HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – There are still some moving parts ahead of the Kentucky Derby on May 2, but many believe Renegade established himself as the early favorite for the race with his standout performance in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. “I do think we saw the Derby favorite run yesterday,” said Mark Casse, who trains Arkansas Derby runner-up Silent Tactic. “He ran by us at about the sixteenth pole.” Oaklawn’s series of four Kentucky Derby points races concluded with the Arkansas Derby; the series may have produced at least three starters for the classic. Renegade now ranks second in points with 125, while Southwest winner Silent Tactic is fifth with 100 and Rebel winner Class President is 10th with 50, according to the latest leaderboard issued by Churchill Downs. Florida Derby winner Commandment leads all with 150. Renegade, who found himself shuffled back early in the Arkansas Derby, was explosive through the stretch for a four-length victory over Silent Tactic. He covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.70 on a fast track, on a windy afternoon in the 50s. Renegade earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 98. :: DRF Road to the Derby Package Available Now! Save 37% on key handicapping essentials through Kentucky Derby day. “The way he did it today was very special,” jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. told Oaklawn publicity shortly after the race Saturday.  Ortiz was aboard for trainer Todd Pletcher; he’s ridden Renegade in four of his five starts. Ortiz was up for the horse’s 2-year-old finale Dec. 6, when he finished second to Paladin in the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct. Paladin went on to win the Risen Star to establish himself as the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby, but he will miss all the Triple Crown races due to injury, according to a Saturday report from Daily Racing Form’s David Grening. Renegade opened his 3-year-old season with a win in the Sam F. Davis on Feb. 7 at Tampa Bay Downs. The third-place finisher from that race, The Puma, came back to win the Tampa Bay Derby and finished a close second in the Florida Derby on Saturday. Renegade’s other start this year came in the Arkansas Derby, and with each race he put up a new top Beyer Speed Figure.  Pletcher said he has been pleased with the progression and finishes he’s seen from Renegade, who invaded from South Florida for the Arkansas Derby. “He’ll fly back to Palm Beach Downs on Tuesday,” Pletcher said. Pletcher won a record sixth Arkansas Derby on Saturday. His first win in the race came in 2000, with Graeme Hall. He won again in 2001 with Balto Star. Pletcher returned to take the 2013 edition with Overanalyze, who raced for Mike Repole, a co-owner of Renegade. Pletcher’s next winner came in 2014 with Danza.  From there, he won the race in 2018 with Magnum Moon, who raced for Robert and Lawana Low, the breeders and co-owners of Renegade. “We’ve been lucky over the years,” Pletcher said in a press conference. “It’s kind of cool because my dad used to race [at Oaklawn] when he was training, so Hot Springs and Oaklawn has always been special to us.” Casse has had a memorable Oaklawn meet with Silent Tactic. He was second in the track’s first points race, the Smarty Jones, then won the Grade 3 Southwest and finished second by a nose in the Grade 2 Rebel. Silent Tactic came back and ran his race in the Arkansas Derby. “He’s continued to get better,” Casse said. “His race yesterday was more kind of a level [race]. I don’t know that he jumped up a lot from his previous race, probably stayed the same.” Silent Tactic earned a 91 Beyer, the same career-high number he put up in the Rebel. “We have five weeks now,” Casse said. “We’re going to go to a different racetrack. As we know, 20 horses, a lot of things can happen. I would imagine we’re going to have a little quicker pace [in the Kentucky Derby], which would be nice for us. We’ll see, but we’re on to Churchill Downs.” Casse, a Florida-based trainer who has a division at Oaklawn, will have more than just Silent Tactic in tow to Louisville. He ran one-two in the Grade 2, $1 million Fantasy on Friday at Oaklawn with Counting Stars and Search Party. “I’m proud of our team,” Casse said. “We have two Oaks contenders and a Derby contender. It takes a village and luckily we have one.”   Casse is starting to work on all the logistics with the trio, but said they will not immediately ship to Churchill Downs. After previously being run three weeks out from the Kentucky Derby, the Arkansas Derby is now five weeks from the classic that runs on May 2. “They’re so happy right now and they’ve done so well at Oaklawn, I think they’ll probably stay for a couple of weeks before they go,” he said. “The plan would be for Silent Tactic probably to have one work, or something, at Churchill Downs. But we’ll see. I haven’t figured that one out.” Casse said Cristian Torres has the mount in the Kentucky Derby. He has been aboard Silent Tactic for his last three starts. Casse said Francisco Arrieta will ride Counting Stars in the Kentucky Oaks. She is third on the points list with 100, while Search Party is eighth with 67.5. Counting Stars earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 92 for her 5 1/2-length win in the Fantasy. She races for West Point Thoroughbreds.   Silent Tactic is a son of Tacitus who races for John Oxley, who previously won the Kentucky Derby with Monarchos. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.