Kentucky Derby 2025: Lukas may run Va. Derby winner American Promise at Keeneland
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Virginia Derby winner American Promise could have one more start before the Kentucky Derby in either the Blue Grass or Lexington, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Tuesday.
Lukas currently has four horses in the mix for upcoming Kentucky Derby qualifiers. Caldera runs in the Louisiana Derby on Saturday, Innovator runs the same afternoon in the Jeff Ruby Steaks, and Bestfriend Rocket is on deck for the Arkansas Derby.
Lukas said he knows of at least one edge he has on his peers in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby.
“The trainer is going to be 90,” he said. “I got a great seasoning advantage on them.”
American Promise ranks fifth in points for the Kentucky Derby after his more than seven-length win in the Virginia Derby last Saturday.
“I thought it was a breakthrough,” Lukas said. “I changed up some of the things I was doing with him, got his attention more, and I loved the way he finished.
“He’s such a big-framed horse. He’s 17 hands. He’s just now getting the development that you expect like one from him. That size and everything. I really think the next 60 days he’ll improve even more as he grows into his frame, physically. I think he’s got some tactical speed, which is encouraging. When he gets his coordination down, I think he’s going to be a good horse.”
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The Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass is April 5 at Keeneland. The track’s Grade 3, $400,000 Lexington is on April 12. The Kentucky Derby is May 3.
“I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of letting him have another race,” Lukas said. “He would probably, because of what I just told you, benefit from another race.”
Caldera has 10 points for the Kentucky Derby after his runner-up finish in the Sunland Derby. Innovator brings 6 points into the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Bestfriend Rocket will be making his stakes debut in the Arkansas Derby.
“We’ve got to get some points on them,” Lukas said.
Innovator, who was third in the Lecomte on Jan. 18 and 12th in the Rebel on Feb. 23, makes his synthetic track debut in the Jeff Ruby Steaks.
“That’s a question mark for the weekend,” Lukas said. “I think he’ll relish it. I really do. The big question for me is can he go a mile and an eighth. When he ran in the Lecomte [at 1 1/16 miles], he showed that he could do that. He was right there until the last jump or so.
“If he’ll improve off the Lecomte – you got to throw out the Rebel – I think that he could make it interesting. But I really want to see some finish at a mile and an eighth. If he acts like he doesn’t want to go the mile and an eighth, we’ll back him up and run him in the Pat Day Mile.”
Jose Ortiz to ride Sandman
Jockey Jose Ortiz will have the mount on Sandman in the Arkansas Derby on March 29, trainer Mark Casse said Tuesday.
The horse had his final breeze for the race Wednesday at Oaklawn, going five furlongs by himself in 1:03.20. The track was fast on a windy morning in the 60s. Clockers had Sandman’s final three-eighths in 36.40 seconds and caught him galloping out six furlongs in 1:15.60.
Sandman was third in the Rebel last out and has 29 points for the Kentucky Derby.
◗ Trainer Lonnie Briley said Wednesday he is “about 99 percent sure” that Coal Battle will make his next start in the Arkansas Derby. He had been considering training the horse up to the Kentucky Derby.
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