Brooklyn Strong looks to prove he belongs in Kentucky Derby

It is one thing to advance to the Kentucky Derby through a remarkable number of defections. It is another thing to prove that your horse belongs.

No one understands that better than Mark Schwartz, owner of $5,000 purchase Brooklyn Strong, and Daniel Velazquez, the Parx Racing-based trainer who oversees the last-minute starter.

Schwartz, a 67-year-old Brooklyn native who retired to Florida, seemed to take it personally when he saw that oddsmaker Mike Battaglia listed his New York-bred gelding at 50-1 after he drew post three in a full field of 20. He called it a “direct insult.”

Schwartz emphasized that the $50,000 entry fee represents a huge commitment for him when compared to many other owners.

“I don’t just want to be here, even though I’m here for the first time,” he said. “I wouldn’t go here just to be here. We’re here because we think he has a chance. I’m not giving up $50,000 if I thought he had no chance to win.”

Velazquez, 37, also is confident that Brooklyn Strong can make, well, a strong showing.

“We’re ready. My horse is going to be there. He’s going to fire,” the conditioner said. “I really think he’s going to show up.”

Velazquez added: “I really don’t think I’m sending a short horse.”

Schwartz and Velazquez can talk the talk all they want. In assessing everything that the son of Wicked Strong must overcome, there is no telling how high his odds might climb by the time he makes his improbable appearance in the Churchill Downs starting gate.

The youngster has seemingly had everything go wrong since he eked out a neck victory in the Dec. 5 Remsen Stakes on a muddy, sealed track at Aqueduct. He became ill after the race and lost a significant amount of weight. Then ice and snow contributed to poor conditions at his Parx home base in Bensalem, Pa., and he did not return to the work tab until Feb. 26.

That timing left Velazquez to target only one prep in a desperate attempt to add to the 10 Derby qualifying points they owned via their Remsen success. The young but promising trainer perhaps showed his inexperience when he essentially predicted victory in the Wood Memorial despite entering that Grade 2 contest with little foundation.

He said he knows much more about the perilous Road to the Derby now after Brooklyn Strong ran a lackluster fifth in the Wood to Todd Pletcher stablemates Bourbonic and Dynamic One. “I got a little too confident,” he said. “Learning curve.”

Once he digested the Wood disappointment, Velazquez eliminated the Derby from his thoughts and ultimately decided to train up to the May 15 Preakness. He was so committed to that he was leaning against working Brooklyn Strong until late April. His assistant, Maria Remidieo, had been paying attention to the unusually large number of horses being withdrawn from Derby consideration due to illness, injury or lackluster training.

“Let’s work him,” Remidieo said, “because you never know.”

Brooklyn Strong covered four furlongs in a ho-hum 49.55 seconds at Parx, ranking seventh of eight, on April 19. A week later, the circumstances had dramatically changed. Trainer Brad Cox removed Arkansas Derby runner-up Caddo River from consideration after some unsatisfactory bloodwork. Brooklyn Strong was all in after he covered five furlongs in 1:00.92 at Parx this past Monday.

The bay gelding left Parx for Louisville the same day he worked. He will have only two days to familiarize himself with the Churchill Downs surface. Plans call for him to gallop Thursday and Friday. A sign of the skepticism surrounding the 3-year-old is that Manny Franco, who had the mount in the Wood, declined the Derby ride. Umberto Rispoli, who lost an opportunity aboard rousing Santa Anita Derby winner when he was bumped by Joel Rosario, will fly in from the West Coast to snag the unexpected shot at redemption.

Velazquez readily acknowledges that he would have planned things differently if events had unfolded in a customary manner.

“We’re going there on short notice, a little unprepared I feel. But we’re prepared physically and we’re ready as far as his gas in the tank and everything like that,” said the trainer, eager to capitalize on a situation that is “just a little crazy.”