Derby Day vet scratch Talk of the Nation surfaces in Jersey Derby
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Presumptive Kentucky Derby favorite Forte wasn’t the only talented 3-year-old from a New York-based trainer scratched on Kentucky Derby Day. Talk of the Nation looked like a very live chance in the American Turf on the Derby undercard before a state regulatory veterinarian decided minutes before the race that Talk of the Nation was lame and unfit to start. Stewards scratched the colt, which has led Talk of the Nation to Monmouth Park for Saturday’s $100,000 Jersey Derby.
There are richer and more important races for 3-year-old turf horses this weekend, but protocols triggered by the vet scratch that required a specially observed workout and blood testing prevented trainer Shug McGaughey from entering Talk of the Nation in the Penn Mile, the Audubon at Churchill Downs, or the Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park. Monmouth’s later entry day for Saturday’s card gave time for the post-scratch requirements to be satisfied, and Talk of the Nation will be a heavy favorite under Paco Lopez in the one-mile Jersey Derby.
The scratch itself shouldn’t concern those willing to accept Talk of the Nation at something around even money. His jockey at Churchill, Tyler Gaffalione, implored the vet to permit his mount to run, and McGaughey, through reporting by Daily Racing Form’s David Grening, didn’t believe his horse had an issue.
Switched after two dirt starts to turf, Talk of the Nation rolled to an easy allowance win at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 3, followed up by a 2 1/2-length victory there in the Columbia Stakes. The Columbia is merely a $75,000 race of no great consequence, but it yielded a winning Beyer Speed Figure of 92, easily best in this 10-runner field, and runner-up Mo Stash came back to win the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland and finish a competitive fourth in the American Turf.
Talk of the Nation has tactical speed – which may or may not be a good thing breaking from post 3. There’s a potential pace player drawn inside him, Boppy O, and other speed to the outside. Talk of the Nation might not get the ideal trips he had in his turf wins. Then again, it might not matter.
Also entered are the first-, second-, third-, and seventh-place finishers – respectively Swan Lake, Boppy O, People Force, and Cosmic Speculation – from the $100,000 English Channel, a turf mile last month at Gulfstream Park. McGaughey confirmed he plans to run his second entrant, Sherlock’s Jewel, and if the race were to be rained off turf (unlikely, but there’s a chance of showers), Offaly Cool, a close second in the Long Branch, will be a factor.
Otherwise, trainer Chad Brown is the one with a shot at beating the favorite. Turf King is 2 for 2 in his career and overcame trouble before the quarter pole to win a first-level Keeneland turf allowance race last out. But Activist Investing might be the better Brown. His three-race 2-year-old season began with a very troubled Saratoga debut and concluded with an encouraging third-start maiden win after Brown added blinkers.
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