Kentucky Derby 2022: Decision on Early Voting may come late

Louisville, Ky.

Still training in New York, Early Voting is less likely to run next in the Kentucky Derby than he is May 21 in the Preakness Stakes. But trainer Chad Brown said he was not likely to make any decision final before Derby entries are due Monday.

“I’m pointing to the Preakness,” Brown said Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs. “We’ll just see up until entry day, though.”

See free Brisnet past performances for Kentucky Derby 2022.

Brown is committed to running Zandon in the Derby. The Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner is at Churchill Downs and was out on the track Wednesday morning.

For now that means Pioneer of Medina and his connections must wait until that other shoe drops – or until someone else bows out of the current top 20 – before knowing whether they are in the starting gate May 7. Most recently third in the Louisiana Derby (G2), the Todd Pletcher-trained colt stands 21st on the qualifying ladder and would be an also-eligible without a higher-ranked defection.

It is not just a matter of who is in and who is out of the race. In his two wins and most recently in his runner-up finish in the Wood Memorial (G2), Early Voting showed early speed. His presence or absence will say a lot about how the Derby pace map might be drawn, especially with the return of frontrunning Classic Causeway into the Derby mix this week.

“You definitely handicap them,” said Brad Cox, who figures to have Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Cyberknife and Louisiana Derby runner-up Zozos stalking the early speed and Lexington (G3) winner Tawny Port in mid-pack. “Zozos will probably be in the fastest of our group early.”

Steve Asmussen said an advantage he has in training current Derby favorite Epicenter is the versatility the colt has shown in adjusting to the tempo of a given race. He set a moderate pace to lead the whole way and win the Risen Star (G2). Five weeks later, jockey Joel Rosario settled Epicenter two lengths off the lead before pouncing in the stretch to win the Louisiana Derby (G2).

“He appears to be fast enough,” Asmussen said. “That’s the quality I think is the most important. He has won attending the pace, and he has won from off the pace. That gives him a level of confidence that is going to be necessary, regardless of how the race unfolds.”

Cox repeated the oft-stated fact about needing to be near the front in order to win the Derby. Putting aside asterisks, the last closer who crossed the finish line first in the race was Orb in 2013. Mandaloun, who eventually was promoted to last year’s victory, was never more than 2 1/2 lengths behind the late Medina Spirit’s gate-to-wire run.

“I liked his trip last year in the Derby,” Cox said. “He sat right there off Medina Spirit. Obviously, Medina Spirit took them all the way around there, but you want to be somewhat close.”

With Classic Causeway and perhaps without Early Voting, the Derby should not have suicidal early fractions, according to Cox.

“No, we will see a moderate pace,” he said. “If we’re up close with Zozos and Cyberknife, we’ll see something that’s relatively moderate and go from there.”

Florent Géroux will ride Cyberknife, and Manny Franco will be on Zozos. Cox said he still did not have a jockey assigned to Tawny Port but expected to make a choice “in the next day or so.”