Mike Smith picks up Kentucky Derby mount for Hall of Famer
Midnight Bourbon will be sporting Hall of Fame connections at this year's Kentucky Derby as Mike Smith, a two-time winner of the Derby, has taken the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Daily Racing Form first reported the development via a social media post on Tuesday. Smith, who won the 2005 Kentucky Derby with Giacomo and the 2018 Triple Crown with Justify, had been the regular rider for Life Is Good before the de-facto Derby favorite suffered a training injury that knocked him off the trail. Most recently, Smith rode Defunded for Baffert to a fourth-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby.
Smith will be taking a seat held this winter and spring by Joe Talamo, who piloted Midnight Bourbon in three starts on the Fair Grounds' road to the Kentucky Derby. Midnight Bourbon won the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte (G3) in gate-to-wire fashion, ran third after pressing the pace in the 1 1/8-miles Risen Star (G2), then completed his prep season with a good second in the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby (G2) after pressing Hot Rod Charlie throughout.
In a text message to HRN, Smith acknowledged the front-running/pressing style displayed by Midnight Bourbon is a trait that can prove formidable going 1 1/4 miles in the Kentucky Derby.
"He's very tactical … happy to be on him," Smith said.
Of course, Smith famously engineered one of the greatest rallies in Derby lore when launching Giacomo from 18th place to win the 2005 Kentucky Derby at odds of 50.30-to-1. It was the biggest upset in Derby history until Mine That Bird scored four years later in similar fashion at 50.60-to-1.
Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Midnight Bourbon is by Tiznow out of the Malibu Moon mare Catch the Moon. He was a $525,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Midnight Bourbon is currently listed as high as 30-1 for the Kentucky Derby in Las Vegas.
Asmussen, a 2016 Hall of Fame inductee, is seeking an elusive first Derby win. He had his first Derby starter in 2001 and has since compiled a record of 21: 0-2-2, with the runner-ups being Nehro in 2011 and Lookin at Lee in 2017. Asmussen also is expected to have Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Super Stock in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.