Mubtaahij joins the Derby fray

If you liked the major Kentucky Derby preps at Fair Grounds and Gulfstream in February, you got an encore performance last Saturday. International Star won again at Fair Grounds, this time in the Louisiana Derby, while at Gulfstream, a Todd Pletcher trainee defeated Upstart in a controversial running of the Florida Derby, similar to the Fountain of Youth.

What was new and different about the first batch of Derby preps that offered 170 qualifying points overall – and 100 to the winner – was what took place halfway around the world in Dubai, where Mubtaahij ran away with the United Arab Emirates Derby and gave the world-class trainer Michael de Kock his first starter in the Kentucky Derby.

“The dream has come true for us,” de Kock said.

Mubtaahij gives this Derby – already chock-full of outstanding prospects based in the United States – some real international intrigue. Mubtaahij is scheduled to fly from Dubai to Kentucky on April 16, more than two weeks in front of the May 2 Derby. It will be a tall order, what with the 20-horse field, but de Kock believes Mubtaahij has the ability to get a good tactical position.

“He has speed, which is very important,” de Kock said.

Mubtaahij received an estimated Beyer Speed Figure of 95 for the UAE Derby. Andrew Beyer and his associates, who compile the figures, do not regularly make numbers for Meydan but were able to make estimated figures for Saturday’s card because they could extrapolate from the known norm for American-based dirt horses in other races, such as California Chrome and Lea in the Dubai World Cup and Secret Circle in the Golden Shaheen.

By comparison, Materiality got a 110 Beyer for his win in the Florida Derby over Upstart – who got a 108 – while International Star got a 98 in the Louisiana Derby.

Both Pletcher and Rick Violette Jr., the trainer of Upstart, said their horses appeared to come out of the Florida Derby in good order despite running over a demanding Gulfstream surface that yielded times far slower than normal.

“If you can run a mile and an eighth on that type of track, it gives you encouragement to think that you could run farther,” Pletcher said. “The other side of that is it was such a demanding race and tiring race it could knock some horses out. Fortunately for Materiality, he’s a big, strong horse.”

Materiality will remain at Palm Beach Downs for the next three weeks and will have one or two works there before shipping to Kentucky to have his final work at Churchill Downs, Pletcher said.

Violette was pleased with Upstart’s effort but little else as it related to the Florida Derby. He was upset with both the Gulfstream Park maintenance crew and the stewards over their performance on the day.

The Gulfstream main track was deep and slow, Violette believes, due to a lack of water put on the track in the days leading up to the Florida Derby. And while the track maintenance crew made an effort to put more water on the track throughout Saturday’s marathon 14-race, seven-hour program, it didn’t help.

Further, Violette was upset with the stewards for not allowing jockey Jose Ortiz to claim foul against Materiality and jockey John Velazquez for an incident before the sixteenth pole. Ortiz said he put a hold on the race with an outrider, but the stewards, who told track management that they were given the “all clear” signal by the outrider, made the result official before Ortiz lodged his objection.

After reviewing the replay, Violette said there was sufficient reason to at least scrutinize the stretch run more than what was done. Violette said he eventually spoke with Gulfstream steward Jeff Noe, who told him the stewards did look at the stretch run once and determined no change was necessary. The inquiry sign was not posted.

“We were straight as an arrow, Johnny hitting left-handed came out and bumped us, and he was alongside of us when he bumped us, and that gave him the separation he maintained the rest of the race,” Violette said. “That they didn’t stick around to listen to the jockeys and to adjudicate it and look at it multiple times is irresponsible.”

Last month, Upstart finished first in the Fountain of Youth over Pletcher trainee Itsaknockout but was disqualified by the stewards and placed second for interfering with Itsaknockout in the stretch.

Violette said Upstart would do all his preparation for the Kentucky Derby at Palm Meadows before shipping to Kentucky the week of the Derby.

“I hope we didn’t tear the guts out of the horse over that racetrack,” Violette said. “You hope that both horses didn’t do too much over an incredibly demanding racetrack.”

International Star left Fair Grounds on Sunday for Kentucky, a sweep of the Fair Grounds series safely tucked away. He won the Lecomte in January and the Risen Star in February prior to the Louisiana Derby, each time showing instant acceleration when he needed to get through tight holes while rallying.

“He was game. He’s handy, and he fights hard,” said jockey Miguel Mena, who is 3 for 3 on International Star.

– additional reporting by David Grening and Marcus Hersh