Enforceable readying for Derby after Blue Grass fourth
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Photo:
Courtesy of NYRA
When Enforceable crossed the line at the Blue Grass Stakes, losing third place to Rushie by a nose, trainer Mark Casse was disappointed to not finish in the top three. But he was happy with the effort given by the colt, especially with how worn out he was following his previous race.
“After the Louisiana Derby, he was just kind of a tired horse,” Casse said. “Had a few little minor issues and we brought him home and gave him some time.”
Casse said he didn’t think that the son of Tapit, who has a previous graded stakes victory in the Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds, was quite 100% himself for the Blue Grass, and, given the circumstances, he was pleased with the effort.
“I think he’s going to come back and be stronger for his next start” Casse said. “I think Churchill is, most of the time, a little kinder to closers than, say, Keeneland is.”
If all goes correctly, Enforceable’s next appearance will be in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. He's currently in 11th place in the standings for the Road to the Kentucky Derby, moving up a spot after Basin dropped out.
This time around, he’ll be running on two months of rest and should be ready to give his best against a stacked field that should include the likes of Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law, Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. and Blue Grass champ Art Collector.
“I think he’ll run well,” Casse said. “I think he’s going to improve some. He had kind of a wide trip, he had a lot of little things.”
And as for after the Kentucky Derby, Casse isn’t making any plans just yet.
“That one’s pretty important,” Casse said. “We’ll just worry about that one right now.”
“After the Louisiana Derby, he was just kind of a tired horse,” Casse said. “Had a few little minor issues and we brought him home and gave him some time.”
Casse said he didn’t think that the son of Tapit, who has a previous graded stakes victory in the Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds, was quite 100% himself for the Blue Grass, and, given the circumstances, he was pleased with the effort.
“I think he’s going to come back and be stronger for his next start” Casse said. “I think Churchill is, most of the time, a little kinder to closers than, say, Keeneland is.”
If all goes correctly, Enforceable’s next appearance will be in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. He's currently in 11th place in the standings for the Road to the Kentucky Derby, moving up a spot after Basin dropped out.
This time around, he’ll be running on two months of rest and should be ready to give his best against a stacked field that should include the likes of Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law, Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. and Blue Grass champ Art Collector.
“I think he’ll run well,” Casse said. “I think he’s going to improve some. He had kind of a wide trip, he had a lot of little things.”
And as for after the Kentucky Derby, Casse isn’t making any plans just yet.
“That one’s pretty important,” Casse said. “We’ll just worry about that one right now.”
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