Endlessly not likely to run in Kentucky Derby, trainer says

Endlessly, who dominated the Grade 3, $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on Saturday at Turfway Park, was to ship to trainer Michael McCarthy’s Churchill Downs barn on Sunday – but most likely not to prepare for the Kentucky Derby, despite essentially assuring himself a spot in the field.

McCarthy expressed a strong preference postrace to target turf stakes with the colt, who earned 100 points toward the Derby starting gate with his four-length win in the Ruby on Tapeta, earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 91. McCarthy said Sunday morning that Endlessly emerged from that effort in good order.

His campaign could continue with the Grade 2, $600,000 American Turf for 3-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby undercard. McCarthy said the Derby will be “way in the back of my mind” as Endlessly trains at Churchill in the coming weeks.

“I’ve seen his works on the dirt, and I think they’re decent, satisfactory, but the Derby’s a whole different sort of beast,” McCarthy said. “We’ll enjoy this for right now, but like I said, I would prefer to keep it on the grass.”

Endlessly, who runs as a homebred for Amerman Racing, is 5 for 6 lifetime, with wins in the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf and Grade 3 Zuma Beach Stakes on the lawn last year, and the El Camino Real Derby and Grade 3 Ruby, both at 1 1/8 miles on synthetic, this year. His only loss to date came when eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

“I think his record speaks for himself,” McCarthy said. “His only unfortunate defeat was in the Breeders’ Cup, still ran sneaky good that day. I think he’s as good a 3-year-old as there is. Granted, he’s shown it on synthetic and shown it on turf, but I think at the end of the year, he’ll still be in that conversation.”

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