Kentucky Derby 2019 Daily: Smith, Gunmetal Gray old pals

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.

It’s often said, and bears repeating, that jockey Mike Smith is not at this point in his career held to the same obligations the Hall of Famer once had. He chooses quality over quantity, and that sometimes means hopping on a up-and-coming young horse once it’s already established.

That, however, is not the case with Gunmetal Gray.

“I actually worked him his first three-eighths of a mile that he ever worked and I thought a lot of him then, believe it or not,” Smith said after guiding the son of Exchange Rate to a win in Saturday’s Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee rallied from a distant last in the seven-horse field, darting down the center of the track as favored Coliseum faltered.

“I told Jerry to take his time and thought he’s the kind that will get better as he gets a little older,” Smith remembered. “He’s taking that big step forward, but I think he’s shown he can get the distance. They’ll start separating themselves as these preps go on, but at least he took that first step.”

Smith did get aboard Gunmetal Gray for the first time in the afternoon in the Sham after the colt had two races with Drayden Van Dyke and two more with Flavien Prat, including a fifth-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

The recent Triple Crown-winning jockey figures to stick with Gunmetal Gray as 2019 Kentucky Derby prep season continues, with the Feb. 2 Robert B. Lewis (G3) next up on the California circuit.

Hollendorfer co-own Gunmetal Gray with West Point Thoroughbreds. The two teamed a year ago to win the San Vicente Stakes (G2) later in January with Kanthaka, who turned out to be more of a seven-furlong specialist.

Smith is thinking Gunmetal Gray could be a true 10-furlong prospect.

“The distance shouldn’t be a problem, which is very important,” he said. “The best part of his race (in the Sham) was certainly the last part of it. Going around two turns and stretching out a little farther than he did today shouldn’t be a problem.”

Next for Mihos

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens plans to keep Mihos, winner of the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes, in Florida for Gulfstream Park’s series of points-paying Derby preps. While the Mucho Macho Man didn’t award points, it leads into races like the Feb. 2 Holy Bull (G2) and March 2 Fountain of Youth (G2) that do.

“I don’t have a schedule really in my head as far as dates and things like that, but we’ll certainly look at all the usual spots down here,” Jerkens said after Saturday’s race. “I wanted to get by this first and then figure it out.”

Derby links

• The Daily Racing Form’s Jay Privman caught up with trainer Bob Baffert regarding Coliseum, who “didn’t break” and had little going from there. “He came out great, like he didn't run,” Baffert added.

• There was a race other than the Mucho Macho Man on Saturday at Gulfstream that could have Derby implications — that is, if you think the Curse of Apollo is behind us. Get a look at the half-sibling of Bolt d’Oro galloping to win his debut.

• The Vegas Sports and Information Network’s Ron Flatter updated William Hill’s Kentucky Derby futures after the Mucho Macho Man and Sham, in which Gunmetal Gray dropped from 60-1 to 12-1 and Mihos from 150-1 to 40-1.

The works

Admire — A stakes race, perhaps the Holy Bull, should be next for this Albaugh Family Stables runner, who broke his maiden Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs and has worked consistently for four weekends at Gulfstream Park. Sunday’s drill measured five furlongs in 1:01.56.

Hog Creek Hustle — A big Churchill Downs allowance winner who didn’t translate that in Fair Grounds’ Sugar Bowl Stakes, the third-place finisher from that Dec. 22 race should run back in the Lectome (G3) later this month and worked toward it with an easy five-furlong breeze Sunday in 1:02.60.

Manny Wah — The Sugar Bowl runner-up should be eligible to go in the Lecomte as well for trainer Wayne Catalano. He has seven races already under his belt, with the experienced maiden and allowance winner tuning up at Fair Grounds with a four-furlong breeze in 49.80 seconds.

In case you missed it…

Saturday’s Derby Daily report includes replays of both key stakes run Saturday and thoughts about the big beaten favorites, Code of Honor and Coliseum.