Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Instilled Regard’s next prep set

Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily — proudly sponsored by NYRA Bets — which will each day leading up to the May 5 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.

By Jonathan Lintner

With top 3-year-olds sidelined due to injury early in 2014 (Shared Belief), Songbird (2016) and Unique Bella (2017), trainer Jerry Hollendorfer didn’t question himself as those years’ Kentucky Derby and Oaks ran minus his major contenders.

“You have to look at the overall picture,” Hollendorfer said. “If we have a horse that misses a race, be it the Derby or another race, and they get to come back and run in other good races, I think the stable has done its job. We’re blessed and fortunate to have horses like that.”

Each of those three indeed returned and won at the Grade 1 level. Plus, as Hollendorfer points out, “I haven’t missed that many Derbys. I’ve run in six of them.”

His top 2018 Kentucky Derby hopeful, OXO Equine's Instilled Regard, remains on track to run the first Saturday in May, posting his first workout back from a victory earlier this month in Fair Grounds’ Grade 3 Lecomte. Hollendorfer said the $1 million Arch colt will return to New Orleans for the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 17.

Instilled Regard drilled four furlongs in 47.80 seconds Wednesday, fourth-fastest of 41 at that distance at Santa Anita Park.

“He’s doing very well, and so I’m pleased with his progress,” Hollendorfer said.

The Risen Star kicks off the Derby trail’s “Championship Series” of races that award 50 qualifying points to the winner, essentially a guaranteeing a spot in the starting gate with a victory if the horse remains healthy. That has been the obstacle in recent years for Hollendorfer, who hasn’t reaped rewards for his job readying sophomore runners.

“We don’t obsess about people paying attention to us or not,” Hollendorfer said. “We try to do the best job we can every day for our clients, and so far that’s worked for us.”

Bolt d’Oro’s workout scheduled

He could be crowned champion 2-year-old on Thursday, and on Saturday Bolt d’Oro will begin serious preparations for a 3-year-old campaign that carries lofty expectations.

Owner and trainer Mick Ruis told the Daily Racing Form the son of Medaglia d’Oro — last seen running third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile — will breeze three furlongs Saturday, marking his first workout back.

Bolt d’Oro will train toward a 2018 debut in Santa Anita’s Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes on March 10.

Ruis, who conditioned Bolt d’Oro to Grade 1 wins in the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner, joked in the report that, “If he doesn’t win the San Felipe, I’m firing me.”

So there’s still plenty of confidence in the colt despite his first defeat while taking an outside trip in the Juvenile. More recently, his next race plans were pushed back due to a muscle pull. Bolt d’Oro resumed galloping earlier this month.

Early Derby Top 10 lists

On this week’s edition of HRN’s HorseCenter video show, hosts Brian Zipse and Matt Shifman shared their combined Derby Top 10 list. Here’s how I’d personally rank contenders based on, first of all, likelihood to get in the Derby along with how I expect them to perform.

1. Bolt d’Oro

2. McKinzie

3. Instilled Regard

4. Good Magic

5. Catholic Boy

6. Mourinho

7. Solomini

8. Tiz Mischief

9. Enticed

10. Firenze Fire

I’ll wait until a handful of others — namely Mask, Untamed Domain, Sporting Chance, Copper Bullet and the Todd Pletcher maiden/allowance winners — pick up Derby points before considering them.

The works

Ebben — Off a sixth-place effort in the Lecomte, the Steve Margolis trainee made a speedy return to the work tab Wednesday, moving a half mile in 48.40 (3/47) at Fair Grounds. No word yet what’s ahead, but he could be among the Risen Star contenders.

Hazit — This is one Aron Wellman, of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, told us watch. He beat Good Magic in both horses’ debuts, and while he was eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the $430,000 War Front colt will likely get a start on the Derby trail this spring. He put in four furlongs Wednesday in 48.88 at trainer Todd Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs base.

In case you missed it…

Tuesday’s Derby Daily report featured an interview with Kiaran McLaughlin and a change he’d like to see for points-paying preps. It certainly sparked some conversation.

• Catch up with all the latest Derby news by reading past editions of HRN’s Derby Daily report.