Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Will Vino Rosso show ‘true ability’?
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.
This time last week, as we approached the Florida Derby, those following the 2018 Kentucky Derby trail (this blog included) made mention of eventual winner Audible’s workouts — in particular, that Vino Rosso dusted Audible when the two breezed together March 24.
Trainer Todd Pletcher assured that Audible doesn’t do his best running in the mornings. The colt validated that with an off-the-pace victory at Gulfstream Park.
Now we’re set to see whether the other half of the Pletcher pair can punch his ticket to the Derby with Vino Rosso in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial’s field of nine.
"We've been looking forward to the Wood for a while," Pletcher said. "We're excited to get him back to Aqueduct. It's where he broke his maiden and stretching out to a mile and an eighth is going to allow him to show his true ability.”
Before there was Audible, or Magnum Moon, or Noble Indy — Pletcher’s three contenders already booked for a trip to Churchill Downs — Vino Rosso grabbed headlines with an easy allowance win Dec. 22 at Tampa Bay Downs. Jockey John Velazquez left Gulfstream for that lone race, with the last time he made such a move to ride 2017 Derby winner Always Dreaming.
A son of Curlin campaigned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, Vino Rosso ran an encouraging third in his 3-year-old debut, finishing with a late run in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes.
But back at Tampa Bay Downs last time, he put in an odd race while wearing blinkers for the first time. Vino Rosso chased the pace in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and seemed ready to pounce along the rail. But he dropped sharply entering the turn before re-rallying to finish fourth.
"He's a horse that's trained very well all winter and in company with some very good horses that have gone on to be successful," Pletcher said. "So, we've been a little frustrated with his races this year. We thought we had seen some improvement with him training [in blinkers] and in the Tampa Bay Derby, Johnny felt like he was more focused in the earlier part of the race, so we talked about it and after discussing it with Johnny, we decided to leave them on.
If Vino Rosso moves forward, a win or runner-up finish would let him join the Pletcher brigade the first Saturday in May.
Ready for the weekend?
We are.
Get a look at the prep fields with Horse Racing Nation's odds/analysis pieces, with past performances courtesy of Brisnet. We'll have the picks Friday.
Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby
Grade 2 Wood Memorial
Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes
Moore on the move
We know UAE Derby winner Mendelssohn can ship to the United States and win given his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last November. Perhaps his jockey is getting some practice acclimating to Kentucky, too, with Ryan Moore a surprise to be named aboard Marconi in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes.
Moore well make an initial visit to Kentucky on a weekend when it’s tough to book a top rider in the United States, with big cards also running in New York and California.
"I spoke to some of the [Coolmore] guys when they were over for the sales and asked if they thought it would be a good idea if Ryan came over, and whether he'd be willing to do it,” Pletcher, who also trains Marconi, told RacingPost.com.
"They touched base with him and he was, so we decided it would be great to have him over here and give the horse his best chance.
“I spoke to him before Mendelssohn ran in Dubai last weekend and the plan was for him to come and ride, but I'm sure he won't mind the added experience.”
By the way, Pletcher told RacingPost.com he’ll be in New York. Some added reason to play the aforementioned Vino Rosso?
Derby links
• Horse Racing Nation’s Laura Pugh considers the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby not just to be a two-horse race, but included three in her analysis of contenders in Saturday’s prep: Bolt d’Oro, Justify and Instilled Regard.
• Earlier this week, trainer Bob Baffert counted McKinzie out of the Kentucky Derby. He took it one step further in an interview with BloodHorse. McKinzie won’t run in any of the Triple Crown races.
• Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4 -- the final round of advanced betting -- begins Friday and runs through 6 p.m. ET Sunday. Before putting your money down, check out a pair of helpful charts.
• Dan Ward, assistant to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, pointed out a stat that could help Kanthaka in a 14-horse Blue Grass Stakes: “He is used to big fields. There were 12 starters when he broke his maiden and he had lots of trouble in that race.”
• Will it remain at 14? The threat of weather — either rain or snow — is strong for Saturday in Lexington, Ky. Keeneland has tweaked its schedule to accommodate work on the surface if needed.
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