Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Pletcher horses 'consistent'

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.

Is this the best bunch of contenders Todd Pletcher’s ever brought to Churchill Downs?

“Best since last year,” the trainer quipped Tuesday morning after his foursome of 2018 Kentucky Derby runners — Magnum Moon, Audible, Vino Rosso and Noble Indy — each hit the track in Louisville for the first time.

Of course, Pletcher won his second Derby a year ago with Always Dreaming.

But really: “It’s a remarkably consistent group,” Pletcher added. “They all seem to show up and run well every time. With the exception of Vino Rosso’s Tampa (Bay) Derby I haven’t been disappointed with any of them one time.”

Overall, the group is a combined 14-for-18 in their young careers, and they made Pletcher the first trainer to win four major Kentucky Derby preps in the same year with different horses.

The quartet on Tuesday also assured Pletcher that it should handle an off track should the occasion present itself May 5. Churchill’s dirt was sloppy with light rain still falling through the morning training window exclusive to Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders.

Here’s Pletcher on all four of his horses individually, from the video above…

Arkansas Derby winner Magnum Moon: “I don’t think there’s any question that the Apollo Curse will be broken at some point. The trend is a lot different now than it was however many years ago you want to go back. Horses just don’t run as many times going into the Derby as they used to. I think ultimately, at some point talent will prevail…We’ve gotten him to do everything we’ve wanted to do since breaking his maiden on January 13. The schedule has gone exactly how we played it out. Hopefully by being two weeks late to get his first start it doesn’t hurt his chances.”

Wood Memorial winner Vino Rosso: “The thing we felt really confident in him from the beginning was, we think he wants the distance, and the Wood Memorial was his first chance to go a mile and an eighth. If you look at his pedigree, it really screams mile and a quarter to a mile and a half. So I think with the Wood, good, solid pace up front, he was able to settle, relax and finish up. It give us optimism that the mile and a quarter is really going to be something he relishes.”

Florida Derby winner Audible: “What I loved about Audible’s Florida Derby was that in the Holy Bull he kind of attended the pace, which was a little slower, and in the Florida Derby when it went real fast, he dropped way back. He showed he can do both — show some tactical speed and also let the race unfold he needs it to to go fast.”

Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy: “He hasn’t done much wrong. I think he got a little bit of an education in the Risen Star. We tried to take him back off the pace a little bit, got a little dirt in his face, and he reacted a little bit greenly about it…We worked him in blinkers leading up to the Louisiana Derby, and it seemed to help him focus. What I loved about that race was, at one point he was a neck, half length behind. He had been passed, and it looked like he re-rallied, which you don’t see too many horses do that — even more seasoned, older horses.”

Pletcher added that a jockey decision is close, but still pending for Noble Indy. His other riders are Javier Castellano (Audible), John Velazquez (Vino Rosso) and Luis Saez (Magnum Moon).

Also at the track…

Trainer Chad Brown was in for the first time this year to watch Good Magic’s gallop, which followed a jog Monday and the champion’s arrival Sunday.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Brown said. “…Although the track’s wet, I thought it went great. He came out of the Blue Grass in good shape and had a nice work back at Keeneland. I’m just really excited about how things are going.”

Brown said Good Magic, a son of Curlin, “will work sometime this weekend” at Churchill weather-permitting.

My Boy Jack, who took Keeneland’s Lexington Stakes last out, made his first appearance on track Tuesday in a morning otherwise highlighted by the Pletcher contingent’s arrival.

Additionally, Bill Mott-trained Hofburg, the lightly raced Florida Derby runner-up, was due to arrive around noon.

Derby links

Monday’s defections by Quip and Gronkowski meant a shakeup on the Kentucky Derby bubble. We cover who’s in — and who would be next in should another contender drop. Pletcher also shared that Pony Up, No. 28 on the leaderboard, is pointing toward the Peter Pan the weekend after the Derby. 

It’s “time to shake things up,” one voter said with the release of the latest Kentucky Derby Media Poll rankings. Justify is No. 1, but experts are beginning to state their cases for an upset.

The Derby’s new buzz horse: same as the old one. Good Magic is now the second choice in current Kentucky Derby odds at the Wynn Las Vegas.

In case you missed it…

Get the scoop with recent editions of the Derby Daily Report!

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