Concert Tour works five furlongs for likely Preakness start
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Concert Tour, third last out in the Arkansas Derby, has been training at Churchill Downs in his yellow Kentucky Derby saddle towel, and while trainer Bob Baffert decided shortly after the Arkansas Derby that Concert Tour would pass the Derby, the colt still is bound for a Triple Crown race.
That saddle towel and the Derby qualifying points Concert Tour has accumulated allow him to go out during the 15-minute training period reserved for Derby and Oaks horses, and on Monday morning, Concert Tour turned in his first workout since arriving here from Oaklawn. Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch timed Concert Tour in 1:00.73 for five furlongs, and all being well, Baffert said, Concert Tour races next in the May 15 Preakness.
“He looked good out there,” said Baffert. “As long as everything is going well, I want to run him in the Preakness.”
Concert Tour won his first three starts – a Santa Anita maiden race, the San Vicente over seven furlongs, and the 1 1/16-mile Rebel at Oaklawn – but came up short as the odds-on Arkansas Derby favorite. He was run down by victorious Super Stock and lost second in the final strides to Caddo River.
“The Arkansas Derby was a head scratcher. Maybe he just got beat,” said Baffert. “He’s still a very immature horse, still learning to run. You want a horse [for the Derby] taking a step forward and he took a step back, and so your gut tells you unfortunately he won’t be ready for the Derby. I did learn a lot about him from that race; you learn from their losses.”
Charlatan, who won a division of the 2020 Arkansas Derby, had lighter Churchill exercise on Monday, merely jogging after the Derby and Oaks horses had been to the track. Charlatan worked twice in late March and twice in April with Baffert eyeing the Alysheba Stakes here this week. Instead, following Charlatan’s work April 12, Baffert backed off and Charlatan hasn’t worked since.
“He just wasn’t quite ready,” Baffert said. “I don’t want to run him until I feel really good about him. I want him to run off the screen when he does run.”
Charlatan, Baffert said, is set to resume breezing and is being aimed for the Met Mile on the Belmont Stakes undercard, provided connections are satisfied with his progress during May. Charlatan won the Grade 1 Malibu in December, his first race since May, and was second to the excellent colt Mishriff on Feb. 20 in the Saudi Cup.
Baffert also worked the impressive 3-year-old maiden winners Triple Tap and Following Sea in company on Monday. Welsch clocked the two in 47.53 for a half-mile, out five furlongs in a snappy 59.84. Following Sea, by Runhappy, was a sharp second-start maiden winner April 10 at Oaklawn, earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in a 5 3/4-length score. Triple Tap, a half-brother of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, won his only start on March 13.