Magnum Moon takes them all the way in Arkansas Derby
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Magnum Moon won the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby with authority Saturday at Oaklawn Park to cap an outstanding Kentucky Derby prep season for his trainer, Todd Pletcher. Magnum Moon was a four-length winner over Quip, while it was another neck back in third to Solomini.
The Arkansas Derby was the final points race for the Kentucky Derby. Pletcher trainees that also won major preps this season were Audible, Noble Indy, and Vino Rosso.
“We’re just very fortunate and grateful and hoping they can continue to train well and stay healthy through the Derby,” Pletcher said Saturday.
Magnum Moon’s win also capped an outstanding Racing Festival of the South at Oaklawn for the barn, which on Friday won the Grade 1, $700,000 Apple Blossom Handicap with Unbridled Mo.
Magnum Moon ($3.60) remained undefeated in four starts with his win Saturday and also gave Pletcher a fifth victory in the Arkansas Derby. The horse broke well under Luis Saez and made his way to the front, setting fractions of 23.34 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.60 for the half-mile, and 1:13.39 for six furlongs, with Quip in pursuit.
Magnum Moon came into the stretch full of run, drifted near the eighth pole, then went on to cover the 1 1/8-mile distance on a track upgraded to fast earlier in the day in 1:49.86. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98 for the effort.
“Very pleased with the outcome,” Pletcher said. “I was a little concerned that he drifted out the last part, but it looked like he sort of halfway thought about jumping over the tire marks when he went by the eighth pole where the gate was and sort of skipped over those. I think he was maybe just drifting away from that, but aside from that, I thought he finished with good energy and was pulling away from some nice horses.”
Robert Low, who owns Magnum Moon with his wife, Lawana, said he was worried when Magnum Moon drifted in the stretch, but he said the horse soon put him at ease as he corrected himself quickly.
“He’s just really smart, and he just kind of figured it out and put himself in the right spot in the race and went on,” said Robert Low.
“I was so impressed with him today.”
Magnum Moon won his career debut on the front end in January, in a maiden special weight over six furlongs at Gulfstream. He moved to two turns for a first-level allowance Feb. 15 at Tampa Bay Downs, and rallied from off the pace. Magnum Moon then tracked the pace to win the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel last month at Oaklawn before his wire-to-wire win in the Arkansas Derby.
“l think he showed his versatility,” Pletcher said of the Arkansas Derby. “He’s won a number of different ways now, and I think he’s proven he’s the kind of horse that doesn’t need a race to unfold a certain way. He’s able to kind of make his own race.”
Pletcher said Magnum Moon is scheduled to fly to Palm Beach Downs on Monday, with plans to travel to Churchill Downs on April 23. He said the horse could breeze eight days out from the Kentucky Derby.
Magnum Moon earned 100 points for the Kentucky Derby, while Quip earned 40; Solomini, 20 and fourth-place finisher Combatant, 10.
Quip, ridden by Florent Geroux, was coming off a win in the Tampa Bay Derby.
“We had a good trip,” Geroux said. “He always breaks sharp and is always forwardly placed. When [Saez] smooched to his horse, I knew he wanted the lead. I let my horse settle and he did very nicely. My horse ran hard. Solomini is a very nice horse, too. I’m very satisfied with the race.”
Solomini fought for third, and Justin Zayat, racing manager for co-owner Zayat Stables, said he would talk with trainer Bob Baffert about plans, but feels the horse ran the kind of race that should send him to the Kentucky Derby.
Magnum Moon earned $600,000 for his win, to improve his earnings to $1,177,800. He is a son of Malibu Moon.
Oaklawn handled $16,159,771 on its 12-race card from all sources, which is an all-time record for the track, according to director of racing David Longinotti. Attendance ontrack was an estimated 64,500.