Kentucky Derby 2019 Radar: Instagrand's race plans in limbo
Earlier this week, we termed Coliseum one of the Kentucky Derby 2019 trail’s most intriguing horses -- the type that, if he runs to his talent, could be a force by the first Saturday in May. Another of them is also in training at Santa Anita Park.
Instagrand emerged as the first big 2-year-old in his June 29 debut at Los Alamitos, winning by 10 lengths. Back August 11 in Del Mar’s Best Pal (G2), he upped the margin to 10 1/4.
And the son of Into Mischief, campaigned by Larry Best’s OXO Equine, hasn’t been seen in the afternoon since.
“We don’t have a race picked yet,” trainer Jerry Hollendorfer on Friday told Megan Devine, reporting for Horse Racing Nation at Santa Anita.
“He’ll tell us when he’s ready. We know that he’s very fast, but we’ve been working him well within himself. Some of his works coming up might be a little bit faster.”
Instagrand has breezed six times since returning to the work tab Dec. 30 following a break imposed by his owner, Best, who chose to pass on big spots as a juvenile in hopes of having a fresher horse in the long term.
Connections did nominate Instagrand for the San Vicente Stakes (G2) coming up next Sunday, Feb. 10. But it appears they’ll pass as the colt continues to up his fitness.
“We’ll find out more how he’s coming along,” Hollendorfer said.
On Friday, Instagrand worked five furlongs in 59 seconds flat. Only Improbable, the unbeaten Bob Baffert trainee, drilled faster at the distance.
Compared to the 2-year-old version of Instagrand, his 3-year-old self is looking “very nice,” Hollendorfer said, with “a lot more weight on him.”
The San Vicente runs at seven furlongs and around one turn. It looked like the ideal start to return Instagrand, whose previous races ran at five and six furlongs, respectively.
Will Hollendorfer try two turns for the 2019 debut? Is there an allowance in the condition book that looks like a better fit? Could Instagrand go out of town as Best’s first Derby contender, Instilled Regard, did on his trail to Churchill Downs?
It’s all to be announced.