For all that he's accomplished in his career, and it's been a lot, Richard Mandella has had no luck in the Kentucky Derby. Not that it's been a priority. After all, he's only run six horses in the race, beginning in 1984, and hasn't had a starter since 2004.
The influx of California-based runners rerouted to this weekend's Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn is led by the Bob Baffert-trained duo of champion Game Winner and Grade 1 winner Improbable, both unbeaten. Improbable, last seen winning the Los Alamitos Futurity, represents perhaps the best chance yet for late sire City Zip to record a classic winner.
Tacitus and Outshine, the one-two finishers in the Tampa Bay Derby last Saturday, are the newest members of the Derby Watch top 20. Tacitus is the third horse on the list trained by Bill Mott. He is listed at 20-1 on the ante-post line of Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form's national handicapper, for the May 4 Kentucky Derby.
Road to the Derby: Jeff Ruby Steaks analysis
Road to the Derby: Tampa Bay Derby analysis
Road to the 2019 Kentucky Derby: Gotham Stakes analysis
Trainer Mark Casse has had a hot hand with 3-year-olds this meet at Oaklawn Park, and he'll attempt to add to his local stakes success Saturday with Our Braintrust in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel.
Bill Mott wouldn't have been able to wipe the smile off his face if he tried. The Hall of Fame trainer was absolutely beaming in the aftermath of the Tampa Bay Derby, ecstatic with the way Tacitus had just become his latest chance to win a Kentucky Derby.
The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed as a lukewarm favorite over the Bob Baffert pair of Improbable and Game Winner after three days of betting into Pool 3 of the 2019 Kentucky Derby Future Wager. The pool opened Friday at noon Eastern and closed Sunday evening when coinciding with the only futures pool toward the 2019 Kentucky Oaks.
Having secured only 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points in winning Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, Somelikeithotbrown is below the customary threshold of around 30 points that is typically required to gain entrance to the May 4 race, though he will receive a chance to add to his total in the weeks ahead.
