Sovereignty Returns from Derby Win Well, But With ‘Small Scrape’, Journalism Exits in ‘Good Order’

[Wandering Eyes]

One day removed from a big win with Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Kentucky Derby, the media converged on Bill Mott's barn on the Churchill Downs backside Sunday Morning. Accompanied by Godolphin's Michael Banahan, Mott indicated the colt exited the 10-furlong Classic in good order, however, had also sustained 'a small scrape–about four inches' on his right front pastern during the early part of the race.

“He did sustain a little scrape on the outside of his pastern, most likely leaving the gate,” Mott said Sunday. “He broke and the horse outside of him was trying to get over, and it looked like maybe that horse caught him on the outside of his right front pastern. It's more of a scrape, it's not a cut, a scrape about four inches long. Right now, it looks to be a superficial thing, but everything else on him looks good: knees, ankles, jogging good. I can't be happier with everything else…On a normal day with a horse that's not him, you wouldn't be concerned about it, really.”

“When I got back to the barn last night after the race, he'd already eaten up, his tub was empty,” the Hall of Famer said. “Probably did it in 20 minutes. That's unusual for a horse that had to run a race as hard as he did.”

According to Mott, he would give the horse two or three days off and the colt's ownership connections and trainer would consider whether the team would forge on to Baltimore for the GI Preakness in two weeks.

“We've got to consider all options with him,” he stated. “We certainly respect the Triple Crown and what it means, but we're not dead set on it. We'll have to let the horse tell us how he's doing in the next little while and then we'll go from there.”

Derby post-time favorite Journalism (Curlin) appeared to come out of a runner-up effort in 'good order', according to a pragmatic Michael McCarthy Sunday morning.

“We've got no complaints,” said the West Coast horseman. “I thought he ran very well. “Unfortunately, he got pinched there a little bit leaving the gate. I was a little bit farther back underneath the wire for the first time than I'd have liked. But he made a wonderful run around the turn, was beaten by the horse I thought he had to beat.”

The trainer indicated that the Preakness remains among possibilities for the GI Santa Anita Derby winner.

“We'll get with everybody and talk it over in the next day or so, come up with a plan that's best for Journalism,” McCarthy said. “We'll give him a day or two to get his feet underneath him and see where we're at with him. He's run well back off a quick rest before.”

McCarthy won the 2021 Preakness with Rombauer, who did not run in the Kentucky Derby.

 

Baeza, Sandman Possible for Belmont

In contrast to the top two finishers, third-place finisher Baeza (McKinzie) will not return for the second jewel in the Triple Crown, according to trainer John Shirreffs.

“Quite a trip for him, this whole week,” Shirreffs said Sunday morning. “He's never been on a wet surface before, so there was that. Then that big field and the bumping that went on. But in the end he ran well and we're proud of him.”

The conditioner said the Preakness was not a consideration for the bay.

“Too much for a West Coast horse to work with,” he said. “We'll go back west, then look at the [GI] Belmont.”

The third leg of the Triple Crown will be run this year on June 7 at Saratoga in upstate New York as Belmont Park continues to undergo its massive renovation. It also will be run at a mile and a quarter instead of the classic distance of a mile and one-half.

Sandman (Tapit), second choice in Saturday's Derby, exited a seventh-place effort well and is likely to return in the Belmont, according to Mark Casse's assistant Allen Hardy Sunday.

“He is good this morning,” said Hardy. “He ate up last night and jogged early this morning [at the barn].”

The post Sovereignty Returns from Derby Win Well, But With ‘Small Scrape’, Journalism Exits in ‘Good Order’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article