Santin okay after Kentucky Cup Classic stumble
?q=100)
Multiple Grade 1 winner Santin emerged from his troubled fourth in the Kentucky Cup Classic in good order and is a candidate to target a repeat victory in the Grade 1, $1 million Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.
Santin was the 3-1 second choice in last Saturday’s $300,000 Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park, his first start in four months. At the break, he stumbled badly, with his nose in the Tapeta at one point, and was away last of 10 under Adam Beschizza. He performed creditably to work his way into contention, ultimately finishing fourth, beaten 7 1/4 lengths by the victorious 5-2 favorite Wolfie’s Dynaghost.
“He came back fine,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He seems no the worse for it. But it kind of scuttled his plan for the race. We wanted him right up there where he usually is, and that all went out the window. It was good to see him stay on.”
Walsh felt Santin will be able to move forward from a fitness perspective from Saturday’s outing.
“We were pleased with it – we wanted him to get as much out of it as we could,” Walsh said. “He's a big horse, and he probably was going to need a race to be at his best.”
While Walsh said he and owner-breeder Godolphin “haven’t confirmed it completely,” it is a logical next step for Santin to target the Turf Classic on the May 6 Kentucky Derby undercard.
“He seemed to love Churchill last year,” Walsh said.
Santin won the Turf Classic last May and later in the summer scored another Grade 1 win at Churchill in the Arlington Million.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.