Blue Grass gains Practical Joke, loses Classic Empire

The Grade 2, $1 million Blue Grass Stakes on April 8 at Keeneland lost one significant player but picked up another on Tuesday as the connections of Classic Empire and Practical Joke finalized plans for their dual Grade 1-winning 3-year-old colts.

Classic Empire, the champion 2-year-old male of 2016, will make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 15, his trainer, Mark Casse, said Tuesday. The Blue Grass had been under consideration for Classic Empire, who won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland fall.

Practical Joke, who won the Grade 1 Hopeful, Grade 1 Champagne and was an Eclipse finalist at 2, will make his next start in the Blue Grass, trainer Chad Brown confirmed Tuesday. He had been under consideration for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

“The horse will benefit from an extra week,” Brown said Tuesday.

Casse also mentioned having an extra week as the reason for the decision to run Classic Empire in the Arkansas Derby.

Casse has had to call a few audibles with Classic Empire this winter. After Classic Empire twice refused to work at Palm Meadows, Casse moved the horse to Winding Oaks Farm in Ocala, Fla. On Tuesday, he had his second workout at Winding Oaks, going five furlongs in 59.60 seconds.

Classic Empire, under regular jockey Julien Leparoux, worked in company with the multiple-graded-stakes-winning 4-year-old Airoforce. The pair worked from the starting gate.

"We thought he went really well," Casse said of Classic Empire. "As soon as he got in front of Airoforce he pulled himself up a little bit, but not to do anything [bad], but just cause he lost interest."

Casse said that when Airoforce came back to him, Classic Empire took off again. Casse had him galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.

“Cooling out, he wasn’t taking a deep breath,” Casse said. “I thought he would have been blowing a bit.”

Later in the morning, after talking with John Oxley, owner of Classic Empire, the decision was made to go to Arkansas.

“The biggest reason is it gives us an extra week,” Casse said.

Casse said that Classic Empire would likely have his next work at Winding Oaks, then ship to Churchill before moving on to Oaklawn.

Casse said he is not concerned about Classic Empire running on a different surface. The horse has already won at Churchill, Keeneland, and Santa Anita.

“The truth is, if you look at his record, he doesn’t need his racetrack,” Casse said.

Casse also noted that he feels the undefeated McCraken is “the toughest horse out there." McCraken is being pointed to the Blue Grass.

"We’ll wait and meet McCracken in the Derby,” he said.

The Arkansas Derby is expected to include Rebel winner Malagacy and third-place finisher Untrapped.

Meanwhile, the decision to run Practical Joke in the Blue Grass toughens that field up considerably. That field will include McCraken, Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapwrit, and Gotham winner J Boys Echo.

Entries for the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, to be run on Saturday, will be taken on Wednesday. Those expected to enter are Always Dreaming, Gunnevera, Impressive Edge, State of Honor, Talk Logistics, Three Rules, and Unbridled Holiday. Coleman Rocky is possible. Battalion Runner will be entered, but he would run only if something happened to stablemate Always Dreaming. Battalion Runner is being considered for the Arkansas Derby or Wood Memorial.

Jose Ortiz would have ridden Practical Joke in the Florida Derby, but he is committed to ride Tapwrit in the Blue Grass and can't ride Practical Joke in that race. Joel Rosario, aboard Practical Joke for the Champagne win and a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, will ride Practical Joke in the Blue Grass.

Meanwhile, Rajiv Maragh has picked up the mount on Irish War Cry for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 8. Rosario had ridden Irish War Cry to a victory in Holy Bull and a seventh-place finish in the Fountain of Youth.

The Wood field is expected to include Southwest Stakes winner One Liner or Battalion Runner, El Areeb, Cloud Computing, Irish War Cry, Mo Town, Stretch’s Stone, and True Timber.

Mo Town, winner of the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct last fall, will have his final work for the Wood on Friday or Saturday and will ship to New York on Monday.

On Tuesday, at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla., Mo Town had a very strong gallop, going a mile in 2:02 alongside a stablemate.

- additional reporting by Jay Privman