Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Mendelssohn hitting the trail
Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily, 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.
He won’t yet run on dirt, but Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn will hit the 2018 Kentucky Derby trail this week over the next-best thing.
Mendelssohn is one of 12 entered in Friday’s European Road to the Derby race, Ireland's listed Patton Stakes for 3-year-olds going a mile on Dundalk’s Polytrack.
A son of Scat Daddy, Mendelssohn topped a Breeders’ Cup field that included future Derby prep winners Catholic Boy, My Boy Jack and Flameaway. Plus Snapper Sinclair was a nose away from winning the Grade 2 Risen Star, and Untamed Domain will get his try in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby.
The colt’s trainer, Aidan O’Brien, and son Joseph O’Brien account for eight of the race’s entries. Also this week, on Thursday Kempton Park hosts the Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes, another race Mendelssohn was considered for before entered in the Patton.
Both of those races pay out European Derby points on a 20-8-3-2 scale and precede the March 30 Burradon at Newcastle, which awards on a 30-12-6-3 basis.
One horse from the European Road to the Derby will be invited to start at Churchill Downs. Mendelssohn could also qualify traditionally as a nomination to the March 31 UAE Derby at Meydan, a race Aidan O’Brien has previously used as a final prep for his horses.
Post time for the Patton Stakes is 2 p.m. ET with the race set to run under the lights in Ireland.
Introducing the Derby media poll
My quick takeaways from the rankings:
• While we saw some big performances early this year, none were solid enough to unseat Good Magic and Bolt d’Oro from the top spots. They could hold them up until the first Saturday in May with next-out victories.
• Audible, the Grade 2 Holy Bull winner, is the highest-ranked horse without a first-place vote at No. 4. So experts consider him a legitimate contender, but they’re likely waiting to see him again in the Florida Derby before committing further.
• Justify may be the goods. Or so everyone seems to think. He’ll be the likely favorite should he go March 25 in the Grade 3 Sunland Derby off a freakish debut going seven furlongs at Santa Anita, a performance which registered a 104 Beyer Speed Figure. Already at No. 9, he has a high ceiling.
Derby links
• Santa Anita Park sent a full report over following Bolt d’Oro’s Monday morning gate work under jockey Javier Castellano, and we’ve included video. Worrisome? He was slow to break, even as owner and trainer Mick Ruis has said he’s conditioning the colt to run on or near the lead. So in at least one respect, the precocious colt has room to improve.
• In the middle of the Santa Anita stable notes from Sunday: word from trainer Bob Baffert that McKinzie and Solomini could take on Bolt d’Oro in the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 10. Baffert said that he “might have two in there,” adding that “I’ll know more next week.” Baffert was among the crowd at Clockers’ Corner to see Bolt d’Oro breeze Monday morning.
• Gotta Go, who ran on late to finish second in the one-turn Swale Stakes last time out at Gulfstream Park, is expected to return in this weekend’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, trainer Ian Wilkes told the Daily Racing Form, saying, “We’ve all got Derby dreams, but let’s make sure that we belong there first.” So, that makes seven projected horses to take on Good Magic.
• Curlin’s Honor, a well-regarded maiden winner dating back to October at Keeneland, returned by overcoming traffic to top a Fair Grounds allowance. He and another 3-year-old, Reride, were the two looking Derby trail-ready on Sunday.
The works
Bravazo — The first horse to become an apparent lock for the Derby via his Grade 2 Risen Star score returned to the work tab Monday back at Oaklawn Park, covering a half mile in 49 seconds flat, slow on the stopwatch but ranking 19/99 with the track just rated “good” due to recent rain.
Greyvitos — This is just a starting point for the multiple stakes winner, who had minor surgery to remove knee chips in both legs off a Springboard Mile victory. He could be a major player down the line and is nominated to the Arkansas Derby. The work began with three furlongs in 37.20 seconds Monday at Del Mar.
Justify — A week and a day after his smashing debut, the $500,000 colt breezed through 5/8 of a mile in 1:01.40 (33/55) at Santa Anita Park, giving him time enough for three additional works leading into the Sunland Derby.
Supreme Aura — He didn’t fire in the Risen Star, finishing ninth after entering the race unbeaten. But apparently no worse for the trip, he returned to the work tab the same day as the winner and may return in the Louisiana Derby, getting the half mile Monday at Fair Grounds in a bullet 47 seconds.
In case you missed it…
Sunday’s Derby Daily report focused on Victor Espinoza’s role in the Bolt d’Oro saga, with Ruis saying the jockey is “in the wings” should the mount open up.
• Catch up with all the latest Derby news by reading past editions of HRN’s Derby Daily report.