Indiana Derby new target for Atreides

Trainer Marty Wolfson has had a change of heart and will now send his Gulfstream-based undefeated 3-year-old sensation Atreides to Indiana Downs for the Grade 3 Indiana Derby on Oct. 4 rather than to Belmont Park for the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap on Sept. 27 as originally planned.

Wolfson said the decision to go to Indiana had more to do with track surface than anything else.

“I just think he’ll like a harder track like the one at Indiana better than the surface at Belmont Park, which can be on the slow side,” Wolfson said on Tuesday. “The decision had nothing really to do with the competition or that he’d be facing older horses like Itsmyluckyday, rather than straight 3-year-olds, if he went to New York.”

Atreides has opened his career with three consecutive one-sided victories, all at Gulfstream Park, including a 17 1/2-length triumph in the Monarchos Stakes when sent a mile for the first time earlier this month. Before deciding to run in the Indiana Derby, Wolfson had said he’d rather not run Atreides around two turns just yet. The Kelso is run around one turn, and the Indian Derby is at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.

Wolfson confirmed that Joel Rosario will be aboard Atreides for the first time in the Indiana Derby.

Atreides, a Stonestreet homebred by Medgalia d’Oro, was originally scheduled to breeze here Tuesday morning, but Wolfson said he will work instead on Wednesday.

Wolfson also confirmed that he planned to run as many as four in Saturday’s $90,000 Musical Romance Stakes for fillies and mares, although his Grade 2 winner Heart Stealer will not be among them. Wolfson nominated nine to the seven-furlong Musical Romance, and said Best Behavior, Kipling’s Joy and Ol Donyo would all definitely start.

Heart Stealer, who has been battling foot issues all season, would run next Oct. 4 at Keeneland in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes.