Riderless Indiana Derby horse Eskenforit to try another stakes

Brandon Stauble, a bloodstock agent and racing analyst, attended the July 13 Indiana Derby (G3) not to evaluate it, but rather to win it. He and his Brilliant Racing partners, however, lost all hope when 3-year-old Eskenfortit went to his nose leaving the gate, in the process throwing jockey Julien Leparoux.

“I saw he was loose and was nervous something would happen,” Stauble said.

That something has since sparked motivation to try stakes company again.

Sans a jockey, Eskenforit, who was disqualified from his position at 33-1, crossed the wire just in front of race winner Mr. Money. It was another three lengths back to the runner-up, Gray Magician.

“I saw him picking off horses,” Stauble said of Eskenforit, “and making a move to the lead. I thought to myself, ‘He’s going to win this damn race.’ Obviously it didn’t count, but to see him do that on his own just re-affirmed his progress as a runner.”

A gelding the newly established Brilliant Racing group affectionately calls “Kenny” could give the $100,000 Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 11 a try next.

“If you look at the photo where Gabe (Saez, jockey for Mr. Money) is looking over like, ‘Who is this?’ You can see the determination in Kenny’s eyes,” Stauble said. “Heart and determination are two words that will always be synonymous with this horse.”

Stauble works alongside Natalie Gils, another managing partner. Popular simulcast host Joe Kristufek is also a co-founder of Brilliant Racing, which counts Steve Margolis-trained Eskenforit among its first crop of runners.

It took “Kenny” eight starts to break his maiden, which he did May 11 at Churchill Downs. Since then he has run second in a photo against older winners under the Twin Spires, then tried the Indiana Derby, a $500,000 race.

Kristufek described it as a “helpless and scary feeling” seeing his horse, riderless, navigating the Indiana Grand oval. But after going the 1 1/16 miles in competitive fashion, Eskenforit pulled himself up after the race and exited without issue.

“After the easy maiden win, the brutal head bob loss and now crossing the finish line first without the rider, Kenny thinks he's won three in a row,” Kristufek said, “and we're not going to tell him otherwise.

“Let's see how he trains the next couple weeks. We can always take a step back into an allowance or even a starter, but we think he deserves another shot against stakes company. You're only a 3-year-old once.”

The Ellis Park Derby, for 3-year-olds going a mile, has a nominations deadline of Saturday. The race could attract, among others, Larry Jones-trained Super Steed, who made an impact on the Kentucky Derby trail as a rallying winner of Oaklawn Park’s Southwest Stakes (G3).