Kentucky Derby 2019 Radar: Pletcher unveils Intrepid Heart

While trainer Todd Pletcher hasn’t nabbed a 2019 Kentucky Derby prep win yet, he's lining up a new wave of contenders who could challenge into the spring.

Count Intrepid Heart, the half-brother to classic-placed Commissioner, as the latest on the scene. And indeed, he’s a bit late.

A year to the day Justify made his own debut, this gray son of Tapit struck on debut Monday at Oaklawn Park by 7 3/4 lengths as a highlight of the Southwest Stakes (G3) undercard.

The margin of victory hardly tells the full story. Under jockey John Velazquez, the odds-on favorite took plenty of heat early, dueling with 15-1 shot Better Charge It through fractions of 23.11 and 47.28, then turned that rival back just before the quarter pole.

Velazquez went to the stick twice in the stretch, with Intrepid Heart remaining focused before he hit the wire in 1:38.08 for the two-turn mile. Later in the afternoon, the more experienced Comedian won the second division of the split maiden special weight flight in 1:38.31 with a more ideal setup.

Intrepid Heart received an 81 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pletcher told Oaklawn Park’s publicity team that Intrepid Heart would return to Florida, and that next race plans are pending. Considering he’s campaigned by Robert and Lawana Low — same owners as last year’s Rebel Stakes (G2) and Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Magnum Moon — it would be no surprise to see him back.

The Lows purchased Intrepid Heart for $750,000 last April as a 2-year-old. He began working in August, went just more than a month without a breeze between Nov. 18 and Dec. 24, and has since then drilled consistently for his debut.

XBTV captured Intrepid Heart’s final breeze for Monday’s race, a Feb. 10 move in company with 4-year-old Gleason that registered the bullet at Palm Beach Downs, Pletcher’s winter training base.

Intrepid Heart is out of the Touch Gold mare Flaming Heart. In addition to Commissioner, a multiple graded stakes winner who ran second in the 2014 Belmont Stakes, she has produced Grade 3 winner Laugh Track.

Cutting Humor, the Southwest’s 2-1 favorite, went on to finish seventh, marking the latest defeat for the Pletcher barn in Derby preps. But as he is wont to do, the future Hall of Famer will have some other new names coming.

The ones to watch for next:

• Outshine hits the Derby Radar with Gulfstream win

• Soldado emerges on Holy Bull undercard