Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Pletcher gears up Noble Indy

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.

Trainer Todd Pletcher graduated allowance-level winners to 2018 Kentucky Derby prospects in consecutive weeks on the trail, and he’ll look to do it again in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes.

With Audible a winner of the Grade 2 Holy Bull, then Vino Rosso a promising third in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis, it’s Noble Indy who will take his turn Saturday at Fair Grounds. Last time out, the Take Charge Indy colt moved his record to 2-for-2 with a victory going 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park.

“He’s shown a tremendous amount of talent not only in the mornings but in both of his races,” Pletcher said. “He’s a horse with a pedigree that suggests he’ll handle longer distances. Right now he’s at that stage of development in his career where it’s time to step up into the graded stakes ranks and see where he fits in the big picture.

“We think he’s a horse that belongs on the Derby trail, and we’re hoping he handles each step up in class and so far he has.”

Noble Indy defeated Mississippi in the Jan. 11 first-level allowance, but the winner was under far less urging, and it was seven lengths back to the third-place runner. Mississippi came back to run well in his next start, too, finishing a close second again in allowance company.

While Noble Indy has shown talent on the track, getting him there proved a problem in his first two outings, with his behavior around the gate an issue Pletcher addressed in training. The WinStar Farm and Repole Stable charge drew post No. 2 in the 10-horse Risen Star.

“In his first start, he behaved poorly in the gate but despite that broke very sharply and he handled it much better in his second start but we continued to work on that,” Pletcher said. 

The trainer added that “the one thing that I think (jockey) John Velazquez has learned about him by breezing him prior to his last race is that he has a tendency to wait a little bit when he makes the lead and he kind of did that in his allowance win. I think he’s gotten better about that in his subsequent works and he’ll learn how to polish off his work mate and maintain his focus.”

The Risen Star — the first 2018 Kentucky Derby prep to pay points out on a 50-20-10-5 scale — also includes the top finishers from Fair Grounds’ last big stakes, the Grade 3 Lecomte. Instilled Regard returns from the West Coast, while Principe Guilherme and Snapper Sinclair lead trainer Steve Asmussen’s entries.

Get full-field Risen Star Stakes analysis via HRN’s Christine Oser.

Grading the preps

In addition to providing weekly picks and plays on Derby trail races, Mike Shutty, author of Horse Racing Nation’s Super Screener handicapping tool, is analyzing the preps leading up to the first Saturday in May, adding in and weeding out contenders as we go.

Shutty’s thoughts on last Saturday’s events…

On the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis: “This was a pretty solid prep, and it was used by connections of Catholic Boy and Vino Rosso to begin their 2018 campaigns. Both of those horses will move forward off their respective efforts here. Vino Rosso was particularly impressive as he shuffled back a bit but then came on late. Once he finally changed leads, he was much the best past the wire. Definitely one to follow coming out of this group. Flameaway deserves to continue on the Derby trail, but connections were in this race to win now. Distance limitations will be a concern as they stretch out and as the early pace setups become more challenging. This one is a fighter, however, and never underestimate heart when it comes to thoroughbreds.”

On the Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes: “Super Screener is not seeing a top Derby contender coming out of this prep, as most of these are confirmed sprinters. Kanthaka will try two turns in his next start but could be a play against as sprinting will be his game. Nero is interesting coming out of this but will need to mature and find some toughness to have any shot to compete with the top-rated Derby contenders.”

California Cup Derby field takes shape

Faversham, the final full sibling of California Chrome, will grab the headlines heading into Monday’s $200,000 California Cup Derby. But a race that could springboard contenders from state-bred company to the Derby trail has a number of other probable runners still almost a week out.

According to the Santa Anita publicity department, Steve Miyadi-trained Pyscho Dar, who was second despite a wide trip in the California Cup Turf Sprint, will make the switch to the main track. Others likely to face Faversham in the 1 1/16-mile race are Campaigner, Continental Divide, Dynamic Duo, Fire When Ready, Heck Yeah, Intimidate, Kaleidoscope Kid, Lucky Roman and Night At the Opera.

Of course, in 2014 California Chrome ran in this race before emerging as a Kentucky Derby favorite in the Grade 2 San Felipe. By Lucky Pulpit and out of Love the Chase, Faversham ran from last to a fast-closing second in his Jan. 15 debut going six furlongs.

The colt put in his most-recent workout last Saturday.

“Some horse opened up two or three lengths on him, and down the lane, he just smoldered down and got him,” said trainer Art Sherman, with jockey Stewart Elliott, the 2004 Kentucky Derby winner aboard Smarty Jones, saying Faversham is “just crying to go two turns.”

The California Cup Derby draws Friday.

The works

Higher Power — Originally pointed to Monday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Southwest Stakes, this recent Oaklawn Park allowance winner missed a week of training due to illness but is back to the track. Tuesday’s half-mile breeze in 50 seconds (19/54) could mark a possible first drill for the Donnie Von Hemel trainee toward the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel Stakes on March 17.

Retirement Fund — One that’s actually ticketed for the Southwest, he’s drilled twice now since moving to 2-for-2 with an allowance win at Fair Grounds. Works up to Monday’s race have both come at Oaklawn, with Tuesday’s four furlongs in 49.40 (6/54) quite swift for a Steve Asmussen trainee the week before his next start.

Zing Zang — Another Southwest contender for Asmussen, who will also saddle Combatant in the race, this son of Tapit put in an easier 4/8, getting the distance in 50.60 seconds (27/54). The gray was last seen running late to finish fourth in the Grade 3 Lecomte. More distance suits him.

In case you missed it…

Monday’s Derby Daily report focused on Catholic Boy’s runner-up effort in the Sam F. Davis — and the fact that trainer Jonathan Thomas isn’t panicking after his colt’s defeat.

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