Derby field set, with 39 points needed for final berth

With Saturday's final two Road to the Kentucky Derby races, plus the defection of Sunland Derby winner Runaway Ghost owing to injury, the potential Derby field is now set, with the current bottom level for making the 20-horse field a record 39 points.

The Kentucky Derby is May 5 at Churchill Downs.

Much can and likely will change over the next two-plus weeks, but at the moment Firenze Fire is 20th on the list with 39 points. Combatant, ranked 21st with 32 points, is on the bubble.

If there are no defections from the current points list, the 39 points needed to make the field would be the most required in the six years since Churchill Downs switched to a points system.

The Arkansas Derby and Lexington Stakes on Saturday both proved critical to determining the Derby field, with at least two horses securing berths.

Solomini moved into the Derby field with the 20 points he picked up for a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby behind one-two finishers Magnum Moon and Quip, who already were safely in the Derby field owing to prior victories in the Rebel and Tampa Bay Derby, respectively. Solomini has 54 points.

At Keeneland, the 20 points earned by My Boy Jack for his victory in the Lexington Stakes vaulted him into the top 20, with 52 points.

Magnum Moon got a Beyer Speed Figure of 98, while My Boy Jack got a 90.

Magnum Moon is one of four colts trainer Todd Pletcher has in the Derby field, along with Audible, Noble Indy, and Vino Rosso. Those four, collectively, won the Arkansas Derby, Florida Derby, Louisiana Derby, and Wood Memorial, making Pletcher the first trainer to win four of the six biggest final Derby preps – along with the Santa Anita Derby and Blue Grass Stakes – in the same year with four different horses.

There are 19 horses in the top 20 who qualified through the traditional, 35-race Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule, which began last Sept. 16 with the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill and concluded with the Arkansas Derby. The 20th spot is reserved for Gronkowski, who secured his berth via the inaugural, seven-race, European Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule, which carved out a spot for the horse who topped that stand-alone points list.

A maximum of 20 horses can run in the Kentucky Derby. At entry time on May 1, however, up to four also-eligibles also can be entered, their order based on points. They can make the field, in that order, if is there is a defection from the 20-horse field by scratch time at 9 a.m. Eastern on May 4, the day before the Derby. After that, the field is set.

Immediately following the Arkansas Derby and Lexington, it appeared Firenze Fire would be the bubble horse, but he moved back into the top 20 owing to Runaway Ghost – who had 50 points – emerging from a workout on Saturday at Sunland Park with an apparent hairline fracture to his right front cannon bone.

“We can see a small line there," said his trainer, Todd Fincher. “Right after the workout he was fine. During the cool-out period he started being off. We took X-rays and he had a little profile on the shin - a faint sign.”

Fincher said Runaway Ghost will undergo more diagnostics. Runaway Ghost is expected to return to racing following a recovery period. Runaway Ghost was scheduled to fly to Kentucky on Tuesday.

"He'll heal up 100 percent," Fincher said. "We hate to miss this because everybody is so excited for the owners to live the dream, run in the Kentucky Derby. There's nothing we can do about it."

Runaway Ghost races for his breeder, Joe Peacock.

"He earned his way in, things didn't work out," Fincher said. "We know he's good enough to compete."

Steve Asmussen, who trains Combatant, was in no hurry on Sunday morning to make a decision on the Derby regarding Combatant, who is one defection away from making the field.

Combatant, who finished fourth in the Arkansas Derby, was scheduled to join Asmussen’s string at Churchill Downs regardless of his finish on Saturday, as Asmussen is based at Churchill Downs after the close of Oaklawn and Fair Grounds, where he has strings during the winter.

“It’s easy for me because I’m at Churchill,” Asmussen said. “No decision yet. Right now we’re just petting him.”

Asmussen recalled that last year, “Lookin At Lee was 22nd on Monday of Derby Week, and on Saturday he ran second,” a reminder of how much can change over the next two-plus weeks.

--additional reporting by Mary Rampellini