Fellowship rerouted to Pat Day Mile
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Mark Casse decided Wednesday not to enter Fellowship in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, where he would have been the first horse on the also-eligible list, and instead will run him that same afternoon in the Pat Day Mile.
By rule in Kentucky, no horse can be entered in two different races on the same card. Fellowship has been sitting 21st on the Kentucky Derby points list for the past two weeks, which meant he needed one defection out of the top 20 to get into the race. A defection never came by the time entries closed for the Derby late Wednesday morning.
Fellowship joined Casse’s barn shortly after his third-place finish behind Nyquist in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Fellowship had previously been trained by Stanley Gold for owner-breeder Fred Brei’s Jacks or Better Farm. Fellowship, a homebred son of Awesome of Course, had also finished third in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 2 Holy Bull this past winter.
“We’re not going to enter if we’re not sure he’s going to get in,” Casse said Wednesday. “He’s ready to run, he’s been training extremely well, and we couldn’t take a chance we wouldn’t get into the Derby. We’re going to use the Pat Day Mile as a prep for the Preakness. A mile is a little short for him, but hopefully there will be enough speed in the race to help us.”
