Kentucky Derby: Trinniberg arrives from Florida

Trinniberg, the likely pacesetter in this year’s Kentucky Derby, arrived at Churchill Downs shortly after 9 p.m. on Thursday following a 16 1/2 hour van ride from Miami.

Owner Shivnanda Parbhoo, who drove the van, said the trip was uneventful and that Trinniberg walked “very strong and looked very healthy” on Friday morning. He is scheduled to visit the track for the first time on Saturday.

This is the second visit to Churchill Downs for Trinniberg. His first trip resulted in a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint. Trinniberg has not lost since, opening his 3-year-old campaign with impressive victories in the seven-furlong Swale and Bay Shore stakes.

“It’s amazing being here for the Derby,” said Parbhoo, whose father Bisnath Parboo trains Trinniberg. “Words can’t describe how I feel. It’s way, way better than being here for the Breeders’ Cup. This is something me and my family have wanted to do one day since getting into the business. Make that walk over from the backstretch with a horse running in the Kentucky Derby.”

Parbhoo said despite the fact Trinniberg figures to go off amongst the longest prices in the Derby field, he expects him to run a big race.

“I don’t care if he’s 50-1 or 100-1, he’s not going to make it easy for the horses chasing him,” said Parbhoo. “He’s going to run a big race. It’s just a question of how far he will go. At Calder, we breezed him three or four times around two turns. The first time, before he won the Swale, he came back tired. Every time after that, he never got tired at all.”

Parbhoo said he plans to blow Trinniberg out an easy three-eighths here either on Monday or Tuesday, depending upon the weather.

Willie Martinez, who guided Trinniberg to his victories in the Swale and Bay Shore, will retain the mount for the Derby.