Anothertwistafate to bypass Kentucky Derby 2019

Trainer Blaine Wright said Tuesday that Anothertwistafate, 23rd on the 2019 Kentucky Derby points list, will bypass the race in favor of the Preakness Stakes, for which connections have a fees-paid trip and free entry.

Wright said Anothertwistafate will fly Wednesday from Churchill Downs to the trainer's Golden Gate Fields base in California.

While the son of Scat Daddy would have required multiple defections from the prospective Derby field to run, Wright said the decision was also a matter of timing.

"Our horse is pretty well-traveled," he said. "We felt like we've got the 'Win and You're In' to the Preakness. If we put up all that money to go in the Derby and he ran bad, the Preakness is back in two weeks. That wasn't going to be ideal for us.

"We thought, 'Well, let's take our best stab there' (in the Preakness). That gives our horse five weeks to prepare, which has been ideal for him in the past. Then it's back three weeks to the Belmont should he run a big race."

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The second leg of the Triple Crown runs May 18 at at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course. Wright said a jockey will be selected later.

Javier Castellano rode Anothertwistafate to a runner-up finish last time in Keeneland's Lexington Stakes (G3), which the Peter Redekop runner used as a last chance race to earn Derby qualifying points.

Before shipping East, Anothertwistafate won three straight over Golden Gate's synthetic, including a commanding victory in the El Camino Real Derby, before finishing a narrow second to Cutting Humor when proving himself on dirt in the Sunland Derby (G3). In each of those races, jockey Juan Hernandez had the assignment.

According to Churchill Downs' preference list, the next horses in the Derby if there are defections from the body of the field are: Bodexpress, Signalman, Sueno and Bourbon War.

Signalman and Sueno are training at Churchill Downs. Mark Hennig, who conditions Bourbon War, said Tuesday that "at this point we think we are probably on the outside looking in. If that changes, we agreed to discuss options if we happen to get to the magic number."

Impressive Maryland-bred Alwaysmining is also bound for the Preakness Stakes and could be joined by Lexington winner Owendale, setting up a formidable challenge for colts exiting the Kentucky Derby.

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