Kentucky Derby 2020 Radar: Gouverneur Morris gets started

About a month ago, the connections of 3-year-old colt Gouverneur Morris came to an agreement on how they’ll campaign the well-regarded son of Constitution.

Each of trainer Todd Pletcher, Team Valor International’s Barry Irwin and WinStar Farm’s Elliott Walden have been to and won Triple Crown races. With that in mind, Gourveneur Morris won’t be the type of horse whose longterm future is compromised to make the 2020 Kentucky Derby gate.

The decision led them to Friday’s sixth race at Tampa Bay Downs. The 1-mile, 40-yard allowance optional claiming race will kick off Gounverneur Morris’ season and figures to lead him into a major prep race such as the Florida Derby (G1) or Wood Memorial (G2).

“If he runs first or second and impresses us, then we’ll go to the Derby and feel good about it,” said Irwin, founder and CEO of Team Valor International. “We don’t want to beat him up just to get to the Derby.”

The buzz surrounding Gouverneur Morris began as he crossed the finish line first out, nine lengths in front on closing day at Saratoga. Stepped up next in Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1), he ran wide and finished second by 5 1/2 lengths to Maxfield.

There were never plans to head to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile from there, but waiting until February to see Gouverneur Morris' third start also wasn't intended.

“This horse had an extremely tough race at Keeneland. When he came back, he was rattled,” Irwin said. “…We wound up giving him about six weeks. He got a little further behind than we wanted.”

Friday’s race, which goes at 3:16 p.m. ET, just filled, with Gouverneur Morris drawing post 2 in a field of five. Among his rivals is Untitled, a newcomer to the Mark Casse barn, and Dudley Square, a Jan. 18 Tampa maiden winner for the Pletcher barn.

Plan B looked in play until Tampa finalized its overnight Sunday. Connections were arranging to ship Gouverneur Morris for Oaklawn Park’s Feb. 17 Southwest Stakes (G3). Irwin’s happy to see him return in the softer spot.

“We don’t want to have a killer race for him,” Irwin said. “We want to have a race that will advance him and will allow him to have a good race and move him forward without rattling his cage too much. If we win, that’s great. If we don’t, it’s not a bad race.”

Pletcher has used Tampa Bay Downs as a proving ground for his top 3-year-olds often in recent seasons. Always Dreaming broke his maiden there in January of 2017 before going on to win the Derby; last year, Spinoff won a Tampa allowance, then ran second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) to punch his ticket to Churchill Downs.

“We don’t really know what much about this horse yet,” Irwin said of Gouverneur Morris. “He’s only run twice, and the first race, the conditions of the track favored him and exaggerated how much better he was than those other horses. He came back in the next one and basically showed a lot of heart to hang in there after that rough trip.

“We think he’s got quality. He’s got a lot more speed than one would think for a Constitution — for his pedigree. He’s grown a lot physically. He looks fantastic. He acts like a real horse. Anyone who’s gotten on him likes him.

“Me, personally, I’m waiting a wait-and-see position on it. I’m hoping he’s good.”