Horton says Combatant's style suits Derby

Willis Horton has raced a champion 3-year-old colt and won a classic the first weekend in May at Churchill Downs – but he’s never won the Kentucky Derby. The 78-year-old from Marshall, Ark., will get a second crack at the Derby on Saturday with Combatant, whom he owns with Winchell Thoroughbreds.

Will Take Charge was Horton’s first Kentucky Derby starter, finishing eighth in 2013. Will Take Charge earned the 3-year-old championship the second half of the year by taking the Travers at Saratoga and defeating older rivals in the Clark at Churchill one start after finishing second by a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Combatant has picked up Kentucky Derby points in five consecutive stakes starts since winning a maiden special weight last October at Churchill. He was second in three points races – the Springboard Mile at Remington, and the Smarty Jones and Southwest at Oaklawn– then ran third in the Rebel at Oaklawn and fourth in the Arkansas Derby there.

“Combatant is a real decent horse,” Horton said. “He’s second, second, third. We felt like we owed it to him to give him a chance in this race.

“He gives you all he’s got.”

Despite the consistent form, Horton said over the weekend he looked for Combatant’s morning-line odds to be about 40-1.

“This is the strongest Derby that I have ever seen,” Horton said. “You’ve always got two or three that stand out, and in this Derby there’s probably eight to 10 standouts. It’s really, really strong.”

A win in a classic at long odds would not be a first for Horton – he won the 2006 Kentucky Oaks with Lemons Forever.

“That was unbelievable,” Horton said. “She went off 48-1!”

Combatant was a $320,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September in 2016. The May foal by Scat Daddy is trained by Steve Asmussen, who long has been affiliated with Winchell Thoroughbreds. Horton said in the last few years he has started partnering in some sale purchases with Winchell.

Combatant has used closing tactics in a number of his races, and Horton believes his style suits the shape of this year’s Kentucky Derby.

“I think it will play perfect,” he said. “I think there’s going to be a real good pace in there and he’s going to come from behind. And, the longer it goes the better he gets.”

Horton, who also raced champion Take Charge Brandi, said he has 25 horses in training, either alone or in partnerships. Horton also has two broodmares, and they have produced recent offspring by Will Take Charge and Tapit.

Horton, who maintains a 600-head cattle operation in Marshall, will be in Kentucky this week, and on Thursday plans to spend time with Will Take Charge. By week’s end, it could be Horton’s most successful trip ever to Kentucky.

“It’s what all owners shoot for, to get in the Derby, having the opportunity to win,” he said. “If you do, you reach your milestone, I’d say.”