Maybe this should be “who’s lukewarm.” The newcomers – Vinceremos and Harry’s Holiday – are the two horses who ascended into the top 20 on points this week owing to a pair of defections.
He’s got the winner of the Louisiana Derby, a colt who was both runner-up in the Fountain of Youth and a close third in the Florida Derby, and a longshot, yet Mike Maker might be the least-known big-time trainer in this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Four confirmed Kentucky Derby starters – Hoppertunity, Danza, Medal Count, and Ride On Curlin – turned in routine gallops over the fast track Tuesday.
Trainer Dallas Stewart remains hopeful that Commanding Curve can get into the Kentucky Derby, and his anxiety is assuaged by having climbed a much higher hill a year ago with Golden Soul.
With Cairo Prince and Midnight Hawk out of the Kentucky Derby, spots opened in the prospective field for Vinceremos and Harry’s Holiday, and more scoreboard watching will be done as horses begin to arrive at Churchill Downs for their final preps.
Bayern was clearly best over his Bob Baffert stablemate Chitu in a team workout during a relatively quiet Monday training session reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses at Churchill Downs.
Dynamic Impact and Midnight Hawk, separated by a nose at the finish in Saturday’s Illinois Derby, both emerged from the race in good order, their trainers said Sunday morning. It’s extremely unlikely either horse would run in the Kentucky Derby, and while Dynamic Impact is a possible runner in the Preakness Stakes, Midnight Hawk will be switched to shorter one-turn races for a late spring and summer campaign.
Trainer Todd Pletcher completed his final piece of important business in south Florida for the season when sending out two of his four potential Kentucky Derby starters, We Miss Artie and Intense Holiday, to work at his winter home, the Palm Meadows training center, Sunday morning.
With no horse in this field likely to benefit enough by the 10 Derby qualifying points to the winner, the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland had no bearing on the top 20 attempting to make the Kentucky Derby starting field. But it was an important race for Mr Speaker,
Professional discretion paid off Saturday for Shug McGaughey when the Hall of Fame trainer sent out Mr Speaker to win the 33rd running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.
