Kentucky Derby: Flame of hope still flickers for bubble horses

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The skeptics who believed bubble horses only add clutter to the Kentucky Derby had their bubble busted last year when Rich Strike pulled his 80-1 stunner as a last-minute runner.

Will lightning strike in the same spot twice? The connections of a handful of horses eager to run next Saturday in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs sure hope so.

“The Rich Strike story gives us all hope,” said trainer Dale Romans, who as of Wednesday had Cyclone Mischief as No. 22 on the qualifying list for the 149th Derby, which has a maximum field of 20. “When you’re on the bubble, you’re walking a tightrope of emotion.”

As of Wednesday morning, Skinner was No. 21 on the list, or first on the bubble. Entries for the Derby will be drawn Monday, with as many as four also-eligibles (Nos. 21 to 24) being allowed on the program. Final scratch time is early Friday, May 5.

The connections of Skinner, based in Southern California with trainer John Shirreffs, are waiting to see what transpires before deciding whether to send the Curlin colt on the long plane ride to Kentucky. Based on back-to-back thirds in the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby in his last two starts, Skinner would be a sneaky longshot for bettors to consider.

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Last year, Rich Strike only made the Derby field as No. 21 when D. Wayne Lukas called the Churchill stewards with an 11th-hour scratch of Ethereal Road, thereby allowing in another runner to keep the 20-stall starting gate filled.

“I keep telling Wayne I owe him a debt I can never repay,” said Eric Reed, trainer of Rich Strike.

Romans, who is 0 for 11 in the Derby, already has had experience with a bubble horse – Cherry Wine in 2016.

“We really wanted him to get in, but he got excluded, so we ended up running in the Preakness and showing he could run with the best of the class.”

Cherry Wine ran second to Exaggerator in the Preakness, finishing just ahead of the Derby winner, Nyquist.

Romans said he wants to run Cyclone Mischief in the Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard if he doesn’t get into the Derby.

“But the problem with that is you can’t enter in two different races on the same card in Kentucky,” he said. “It’s kind of put us in a tough spot for the moment.

“It’s also hard to wish bad luck on anybody else just so we can make the race. I don’t want anybody to have to call their owner to say their horse is out. At the same time, I want my horse in.”

Rich Strike was ranked as low as No. 27 on the qualifying list last year after running third in his final pre-Derby start, the Jeff Ruby Steaks. Slowly but steadily, he kept creeping up the list, and by entry day he was the first also-eligible on the program. Rattle N Roll, who was No. 22, wound up being scratched.

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This year, following Skinner and Cyclone Mischief on the list are Major Dude (23), Mandarin Hero (24), and King Russell (25). Trainer Ron Moquett said King Russell will be entered even if he’s as low as No. 24 on the AE list.

“This horse wants the distance,” he said of King Russell, the Arkansas Derby runner-up. “We’d run in a one-other-than allowance on Derby Day if we can’t make the AEs. I had this weird feeling that if we ran as well as we did in the Arkansas Derby that we’d deserve to be in the [Kentucky] Derby, but I guess not.”

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