Ky. Derby prep: McPeek makes adjustments with Render Judgment

Made 12-1 in the morning line for the $500,000 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs, Render Judgment could produce an effort more in line with the talent he displayed as a 2-year-old than his most recent result in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds.

Render Judgment will load in the starting gate on Saturday with an equipment change and a legitimate excuse for his last-out, eighth-place finish.

“We’ve changed some things around,” trainer Ken McPeek said. “We’re going to try him with blinkers on. We also did some shoeing adjustments.”

Owned by Baccari Racing Stable, Dream Walkin Farms, MJM Racing and Rocket Ship Racing, Render Judgment’s last two starts have come at Fair Grounds. In the Gun Runner, he stumbled out of the gate and was disadvantaged by a forward race flow. Facing a dozen foes in the Risen Star, his lone sophomore start, he broke in, lost crucial early position and took dirt while racing near the back before moving wide on a track that was favoring runners on the rail.

“For me, his Risen Star is a complete throw out,” McPeek said. “The horses that ran well that day hugged the rail, and it was like running in quicksand for the horses who were outside.”

Bred for distance, the Blame colt will be tasked with 1 1/8 miles in Saturday’s local derby. Render Judgment broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in his first try stretching out to 1 1/16 miles. Jumping on the road to the Kentucky Derby, which McPeek won last year with Mystik Dan, Render Judgment ran fifth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill and third in the Gun Runner, earning 4 qualifying points.

“This is a horse that really wants a mile and a quarter,” McPeek said. “He kind of reminds me of Rattle N Roll at this stage as a 3-year-old, but he needs to find another level. We’re cautiously optimistic. If he’s going to find his way into being one of the top 3-year-olds, he needs to be able to do it here.”

Donning blinkers in his final breeze ahead of the Virginia Derby, Render Judgment was timed Saturday going four furlongs in 48 seconds flat, the fourth best time of the day at Fair Grounds.

Facing a field of nine 3-year-olds in the first-ever Kentucky Derby qualifying race at Colonial Downs, Render Judgment drew post 9 and will be piloted by Brian Hernandez Jr.

Colonial Downs’ special three-day meet begins Thursday, and the Virginia Derby will be held Saturday together with the 1 1/16-mile, $250,000 Virginia Oaks. The winning horse in each race will receive 50 points toward the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively. The second- through fifth-place finishers will earn 25-15-10-5 points on a sliding scale.