It's a not-so-'wonderful' Arkansas Derby draw for Improbable
Another year, another Arkansas Derby program favorite for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Improbable, who races for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International and Starlight Racing, has been installed as the 8-5 morning line choice for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.
Post positions for the 1 1/8-mile race were drawn Wednesday afternoon, with Improbable receiving the inside for Baffert and new jockey Jose Ortiz in the 11-horse field.
“I just got a call from Elliott Walden and he told us about our wonderful draw,” Baffert said, referring to WinStar’s president/CEO and racing manager. “I think I’ve drawn the rail seven out of eight times in the last week. Unbelievable.”
Last weekend, Baffert's Roadster won the Santa Anita Derby (G1) from the No. 1 post. McKinzie was nipped by Gift Box in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). Much Better also finished second in Aqueduct's Bay Shore (G3) from the rail. And the list goes on...
Improbable represents the seventh Arkansas Derby program favorite in the last nine years for Baffert. He won the race in 2012 with Bodemeister and again in 2015 with American Pharoah, who would go on to sweep the Triple Crown, Breeders’ Cup Classic and be named Horse of the Year.
Improbable won his first three career starts before being beaten a neck in his 3-year-old debut, the first division of the $750,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) March 16. The 1 1/16-mile Rebel is the final major local prep for the Arkansas Derby. First-division winner Long Range Toddy is the 5-1 third choice in the program for the Arkansas Derby.
Omaha Beach is the early 2-1 second choice after beating Game Winner, the Baffert-trained previously unbeaten champion, a nose in the second division of the Rebel. Omaha Beach is scheduled to break from post 3 Saturday under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.
“It’s a good draw to begin with, but any draw would have been fine,” Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella said. “We’re happy to be here.”
No worries, Mandella said, when asked if he was surprised Omaha Beach wasn’t the program favorite.
“I didn’t come to bet,” Mandella said. “I came to do my job.”
Probable post time for the Arkansas Derby, which goes as the 11th of 12 races, is 7:43 p.m. ET.
The full field from the rail out: Improbable, Jose Ortiz to ride, 8-5 on the morning line; Six Shooter, David Cohen, 30-1; Omaha Beach, Mike Smith, 2-1; Tikhvin Flew, Tyler Baze, 30-1; Laughing Fox, Ricardo Santana Jr., 20-1; Gray Attempt, Stewart Elliott, 8-1; Galilean, Flavien Prat, 10-1; Country House, Joel Rosario, 12-1; One Flew South, Calvin Borel, 50-1; Jersey Agenda, Ramon Vazquez, 30-1; and Long Range Toddy, Jon Court, 5-1.