Kentucky Derby 2025: Captain Cook finally showing personality

Trainer Rick Dutrow has obviously been pleased with what he’s seen from Captain Cook on the racetrack, the 3-year-old having won both of his starts for him, including the Withers Stakes two weeks ago.

Dutrow is only just now starting to like what he’s seeing from Captain Cook at the barn.

“I think he’s getting confidence in himself. You can see around the barn that he’s more interested in things now,” Dutrow said this week. “When he came here, for the first month, it was like having a mule in the barn. He would never show any personality in any kind of way. The people that got the horse for [owner Vinnie Viola] called the previous trainer because we were concerned how he was showing nothing.

“He’s been picking it up and since he’s run the last time, we can feel that he’s continuing to show more personality, which is what everybody wants in a horse. You always want them to show themselves, and now he is a little bit,” Dutrow added.

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Dutrow had maintenance carve out a window in the stall that separates Captain Cook and the 3-year-old McAfee.

“I love that. That’s beautiful. He’s now got a friend that he gets to hang out with all day long,” Dutrow said.

Captain Cook, a son of Practical Joke, finished sixth in his debut for Norm Casse in October. The horse went through the auction ring at Keeneland 18 days later as part of the dispersal of the late John Hendrickson, who died in August. Captain Cook was purchased for $410,000 by agent Steve Young on behalf of Viola’s St. Elias Stable.

Captain Cook won a seven-furlong maiden race at Aqueduct by 9 1/4 lengths on Dec. 28 and then captured the $250,000 Withers by 2 1/4 lengths over a fast track Feb. 1, a race for which he earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure. Captain Cook is pointing to the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 5.

While Kentucky Derby contenders typically don’t winter in New York, Captain Cook has done too well training at Belmont and racing at Aqueduct to move him, Dutrow said.

“I don’t know how any horse can like training on this track, but maybe he does because he has been running better than we have been hoping, so we ain’t looking to change anything,” Dutrow said. “We’re very happy with him. He gets along with this [training] track, he’s run big at Aqueduct twice, so why would we think about changing anything?”

Dutrow said Captain Cook could return to the work tab this weekend, weather permitting.

Captain Cook is one of two horses on Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch currently training in New York. Sand Devil, the unbeaten New York-bred who won last Saturday’s Damon Runyon Stakes, also is training at Belmont. The Linda Rice trainee is being pointed to the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 1.

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