With Corniche yet to breeze, Kentucky Derby plans up in the air

Corniche, the unbeaten winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and a finalist to be named champion 2-year-old male of 2021 at the Eclipse Awards on Thursday night at Santa Anita, is training at WinStar Farm in Kentucky but is not quite ready to breeze, Marette Farrell, the racing manager for his owners, Speedway Stables, said Friday.

With the Kentucky Derby now three months away on May 7, Corniche may run out of time to have more than one prep if he is to make the Derby. Farrell on Friday said that while owners Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner of Speedway Stables would like to make the Derby, they are not going to rush Corniche and force him into the race.

“The Derby is not the be-all and end-all for them,” Farrell said. “He’s training away. The tempo of his gallops is speeding up. We’re letting the horse tell us when he’s ready. When he’s ready, we’ll start prioritizing his schedule.

“We’re not rushing him. We’re not forcing him to make the Derby. We’re not ruling out the Derby. We’re not ruling in the Derby. We are aiming for a major 3-year-old campaign.”

Bob Baffert trained Corniche last year. Farrell said the plan remains for the colt, a son of Quality Road, to return to Baffert at Santa Anita.

Baffert is banned from the 2022 Derby by Churchill Downs, so unless something changes on that front, Corniche would have to move to another barn in order to run in the Derby

Corniche is expected to be nominated to the Triple Crown, which also includes the Preakness on May 21 and Belmont Stakes on June 11. Early nominations to the Triple Crown, costing just $600, are expected to be announced early next week.

Corniche won all three of his starts at age 2. He won his debut sprinting against maidens at Del Mar on Sept. 4, then won the Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita on Oct. 1 before his victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 5.

He subsequently was sent to WinStar for freshening. He has been there now for more than two months. He started back jogging, and, as Farrell said Friday, has progressed to galloping. The next order of business will be to get into a work pattern. When that commences, and how quickly Corniche then comes to hand, will determine when he is ready to return to action.