Concert Tour heavily favored to stay perfect in Arkansas Derby

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The Kentucky Derby favorite could be decided at Oaklawn Park on Saturday when Concert Tour attempts to remain unbeaten in four starts in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.

Juvenile champion Essential Quality, undefeated in five starts, is the early favorite for the May 1 classic at Churchill Downs.

But Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is not concerned with such details three weeks out from the Derby, a race he has won six times. He’s simply focused on the moment at hand with Concert Tour, who will be a heavy favorite Saturday.

“We want to get a good race,” he said. “We want to have a positive race. There’s six horses in there, and when there’s a short field there’s usually a lot of trouble. Everybody’s watching everybody.”

Concert Tour is one of three members of Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch in the Arkansas Derby. The others are Caddo River and Hozier. The field for the mile and an eighth race is completed by Get Her Number, Super Stock, and Last Samurai.

The Arkansas Derby, the final major prep for the Kentucky Derby, is the richest of four stakes on a 13-race card that has an early post of noon Central. The first four finishers in the Arkansas Derby will earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a scale of 100-40-20-10.

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Concert Tour secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate last month, when he picked up 50 points for winning the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel at Oaklawn. He was making his first start at two turns and his first start outside of Southern California. He won the race in hand by 4 1/4 lengths.

“I think he’s running to his pedigree,” Baffert said of the homebred son of Street Sense he trains for Gary and Mary West. “He’s got a great pedigree – and athleticism. He’s always shown from Day 1 that he was pretty special. The good ones tip their hand.”

Concert Tour won his career debut in a maiden special weight over six furlongs Jan. 15 at Santa Anita. One start later, he became a Grade 2 winner in the San Vicente, run over seven furlongs at the same track Feb. 6. Concert Tour showed speed in both races, and led throughout in the Rebel.

“He’s quick,” Baffert said. “He’s really quick on his feet.”

Concert Tour broke from an outside post in the Rebel and will again from gate 5 on Saturday under regular rider Joel Rosario. There is speed to the horse’s inside in Caddo River and Get Her Number.

“Rosario will just have to play the break,” Baffert said. “We’ll see what happens.”

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Hozier, also trained by Baffert, was second in the Rebel in his stakes debut. Like Concert Tour, he flew into Arkansas on Wednesday.

“He saved ground last time and came running late,” Baffert said of Hozier. “He’s come back and worked well. He’s getting better.”

Martin Garcia has the mount from post 3.

Caddo River was the Rebel favorite off a more than 10-length wire-to-wire win in the Smarty Jones in January at Oaklawn. He was asked to sit off Concert Tour in second in the Rebel before finishing fifth. Trainer Brad Cox said tactics will change Saturday.

“We are going to be more aggressive the early part of the race,” he said. “We’re hoping, obviously, to perform better than we did in the Rebel. He appears to be at his best when the rider can just kind of drop his hands and let him run free. He didn’t rate kindly, pulled too much, so we’ll let him do his thing early and see how it goes.”

Cox has been pleased with Caddo River’s works leading into the Rebel.

“He gives you a lot of confidence,” he said.

Florent Geroux has the mount from post 2.

Get Her Number was seventh in the Rebel. He also could employ new tactics, according to his trainer, Peter Miller.

“I’m thinking he won’t be as far back this time,” he said.

Get Her Number was fifth in the early stages of the Rebel before encountering trouble in the stretch. The start was his first since he won the Grade 1 American Pharoah on the front end last September at Santa Anita.

“I think he’s a fitter horse,” Miller said. “With a race under his belt, seasoning, I think we’ll see an improved effort.”

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Get Her Number will break from post 4 under Francisco Arrieta.

Super Stock was fourth in the Rebel while making his first start since October. Last year, the horse ran second to Essential Quality in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount on Super Stock, a horse Hall of Fame horseman Steve Asmussen trains for his father, Keith Asmussen, and Erv Woolsey.

Last Samurai exits a fifth-place finish to Essential Quality in the Southwest on Feb. 27 at Oaklawn.

Oaklawn plans to open its infield Saturday on an afternoon forecast to be sunny and in the low 70s. Patrons will be treated to an appearance by champion Whitmore in the Count Fleet and the seasonal debut of By My Standards in the Oaklawn Mile.