Baffert points Justify to Santa Anita Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – Justify will stand in for his injured stablemate McKinzie in the Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby on Saturday after turning in an effortless six-furlong drill against the older veteran Hoppertunity, his trainer, Bob Baffert, said Monday.

Justify worked the six furlongs in 1:13.20 at Santa Anita.

The Santa Anita Derby had been shaping up as Round 2 between McKinzie and Bolt d’Oro, who first met last month in the San Felipe Stakes, a race that had a controversial outcome when McKinzie was disqualified from first in favor of Bolt d’Oro after a stretch-long duel. But after McKinzie came up with an injury last week that Baffert is still trying to pinpoint, Baffert began the process of moving the chess pieces with his 3-year-olds, and slotted Justify for the Santa Anita Derby instead of sending him to next week’s Arkansas Derby.

“He doesn’t have to ship now and we know he likes the track,” Baffert said of Justify, who has romped in his two starts, both at Santa Anita, but will be making his stakes debut in the Santa Anita Derby. “He’s going to run against the top Derby contender.”

Indeed, Bolt d’Oro – the favorite for the May 5 Kentucky Derby on the future line set by Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper – is set for the Santa Anita Derby after turning in his final drill Sunday morning. His owner and trainer, Mick Ruis, watched with keen interest Monday when Justify came out for his work immediately after the second of three renovation breaks.

“I’m hoping he works good, because I’ll get a good measuring stick if Bolt runs against him,” Ruis said.

Justify, under jockey Drayden Van Dyke, worked outside of Hoppertunity and went past him late while going easily throughout.

“He went smooth,” Baffert said. “Nice. It looked like he handled it pretty well. He runs here.

“I didn’t want him to do a lot. He didn’t take a deep breath.”

Asked if he was concerned about facing Bolt d’Oro, a colt Baffert has held in high regard, he replied, “Of course I am.”

Mike Smith will ride Justify in the Santa Anita Derby. He also is McKinzie’s regular rider. Had both McKinzie and Justify come through their final preps with victories, Smith would have had a difficult choice for the Kentucky Derby. But with McKinzie now off the Derby trail, “Mike won’t have to make a decision,” Baffert said.

With Justify now re-routed from the Arkansas Derby, Baffert made moves with two of his other 3-year-olds, Restoring Hope and Solomini, who worked with one another Monday.

Solomini had been intended for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial this Saturday at Aqueduct, in part to stay away from Justify in Arkansas. But with Justify out of the Arkansas Derby, that race became far more attractive for Solomini, especially considering it is a Grade 1 race.

Solomini was disqualified from victory in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity last December – McKinzie was promoted to first – and his owners, Ahmed and Justin Zayat, want to get Solomini a Grade 1 win. On Monday morning, Justin Zayat said on Twitter that Solomini would indeed return to Oaklawn, where he was second to Magnum Moon in last month’s Rebel.

By going to the Arkansas Derby, Solomini will have four weeks between the Rebel and Arkansas Derby. He would have been returning on just three weeks’ rest if he went to the Wood.

By contrast, Restoring Hope has not raced since Feb. 2 – he was excluded from last month’s Sunland Derby, which had an overflow number of entries – and he worked on Monday like a horse who’s ready to go right now.

Restoring Hope and Solomini both went five furlongs Monday in 59.80 seconds, but Restoring Hope was going so easily that clockers termed the drill “breezing,” the only work of 186 so designated Monday.

Restoring Hope has raced only three times, with his lone win coming in his last start, against maidens.

“He’s been working really well,” Baffert said.

Flavien Prat was aboard Restoring Hope for the work on Monday and will ride him in the Wood. Martin Garcia was aboard Solomini in the work, but Prat, who rode Solomini in the Rebel, will ride him in the Arkansas Derby, too.

These three will have to step up for Baffert with McKinzie off the Derby trail. Baffert late Monday morning said he would consider the Preakness – the second leg of the Triple Crown on May 19 – if McKinzie bounces back quickly, but if McKinzie can’t make that race, he likely would get a freshening.

“If I’ve learned one thing all these years, it’s if you don’t wait, they make you wait more,” Baffert said.

Thirstforlife finished second to The Player in the Grade 3 Mineshaft at Fair Grounds in his last start.