Kentucky Derby 2019 Daily: Baffert barn’s ranks forming
Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily, which will each day leading up to the May 4 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.
Well, he warned us.
Last month, after Mucho Gusto became trainer Bob Baffert’s first Kentucky Derby 2019 prep winner in the new year, the Hall of Fame trainer said he planned to nominate his top 3-year-olds everywhere, adding, “Let the games begin.”
And they certainly have over the last week.
On Thursday, news arrived that Instagrand would ship out of Santa Anita Park for next Saturday’s Gotham Stakes (G3), re-routing from the San Felipe (G2). The move makes sense not just to keep the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee around one turn off a layoff, but to avoid having to face both Game Winner and Improbable, the unbeaten Baffert colts scheduled for a rare sort of meeting, at least before the first Saturday in May.
Then on Friday, Baffert scratched Dessman to leave five contenders in Santa Anita’s featured eighth race, an allowance optional claimer of the likes that doesn’t always fill enough to run in Southern California. Baffert’s lead entry, the come-backing Roadster, put himself on the Derby trail by running to an easy 2 1/2-length victory. It’s possible he heads straight into a major prep paying 100 qualifying points to its winner.
Adding depth to Baffert’s charge toward the Derby, Instagrand will have company on the flight to New York from Much Better, a sharp recent allowance winner for Baffert. Mucho Gusto also has Derby prep options including the March 16 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park and the March 24 Sunland Derby (G3). Dessman, scratched from the Roadster allowance, should reappear at some point as well.
Baffert is aiming for his sixth Kentucky Derby win, which would tie the legendary Ben Jones atop the all-time list. Individually, Baffert has saddled 29 Derby starters, with three at the most in one year, both in 1999 (Prime Timber, Excellent Meeting, General Challenge) and 2006 (Point Determined Sinister Minister, Bob and John).
Could this be the year Baffert gets four, or more, in the starting gate? Thing only thing seemingly holding Baffert back is the forecast. Saturday morning, Santa Anita’s main track closed for training due to rain.
“I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to pick and choose,” Baffert said of work dates for the big horses, Game Winner and Improbable, “but from here on out we can’t miss much time, and I don’t like the weather coming this next week. I was training them very light during the month of January…I’d like to get a breeze in before the race but I don’t know. I might not have a chance.
He added: “We’re all in the same boat with the weather, but the main thing is to keep my horses healthy. We already know they can run.”
Derby links
Our Derby Radar has the replay and more reaction to Roadster’s victory, which Baffert termed “quite a performance off a layoff. We just want to see how he comes out of this.”
In addition to the San Felipe and Gotham, the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) runs next weekend as a major prep where it’s win and you’re in. Courtesy of Tampa Bay Downs, see the probables.
Trainer Ben Colebrook is still mulling what to do next with Grade 1 winner Knicks Go, who has been mentioned in connection with both the Gotham and Tampa Bay Derby.