank: 18 Last Start: 4th, GII Wood Memorial S., AQU, Apr. 7 Accomplishments: 1st, GI Champagne S., BEL, Oct. 7; 1st, GIII Sanford S., SAR, July 22. Equineline PPs KY Derby Points: 39 With a sprint-oriented pedigree and a past-performance block heavy on 2-year-old success but light on recent accomplishments, Firenze Fire already figured to be the longest shot in the Derby. But drawing the dreaded rail post seals the deal that this Poseidon’s Warrior (Speightstown) homebred will go off as the highest-priced wagering proposition in the race. After twice running fourth in a pair of not overly difficult Derby preps in New York, Firenze Fire now has to figure out how to hit the proverbial “reset” button in the most formidable race of his career. He won two graded stakes at double-digit odds and beat the likes of Good Magic, Enticed, and Free Drop Billy last summer and autumn. But those past glories are now not as close as they might appear in the rear-view mirror, underscoring the fact that Firenze Fire is in very deep on Derby day. Also Eligible: Blended Citizen (Proud Citizen): Blended Citizen would need another horse to scratch by 9 a.m. Friday to draw into the Derby as an also-eligible. He added blinkers and got a rail run into slow pace to win his first stakes race at Turfway, then encountered stretch traffic when gaining mildly late in the Blue Grass S. His sire, Proud Citizen (Gone West) ran a surprise second at 23-1 odds when stalking an unpressured pace in the 2002 Derby. View the full article

There are only a few things that are certain about the 1968 Kentucky Derby. Dancer’s Image, owned by New England car dealer Peter Fuller, crossed the finish line first. He would later be disqualified and placed last after chemists performing post-race tests from that day determined that the colt had traces of the then illegal medication phenylbutazone in his system. Saturday’s GI Kentucky Derby will be the 144th renewal of the race and Dancer’s Image remains the only horse to have ever been disqualified after an apparent victory. There’s obviously much more to the story, but every other detail leads down a road that dead-ends in a mystery. Virtually no one believes that Fuller or trainer Lou Cavalaris, two individuals who never had a hint of scandal in their careers before or after the Dancer’s Image Derby, conspired to dope their horse to win the race. How then, did the Bute get into the horse’s system? Or, perhaps, was the disqualification the result of a botched or tampered test? With so much time having passed and with most of the people involved in the story having died, these are questions that likely will never be answered. “It has bothered me to this day,” said journalist Billy Reed, who as a 24-year-old reporter in 1968 for the Louisville Courier-Journal covered the story. “Nobody, really, has ever definitely been able to say this is what happened.” Coming off a win in the Wood Memorial, Fuller’s homebred son of Native Dancer was considered one of the horses to beat in the 1968 Derby. On the advice of another of his trainers, Odie Clelland, Fuller decided to stable the horse in the barn of Dr. Alex Harthill, one of the most talented and controversial vets in racing history. In a different era in the sport, Harthill was such an influential veterinarian that not only did he have his own office on the backstretch at Churchill, but he had his own barn. It was hardly a surprise that Harthill was brought into the fold as he was widely known as the “Derby Doc.” Upon his death in 2005, Harthill said he had treated 26 Kentucky Derby winners, starting with Citation in 1948. Dancer’s Image also came out of the Wood Memorial with ankle problems and Harthill was considered the very best there was when it came to finding ways to get horses over whatever was ailing them and ready for a race. Everyone involved acknowledges that Harthill gave Dancer’s Image a shot of Bute six days before the race, but that should have been plenty of time for the drug to be completely out of the horse’s system by Derby Day. The next six days seemed to be routine ones. Dancer’s Image was in top form for the Derby and, sent off at 7-2 in the wagering, crossed the wire 1 1/2 lengths in front of Calumet Farm’s Forward Pass. For Fuller, Cavalaris, jockey Bobby Ussery and everyone else that was part of the Dancer’s Image team, the celebration did not last long. The chemists working for the Kentucky Racing Commission reported that the post-race test on Dancer’s Image came up positive for Bute. By the Monday after the Derby, Cavalaris and Fuller were informed that their horse was disqualified and placed last. “The words staggered me,” Cavalaris told Sports Illustrated in 1968. “I was spellbound. I just stood there. I’ve been in this game 21 years and I’ve never done anything wrong. I’m innocent, and so are my men. They love Dancer’s Image, just as I do.” Fuller was also staggered, but he fought back, taking the matter to the courts, basing his case on his belief that Dancer’s Image did not have anything illegal in his system and that the test was botched. It’s unclear if he believed that was the case or that someone tampered with the horse, but the latter allegation would have been much harder to prove. Getting to the bottom of what really happened was made more difficult by the rules that were in place in 1968. No split samples were made available and never was the level of Bute in the horse’s system recorded. There were no allowable threshold levels then, so any amount of the medication in Dancer’s Image’s system would have resulted in a positive. Fuller, who died in 2012, told reporters he spent $250,000 in legal fees fighting to regain his Kentucky Derby win, but five years after the race, he had exhausted all legal maneuvers and Calumet was paid the winner’s share of the Derby purse. “Until the day he passed, it still haunted my father,” said Abby Fuller, who was nine in 1968 and went on to win Grade I races for her father as the jockey of Mom’s Command. “I think he wanted the story and whatever the truth was to come out. I don’t know if anyone who is alive knows the whole truth. We all have our ideas and there are little pieces and things that we have all heard. But it’s still a mystery.” The sexier theory is that someone “got to” Dancer’s Image, but Milt Toby, the author of “Dancer’s Image: The Forgotten Story of the 1968 Kentucky Derby” believes those who performed the post-race tests simply could have gotten it wrong. “The evidence in the very lengthy racing commission hearing at end of 1968 seemed to me to be compelling that there was a problem with the test,” he said. “But it wasn’t conclusive. The difficulty with that assumption that the test was wrong is that, even if the techniques were not reliable and the chemists was not credible and there were problems over the years with the lab, that doesn’t mean that all the results over the history of this chemist and this lab were wrong. That doesn’t mean this particular test was wrong.” If the test was correct, what happened? Other than the Bute dosage Dancer’s Image received six days before the race, no one ever admitted to giving the horse the drug at any other time leading up to the race. And had someone done so, they surely would have known that there was a high degree of likelihood they would be caught if the horse won the race. Then there was Fuller’s reputation. He was considered a man of the highest integrity. “I grew to have a lot of respect for Peter Fuller,” Reed said. “He was an honest, decent guy who got a really bad deal. Peter Fuller was such a good person. He deserved to win the Kentucky Derby.” So it was left to journalists like Reed and his colleague at the Courier-Journal at the time, the late Jim Bolus, Fuller and his lawyers to dig around in an attempt to find out what happened. Many of the theories that have evolved over the years center around Harthill. “In my personal opinion, I will always believe that Dr. Alex Harthill is certainly the villain of this story,” Reed said. In Harthill’s obituary in the Daily Racing Form, author Marty McGee summed up the more controversial aspects of the veterinarian’s life and career. “Although his legacy as a practicing veterinarian was sealed early, Harthill quickly became synonymous with controversy and seemed to live on the edge of racing legality,” McGee wrote. “Intense speculation long has swirled about his role in the disqualification of Dancer’s Image, who tested positive for Butazolidin, an anti- inflammatory drug that was banned at the time. He was arrested in the 1950’s in Louisiana for allegedly bribing a testing laboratory employee. He was persona non grata in recent years in New York, and he was a central figure in countless racetrack controversies and court cases in Kentucky and elsewhere.” But if Harthill purposefully treated Dancer’s Image with Bute in close proximity to race time, what would have been his motivation? “Harthill had treated all of Calumet’s horses, going all the way back to Citation,” Reed said. “And, certainly, Forward Pass was an overwhelming favorite with the Kentucky hardboots that year.” Reed’s dealings with Harthill took a bizarre turn when the reporter was sent by his editors to the Churchill backstretch after the disqualification to get a better lay of the land. Reed said Harthill came up to him, grabbed him and punched him. Harthill admitted he hit Reed. “I was stunned,” he said. “I was laying there, he was standing over me and I remember him saying to me, ‘You’ve been checking into that gambling coup at Caliente, haven’t you?’ I had never heard of the Caliente future book at that time.” Reed said he went to Mexico to investigate whether or not there had been any unusual betting on the Derby winterbook that year, but did not find any evidence that there was. Another popular theory is that the events that led to Dancer’s Image’s disqualification were a payback to Fuller, a liberal New Englander and a civil rights advocate. Following Dancer’s Image’s win earlier that year in the Governor’s Purse at Bowie, Fuller took his winnings from the race and gave them to the widow of Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated Apr. 4, 1968. “There were a lot of racial undertones at that time,” Abby Fuller said. “After he made that donation to Dr. King’s wife, he got a lot of threatening letters. He wanted to bring in his own guys for security and Churchill told him no, that that would only make it worse.” Reed has never been a believer in the theory that the King donation had anything to do with the Derby. “I’ve never given any credence to theory that this happened because Peter Fuller had given one of the purses from a win to the widow of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.,” he said. “People think that all these redneck racists from Kentucky were out to get this liberal from New England. I don’t buy it.” Toby has another theory on Fuller’s relationship to the King family. “The intriguing argument that most people have dismissed over the years is that his donation of the Governor’s Gold Cup purse to Coretta Scott King actually had an effect or influence of some kind, but, perhaps not with people in Kentucky,” he said. “During those times, J. Edgar Hoover was fighting a battle against Martin Luther King and everyone supporting him. It would be interesting to see if there are FBI files that Hoover kept on Peter Fuller.” Dancer’s Image raced just one more time, crossing the wire third behind Forward Pass in the Preakness. Ironically, he was disqualified again, this time for bumping another horse. He was placed eighth. After an undistinguished career at stud, he died in Japan in 1992. Fuller was never the type of owner who had a large and powerful stable, so he had to wait for his next “big” horse. That was Mom’s Command. She was the champion 3-year-old filly of 1985 and was later enshrined in the Hall of Fame. That story was made that much sweeter by the fact that Fuller’s daughter was her regular rider. But Abby Fuller said Mom’s Command’s success was not enough to erase the pain that still burned inside his father over the Dancer’s Image situation. “He never got over it,” she said. “People always said, ‘Didn’t Mom’s Command make up for it? She was amazing and wonderful, but she was her own thing.” On this, the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, the record book says that the winner that year was Forward Pass. Reed, for one, will never accept that. He is not alone. “One of my prized possessions is a picture of Dancer’s Image being led into the winner’s circle,” Reed said. “Peter Fuller is on one side, Lou Cavalaris is on the other side and you can see me right behind them. I’ve always cherished that picture. Even though Forward Pass’s name is up there as the winner, I will always consider Dancer’s Image to be the winner of the 1968 Kentucky Derby.” View the full article

If there is any pressure associated with having 20% of the 20 horse field for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) in his barn, trainer Todd Pletcher is hiding it well. View the full article

After finishing off the board in a dirt try in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 10, Untamed Domain will return to the turf May 5 on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs. View the full article

If there is any pressure associated with having 20% of the 20 horse field for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) in his barn, trainer Todd Pletcher is hiding it well. View the full article

America’s Best Racing has released part two of “Purpose,” a three-part digital video docuseries exploring the role that horses play in addressing the epidemic of U.S. veterans returning from combat with post-traumatic stress disorder. The series, which is presented by the Man O’ War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Earle I. Mack Foundation, examines the deep therapeutic connection between horse and human, with a particular focus on three distinct non-profit programs dedicated to serving our veterans through connections with horses, including retired Thoroughbreds. Part one focuses on SquirrelWood Equine Sanctuary, part two features the Man O’ War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and part three explores the unconventional and innovative Heroes and Horses program based in Montana. Part two of the series, which can be viewed here, focuses on the work of the Man O’ War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Borne of his commitment to public service and his love of racehorses and their post-racing care, the Man O’ War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is the brainchild of Ambassador Earle Mack. Part one of the docuseries can be viewed here, while part three will be released Friday, May 4, at 1 p.m. ET and will be available at AmericasBestRacing.net as well as on America’s Best Racing’s YouTube channel, Facebook page, and NBCSports.com. View the full article

Todd Pletcher, who is set to saddle four of the 20 starters in Saturday’s GI Kentucky Derby, has partnered with the Ram Truck brand for the event. He and his team will be outfitted with Ram branded attire during Derby Week. The branding will also extend to Pletcher’s horses and jockeys. “Ram has been a long-time supporter of the Kentucky Derby and horse racing,” said Pletcher. “I’m a big fan of the brand. We’ve developed a great relationship over the last couple of years and we are looking forward to teaming up with them at this year’s Derby.” Ram teamed with Pletcher in 2017 when his Always Dreaming (Bodemeister) won the Derby. After the race, Ram presented Pletcher with a one-of-a-kind Derby edition Ram 2500 truck. Pletcher, in turn, kept the truck but donated its value to Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and New Vocations. View the full article

Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) heads into the GI Kentucky Oaks as the morning line favorite, while Take Charge Paula (Take Charge Indy) will be more of a price, but they came into the world the same way. Literally. The two fillies were born a few weeks apart at Brendan and Olive Gallagher’s Frankfort Park Farm in Lexington and were foaled out in the same stall. Take Charge Paula, winner of the GIII Forward Gal S., arrived March 2, 2015, and Monomoy Girl, who most recently won the GI Ashland S., made her entrance on March 26. “They had pretty different temperaments,” said Brendan Gallagher. “Monomoy Girl was feisty as a baby, and Take Charge Paula was always a nicer filly, temperament-wise. In saying that, Monomoy Girl is talented, but as a baby she liked getting her own way a little bit.” Incidentally, their personalities as foals were a bit opposite of their dams. Monomoy Girl is out of the winning Henny Hughes mare Drumette, while Take Charge Paula is a daughter of the winning Songandaprayer mare Perfect Paula. “Drumette is very straightforward, she’s a lovely mare,” said Gallagher. “She has a lovely temperament. The other lady, Perfect Paula, she likes to be the last one in from the paddock every day, and she likes getting her own way. But, they are two straightforward mares, and we wouldn’t mind if we had a few more like them. They have both been here for the last few years.” While carrying Monomoy Girl, Drumette was consigned by Pope McLean to the 2014 Keeneland November mixed sale where she sold to Michael Hernon’s Highfield Ranch for $75,000. Hernon–the director of sales at Gainesway–and the Gallaghers own the mare in partnership. Gainesway is also where Tapizar, winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in 2012, stands at stud. “Drumette is a good mare, and she consistently produces good foals,” said Hernon. “Tapizar is a very fine individual. He had all the ingredients to make it at stud, and now he has seemed to produce a really top caliber runner in Monomoy Girl. I believe in the horse, and I believe in what I do. “From the get go, Monomoy Girl was a serious foal. She was strong psychically, and she was a good, strong-willed foal but never mean. She was her own person, you could nearly see it from the very beginning, and I have seen a lot of foals arrive. She stood out, and she actually stood up in just under 20 minutes, which would be considered quite precocious.” Meanwhile, Take Charge Paula was bred in the name of Envision Equine, in which the Gallaghers were partners. Perfect Paula is now owned solely by the Gallaghers. “Perfect Paula, we originally bought her in England,” said Gallagher. “She’s stakes-placed over five furlongs. We bought our partner out last year. We were lucky to hang on to her. We bought her outright for small money, and then she came up with Take Charge Paula.” Frankfort Park Farm is located on what used to be Old Frankfort Stud, the home of 1992 Kentucky Derby winner Lil E. Tee. The property changed hands in 2006 and was originally meant to be more of a quarantine facility than a breeding farm. At the time, Gallagher, an Irishman, was the managing director of Emerald Bloodstock. “We’ve been doing this a long time, and we’ve been in America here breeding horses for the last 10 years,” said Gallagher. “When we were in Emerald, we used to quarantine a lot more horses here then. We bought a lot of horses probably at the wrong time just before the market took a dip, and that’s when Olive and I said we would come over here ourselves. “Our farm manager, Erika Goncalves, has been with us the last five years, and we have a good team here. We have made a lot of mistakes, but I hope we have learned from them, and I am very happy with what we are doing at the moment.” In addition to client mares, the Gallaghers will routinely foal out between 15-20 of their own. Their personal 2015 crop was made up of 19 foals, and in addition to Monomoy Girl and Take Charge Paula, it also featured The Tabulator (Dialed In), who won the GIII Iroquois S. last year before competing in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. “That particular crop has been a good crop,” said Gallagher. “I think nature wants to give you its best when you are breeding horses, but the problem is if you do 10 things right and one thing wrong, you are still in trouble. It’s important to do all the little things as well as you can, and I think you tend to get a bit luckier then.” Monomoy Girl has won five of her six career starts, but when she took the Ashland this April at Keeneland, it marked an important milestone for most of the people associated with her. “She’s the first Grade I winner we have bred, the first Grade I winner bloodstock agent Liz Crow has bought, and the first Grade I winner for her trainer, Brad Cox,” said Olive Gallagher. “Michael has bred one before with Zazu (Tapit), but for the rest of us it was a big day.” Even though it wasn’t a first for Hernon, it was still a memorable victory, and he has confidence in Monomoy Girl heading into the Oaks. “This filly has really developed under Brad’s skillful training,” said Hernon. “I am very impressed with him. It’s a credit to him and his team, and it’s hugely satisfying to have a filly of this level. I am closer to her; I have seen a lot of her. I actually think she halfway knows me. Zazu, of course, was located on the West Coast with John Sadler. Monomoy Girl is coming into the Oaks great. If a filly can outrun her, God bless is all I can say.” As for Drumette and Perfect Paula, they remain at Frankfort Park and both delivered healthy foals by Shackleford this year. Perfect Paula had a flashy filly at the end of January, while Drumette recently produced a quality colt. “We couldn’t be happier with the foals, and it’s exciting,” said Brendan Gallagher. “Let’s hope that they can go on and do some of the good things their siblings have done. Shackleford gets good-looking horses, and they have good temperaments.” Drumette, who is booked to Mastery, also has a juvenile full brother to Monomoy Girl named Cowboy Diplomacy and a yearling colt by Palace Malice. Now owned by Pocket Aces Racing, Cowboy Diplomacy was the highest priced Tapizar yearling to sell last year. “He sold for $175,000, which was gratifying,” said Hernon. “I think he is a really good prospect, and I would frankly be surprised if he’s not a runner of some significance in his own right. He was that good of a yearling.” Perfect Paula has a 2-year-old Fed Biz colt named Unbeknownst to Me and is in foal to Medaglia d’ Oro. “We will have to wait and see what Michael wants to do with Drumette and the baby–there is every chance they might be in a November sale,” said Gallagher. “I’d say with Perfect Paula, let’s hope she will be here for a good long time. “It means everything to get horses to run in Grade Is and to be competitive and to win them. That’s what it’s all about.” View the full article

Audible Inc., the world’s largest seller and producer of downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word entertainment, will donate $25,000 to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance May 5 as a continuation of Audible Inc.’s involvement with GI Kentucky Derby Audible (Into Mischief). The check presentation is scheduled to take place in the regular winner’s circle Saturday after the GII Churchill Downs S., which is carded as race 8 and has a scheduled post time of 2:45 p.m. Audible Inc. previously made a $15,000 donation to the TAA after Audible’s win in the GI Xpressbet Florida Derby Mar. 31. “The TAA is thrilled to see Audible Inc. get involved with horse racing through Kentucky Derby contender Audible and is extremely grateful for their contributions to the TAA,” said TAA president John Phillips. “These funds will help the TAA in our mission to establish a safe first exit from racing for horses and support accredited aftercare organizations that retrain, rehome, and retire Thoroughbreds.” Audible Inc. created a microsite dedicated to their involvement that can be viewed here. View the full article

After he finished off the board in a dirt try in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 10, Untamed Domain will return to the turf May 5 on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs. View the full article

New Zealand’s Cambridge Stud has purchased the Southern Hemisphere breeding rights to Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), and the 2016 European champion 3-year-old is set to shuttle there later this year. Almanzor is based at Haras d’Etreham in France and is currently standing his first season for €35,000. He will be syndicated in New Zealand and will stand for NZ$30,000. Brendan Lindsay, who with his wife Jo recently purchased Cambridge Stud from the legendary studmaster Sir Patrick Hogan, said, “Our purchase of Almanzor is a further vote of confidence in the New Zealand industry. He will be the first European champion 3-year-old since Montjeu to stand in New Zealand, so having access to a horse with his credentials is hugely significant. We will be throwing our full support behind him.” Cambridge also stands Montjeu’s highly successful son Tavistock (NZ) and leading second-crop sires Burgundy (NZ) and Highly Recommended (Aus). “Almanzor was a truly outstanding racehorse, he was the highest-rated turf horse in world in 2016 alongside Winx with a Timeform rating of 133,” said Cambridge Stud Chief Executive Officer Henry Plumptre. “He displayed an exceptional turn of foot and also has an outcross pedigree which is so sought after by Australasian breeders.” A first-crop son of Group 1 winner Wootton Bassett (GB), who is himself by another successful New Zealand shuttler in Iffraaj (GB), Almanzor was trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and was a stakes winner at two. He won his three Group 1s at three in three different countries, kicking off the sequence in France’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club. He bested a stellar field of older horses in the fall the G1 Irish Champion S.-those in his wake including the subsequent Arc winner Found (Ire), champion 3-year-old filly Minding (Ire), the previous year’s Jockey Club winner New Bay and global Group 1 winner Highland Reel (Ire)-and he had Found again in his wake when taking the G1 Champion S. five weeks later. Almanzor will be given every chance to succeed in Europe as well, his shareholders including breeder Haras d’Etreham, Gerard Augustin-Normand and SF Bloodstock. Click here for a TDN Big Interview with Haras d’Etreham’s Nicolas de Chambure discussing Almanzor. View the full article

Landikusic (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) (video), a winning full-sister to Irish highweight, G1 Phoenix S. victor and sire Zoffany (Ire), has been entered in the fifth edition of the Goffs London Sale in association with QIPCO held next to Kensington Palace on the greenfield Perks Field on the eve of Royal Ascot June 18. She is in foal to Juddmonte’s Frankel (GB) who has had great success at the sale with a mare in foal to the undefeated champion and with a foal at foot by him making £1,150,000 at the inaugural sale in 2014. “Landikusic has a blue-chip pedigree and together with her Frankel covering is worthy of significant global interest,” said Goffs Group Chief Excecutive Henry Beeby. “I saw her at the National Stud in Newmarket and she is a most attractive prospect. Indeed, one of the best advertisements for the mare is her beautiful Galileo (Ire) foal who would give any purchaser great confidence that her future produce will have Classic potential. We are delighted and very grateful that the owners have chosen Goffs London Sale to offer Landikusic for sale. She is a perfect example of the calibre of mare that should excel in London and we look forward to promoting her over the next two months to the many international buyers expected to attend the sale on the eve of Royal Ascot.” Also a half-sister to Group 3 winner Wilshire Boulevard (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Group 2 winner and G1 National S. third Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the LNJ Foxwoods-owned mare was purchased for 700,000gns out of the Tattersalls October Book 1 Yearling Sale in 2014. “LNJ Foxwoods is honoured to partner with Goffs, QIPCO, GBRI and the National Stud in offering Landikusic,” said Jason Litt of Solis Litt Bloodstock. “Frankel and Zoffany were both tremendous Ascot performers making the Goffs London Sale a natural fit for this regally bred mare.” View the full article

The catalogue for the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale is now available. Slated for June 5-7, with Book 1 conducted over the first two days and a single-day Book 2 on the seventh, the sale attracted 528 yearlings by 131 individual stallions. The majority of the lots are eligible for the A$11-million Magic Millions Race Series. A total of 334 lots are BOBS qualified, while another 89 are paid through QTIS first payment. Thirty-six yearlings are also Super VOBIS nominated. The Magic Millions Gold Coast National Racehorse Sale will take place after the conclusion of the yearling sale on June 7. In 2017, the National Yearling Sale’s top price was A$380,000 for a son of top-class shuttle stallion More Than Ready, while the gross was A$17,641,350 for a clearance rate of 73.6%. The average was A$43,993 and the median was A$25,000. Champion sire Snitzel (Aus) has three yearlings signed on, while his fellow Arrowfield Stud champion sire Redoute’s Choice (Aus) has a pair. Six yearlings represented Group 1 sire Written Tycoon (Aus) and I Am Invincible (Aus) has four, the same number as Exceed And Excel (Aus) and Fastnet Rock (Aus). Derby sire Tavistock (NZ) fields a quintet, Not A Single Doubt (Aus) three just like the aforementioned More Than Ready. Ten yearlings fly the flag for Hinchinbrook (Aus) and boom first-season sires Zoustar (Aus) and Spirit of Boom (Aus) have eight and 15, respectively. View the full article

European invader Deauville (IRE) returns to the United States for a third straight season to target the $500,000 Old Forester Turf Classic (G1T), where an old foe is waiting May 5 at Churchill Downs. View the full article

As far as first season efforts go, they don’t come much better than Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s rookie campaign, in fact there has been only one better, and the apprentice is fast closing in on his master John Size’s all-time record for most wins by a freshman trainer. A dirt track double with Furious Pegasus and Turin Redstar at Sha Tin on Wednesday night left Lor with 51 wins, just seven short of Size’s record set in 2001-02, but way ahead of his own preseason expectations... View the full article

Two wildcards have been added to Arqana’s Breeze-Up Sale on May 12, including a War Front half-brother to G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. winner Pathfork (Distorted Humor). The colt, who will be offered by Norman Williamson’s Oak Tree Farm as lot 100, is out of the stakes-winning Visions of Clarity (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), a half-sister to the multiple Group 1-winning miler Spinning World (Nureyev). Also added to the sale as lot 170 is Powerstown Stud’s Dabirsim (Fr) filly out of the stakes-winning Jambalaya (Ger) (Samum {Ger}). The dam has already produced the stakes-placed Jimmu (Ger) (Dalakhani {Ire}), a Classic hope in Germany this year. View the full article

As part of the undercard of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), the John Oxley-owned pair will meet on the track for the one mile test for 4-year-olds fillies and up over the Churchill Downs turf. View the full article

Zoustar will stand permanently at Widden Stud after a court case surrounding Australia’s leading first-season sire came to a close, according to Racing.com. Zoustar had split his first four seasons between Widden in the Hunter Valley and Woodside Park Stud in Victoria after those entities partnered to purchase him prior to his win in the 2013 G1 Coolmore Stud S. Widden’s Antony Thompson told Racing.com that China Horse Club and Gerry Harvey of Baramul Stud have been involved in the purchase of Woodside’s shares in the stallion. Also part of the court case was an ownership dispute in the horse involving the failed BC3 Thoroughbreds, but that claim with withdrawn. Zoustar, a son of Widden’s much-missed champion first-season sire Northern Meteor (Aus), will stand at Widden for A$60,500 this year. “It’s fantastic to have been vindicated and have the cases behind us,” Thompson told Racing.com. “We are excited that Zoustar will remain at Widden permanently and we look forward to him cementing his position as the most exciting young stallion in the Hunter Valley.” View the full article

Just as it should be, this year’s Guineas is a pedigree war of the biggest and boldest and most successful bloodstock manoeuvres of recent times and it is no surprise that Coolmore are at the forefront. The race’s most intriguing horse is without question Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who represents a brand new Japanese experiment by one of racing’s biggest thinkers, John Magnier. Deep Impact has always been considered a monster in terms of his racing career and at stud, but he needed a wider international stamp of approval to truly launch and that is beginning to happen now. Saxon Warrior’s dam, Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), represents a genuine European pedigree, with Derby and Oaks winners Dr Devious and Dancing Rain in there, but there is a hint of outside enterprise involved too as the former went for the Kentucky Derby en route to Epsom. That sense of adventure and pushing the limits is what lies behind most of the scene-changing moments of European racing since Dr Vincent O’Brien opted to place his faith in Northern Dancer in the late sixties. Along came Nijinsky and the momentum shifted entirely. It is nearly 50 years since that great and last Triple Crown winner set foot on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile to justify 4-7 favouritism before heading to Epsom and Doncaster to complete British racing’s holy trinity of monuments. Saxon Warrior will be more around 5-1 on Saturday, so it is impossible to say whether he will tread down that kind of path but there is a sense of the unknown where he is concerned at present. He was not expected to do what he did on debut at The Curragh in August, when his biggest advocate, Donnacha O’Brien, enjoyed as fun a joyride as is possible from a racehorse in the final two furlongs. It was Ryan Moore on board for the G2 Beresford S. and G1 Racing Post Trophy, where he had bigger fish to fry but managed it in a manner suggesting he was just doing what was necessary. The latter race used to be all about stamina, but since Doncaster switched it to a straight mile and drastically altered their drainage system it is no longer a hotbed of died-in-the-wool Derby types. In 2011 Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) became the first since High Top in 1972 to win that and the Guineas the following year and Saxon Warrior showed miler speed as well as determination in the most recent renewal. His dam Maybe, who was sent off the 13-8 favourite for the 1,000 Guineas in 2012 only to be left trailing by stablemate Homecoming Queen, was one of the “fast Galileos” that Aidan O’Brien and Jim Bolger first exploited with her debut success coming over six furlongs. That said, she got a mile and a half well when fifth in the following year’s Oaks and represents a pedigree that is a perfect blend of speed and stamina which is also true of the freakish Deep Impact. Has Shadai Stallion Station’s heir to Sunday Silence created another in his own image? Ballydoyle’s helmsman is not ruling out the thought. “We’ve probably never had a horse to change so much over a winter as he has–he’s turned into a monster of a horse–big, powerful and strong,” O’Brien said. “He’s going to run a long way off his 2-year-old weight, but his work is very nice and we are very happy with him.” O’Brien admits to being in the dark as to what will come forward on Saturday, where it will be all about natural ability. Saxon Warrior has been allowed to come forward in his own time at Rosegreen and although that may not be enough for a win against some race-fit and possibly harder-trained peers, it will provide a jumping-off point for what could be a momentous 3-year-old campaign. “We think he will get further than a mile. It will be a nice place to start him and we look forward to him for the rest of the year. He looks a very unusual horse at the moment in how much he has changed from two to three, but we have to start somewhere.” Whereas Saxon Warrior’s pedigree is a step into a new frontier, Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) embodies a time-honoured approach to breeding a true Guineas type. Descending from Prince Faisal’s Prix de Diane heroine Rafha (GB) (Kris {GB}), he is also a mix of sprint and staying class but his family is proven time and again on the main stage of Europe. Invincible Spirit (Ire) is in there taking a prominent role and it is his half-sister Massarra (GB) (Danehill) who is responsible for this year’s likely favourite. A speedy and precocious sort for John Dunlop, she generally gets milers at the most but with the influence of Galileo it is highly probable that Gustav Klimt has the ideal blend for victory in this Classic. Interestingly, his full-brother Mars (Ire) was a real talking horse in Co. Tipperary in his time and lined up in the 2013 edition of this on only his second racecourse start at just 9-1. He was sixth and well-beaten, but was third in the St James’s Palace S. a month later. Gustav Klimt was prepped in the newly-remodelled Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial last month and showed a great deal more than any of his stable’s other runners to have been seen so far this term by beating the smart, race-fit Imaging (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) despite the testing ground and run of the race being against him. He is all class on that showing and he demonstrated there and in the G2 Superlative S. when things got tough that he has that will-to-win his sire is so effective at stamping on his progeny. It is something that Aidan O’Brien talks about a lot and has decided the outcome of so many tight finishes in the top events of recent years. He is the sole colt in the line-up by Galileo, whose 10 representatives since 2008 have yielded three wins and three places with the successful triumvirate of Frankel (GB), Gleneagles (Ire) and Churchill (Ire) interestingly all out of fast mares. With normal improvement from Leopardstown, Gustav Klimt will be a tough nut to crack and his trainer is full of hope. “We were anxious to get a run into him, as he had not run since Newmarket in the middle of the summer,” he explained. “We would have liked to have run him in the Dewhurst to find out a little bit more about him, so were a little bit in the dark. It was soft ground, very heavy really, and probably not ideal but we felt we needed to run him. We always thought he would prefer better ground and he did well to quicken in the ground. Ryan [Moore] rode him in the July meeting last year and was very, very full of him. You are never sure, but we were delighted with his run in Leopardstown. We think and hope he’s in good form.” Despite all of his prior eight 2,000 Guineas previous winners making their seasonal bow in this, O’Brien is quick to point out that that is just coincidental. “This is the first time we had the seven furlongs at Leopardstown,” he added. “For us, the Craven is too close and maybe the race in Newbury is a little bit close as well. And then we had a Guineas trial at Leopardstown over a mile, which is too far, and the Gladness is against older horses and too tough. So up until now we’ve never had a prep. I suppose [the previous winners] were good 2-year-olds and they had done plenty and learnt plenty.” Another foray for Coolmore in recent years has been the move to support War Front and despite two notable disappointments in this in War Command and Air Force Blue, who was 4-5 when 12th two years ago, two of his sons have been fourth in the last two renewals and he has a live contender this time in US Navy Flag who is bred more for this task. Out of the stable’s Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was beaten out of sight in the 2011 1,000 Guineas before turning herself inside out in three weeks to The Curragh equivalent, he has already achieved notoriety as one of very few to have completed the Middle Park-Dewhurst double. The highest-rated in this line-up as a result, his distant last of four on desperate ground in the Leopardstown Guineas Trial means very little in this context. If Saxon Warrior has the feel of Hawk Wing about him, then US Navy Flag could be this season’s Rock of Gibraltar–a tough and top-class juvenile who went through some big tests and kept getting better and stronger. “U S Navy Flag is a very solid horse and improved with racing,” O’Brien commented. “He’d love really nice ground, fast ground and he could be an exciting horse this year. The ground wasn’t ideal [at Leopardstown], but we felt we needed to run him because the more we ran him last year the better he got. If it’s going to get too slow he might not run, we might wait.” O’Brien Reveals Riding Assignments… With Ryan Moore at Churchill Downs, O’Brien is keeping riding arrangements in-house. “At the moment it looks like Seamus [Heffernan] might ride Gustav, and that Donnacha [O’Brien] will ride Saxon Warrior. That’s what we are thinking at the moment, but all those things can change,” he said. View the full article

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old colt may have never made the trip to the Bluegrass, but he's certainly no stranger to steep competition. View the full article