Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Mendelssohn a UAE Derby nom
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.
While Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn could take to the new European road to the 2018 Kentucky Derby, trainer Aidan O’Brien is keeping open a more familiar option as well.
Mendelssohn appeared Tuesday in nominations for the UAE Derby, a race O’Brien won back-to-back in 2012 with Daddy Long Legs and 2013 with Lines of Battle before both moved on to race at Churchill Downs.
A $3 million half-brother to champion Beholder, Mendelssohn scored a one-length win in the Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, showing the sort of late kick that could make him a superstar on grass. His ability to cruise close to the pace throughout may help him threaten on the main track, too.
Set for March 31 on the Dubai World Cup undercard, the UAE Derby pays out qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 scale. Other familiar names in the nominations include Enticed and Marconi, runners in last weekend’s preps, along with a slew of horses trained by Steve Asmussen.
The European trail’s schedule could also offer Mendelssohn a chance to run closer to home with races March 1 in Great Britain (Kentucky Derby Conditions Race) and March 2 in Ireland (Patton Stakes), the latter having been won three of five times by O’Brien. From there, a choice would have to be made between the UAE Derby and the European finale, the March 3 Burradon Stakes.
Just one horse from Europe will be made eligible for the Derby taking that path, while it’s likely a runner-up effort at Meydan with 40 points could also qualify a runner.
None of the previous European points earners were nominated to the Triple Crown, with each of their previous points races on the turf. Those that remain in Europe are contested on synthetic.
Assessing Future Wager values
Churchill Downs on Tuesday released the 23 individual interests, plus the “All Others” encompassing the mutuel field, that will be part of this weekend’s Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2.
Seven new names will open for wagering at noon Friday: Audbile, Catholic Boy, Combatant, Instilled Regard, Mourinho, Retirement Fund and Strike Power.
Of course, that also means seven names from Pool 1 didn’t make the cut this round: Dak Attack, Engage, Givemeaminit, Gotta Go, Lone Sailor, Quip and Talent Scout.
For the remaining 16 horses, here’s a chart to keep in mind as prices change throughout the weekend. Wagering will run through 6 p.m. Sunday.
| Horse | Pool 1 final odds | Pool 2 ML odds |
| Avery Island | 29-1 | 20-1 |
| Bolt d'Oro | 7-1 | 10-1 |
| Copper Bullet | 45-1 | 50-1 |
| Enticed | 29-1 | 30-1 |
| Firenze Fire | 49-1 | 30-1 |
| Free Drop Billy | 33-1 | 20-1 |
| Good Magic | 11-1 | 10-1 |
| Mask | 47-1 | 12-1 |
| McKinzie | 12-1 | 8-1 |
| Mendelssohn | 31-1 | 30-1 |
| Montauk | 17-1 | 20-1 |
| Principe Guilherme | 27-1 | 30-1 |
| Solomini | 22-1 | 20-1 |
| Sporting Chance | 56-1 | 50-1 |
| Tiz Mischief | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Untamed Domain | 29-1 | 30-1 |
• HRN's Matt Shifman offers more Future Wager Pool 2 analysis in his Tuesday column.
Enticed remains on the trail
The Kentucky Jockey Club winner didn’t fare quite as well in last Saturday’s Grade 2 Holy Bull, finishing fourth behind Audible, but trainer Kiaran McLaughlin anticipates another chance at a prep for Enticed.
In an interview with Godolphin.com, McLaughlin said Enticed “was taking dirt for seven furlongs,” a product of an inside post position, whereas “normally, you would be hoping for some spacing in the field, and a chance to get into the clear. But with the traffic on the inside that never happened.”
Having also won an undercard stakes, the Grade 3 Forward Gal with Take Charge Paula, McLaughlin noted that “rain in the morning meant the track favored those up on the speed.” Longshot Master Manipulator, who eventually eased to last, beat Enticed to the first turn to begin his poor trip.
McLaughlin also trains Grade 3 Withers Stakes winner Avery Island.
“Both colts have come out of their races very well,” he said. “There are a range of options in coming weeks and they will run once, possibly twice, before the Derby.”
The works
Retirement Fund — While Steve Asmussen worked his Fair Grounds 3-year-olds on Monday, his Oaklawn-based sophomores went this morning, including this Eskendereya colt who’s 2-for-2 having impressively beaten winners last out. He breezed five furlongs in 1:02.00 (6/25) toward a start in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes set for Feb. 19.
Zing Zang — This one Asmussen said only wants more distance having finished fourth in last month’s Grade 3 Lecomte, which marked his stakes debut. He matched Retirement Fund’s final time as the two worked in company Tuesday morning. The Lecomte ran at 1 mile, 70 yards, with this Southwest candidate set to travel 1 1/16 miles next out.
In case you missed it…
Monday’s Derby Daily report took an early look at fields for this week’s round of Derby preps, the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs and Grade 2 San Vicente at Santa Anita Park.
• Catch up with all the latest Derby news by reading past editions of HRN’s Derby Daily report.