Art Collector confirmed for Ellis Park Derby

Art Collector will use the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9 as his final prep toward the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, trainer Tommy Drury told Ellis officials early this week.

Drury, based at the Skylight training center just east of Louisville, had considered training Art Collector straight into the Kentucky Derby off the colt’s victory in the July 11 Blue Grass Stakes before deciding to run in the Ellis Derby, a $200,000 race at 1 1/8 miles. This is the first year – and perhaps will be the only year – the Ellis Derby is a qualifying points race (50-20-10-5) for the Kentucky Derby, owing to a revised schedule forced by the ongoing global pandemic.

Art Collector, bred and owned by Bruce Lunsford, already has secured a Kentucky Derby spot after earning 100 points with his 3 1/4-length score in the Blue Grass at Keeneland. The Bernardini colt has registered open-length triumphs in all three of his starts this year.

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“I just wanted to make sure my horse came out of the Keeneland race okay,” Drury told Ellis publicity. “Now that we’re back on the track and seeing him train, gosh, if anything it seems like he’s better. The timing of it is going to be good leading up to the Derby. That’s the ultimate goal, and we’re going to try to take our best shot.”

Other 3-year-olds in Daily Racing Form’s latest Derby Watch Top 20 being pointed to the Ellis Derby include Sole Volante, Dean Martini, Major Fed, and possibly Shared Sense.

The Ellis Derby will anchor the richest card of the 25-day Ellis meet. The other stakes are the Groupie Doll, Audubon Oaks, Juvenile, and Debutante, all worth $100,000.