It is only fitting that Danny Gargan’s first Kentucky Derby starter comes with a horse he obtained via the claim box. Since going out on his own in 2013, Gargan has developed one of the top claiming outfits on the East Coast.
Last fall, he took Tax for $50,000, believing he might be getting turf horse. Instead, Tax has brought Gargan back to his old Kentucky home for the country’s biggest horse race, Saturday’s 145th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – They’re the rookies, the new recruits, the incoming class. They’re the fortunate few about to experience the thrill of their first Kentucky Derby starter.
Regardless of how often they’ve been in attendance at Churchill Downs on Derby Day or how successful their careers have already been, a whole new world will open to them when the starting gate is sprung Saturday for the 145th Run for the Roses.
Here are the first-time trainers and jockeys with horses in the main body of the Derby:
Bret Calhoun (By My Standards)
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Jockey agent Ron Burke appears to have an able replacement for the injured Ademar Santos in Sahin Civaci, who made his way to Woodbine from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Santos suffered a broken collarbone when his mount, Hopehard, stumbled and unseated him just past the wire in the eighth race here April 21. Santos is recovering at home in Tampa, Fla.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Japanese invader Master Fencer is a mystery horse for handicappers in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, though he is now less of an uncertainty to his jockey, Julien Leparoux, after he became acquainted with the colt during training on Tuesday at Churchill Downs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The heavy lifting is now over for the 22 horses still under consideration for this year’s Kentucky Derby, with the final major works turned in at both Churchill Downs and in South Florida on Monday morning.
Two of the greatest victories in the Hall of Fame career of Steve Asmussen have come in the Kentucky Oaks, with Summerly (2005) and Untapable (2014). Asmussen believes he merits a good chance at a third Oaks triumph Friday when he sends out Lady Apple off three straight victories at Oaklawn Park, the latest in the Grade 3 Fantasy.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jockey Flavien Prat piloted both Omaha Beach and Gray Magician to their maiden victories. Prat will now get experience with a third horse in this year’s Kentucky Derby, as he picks up the mount on Country House for what will be his third Derby ride.
Country House, who is trained by Bill Mott, finished second in the Risen Star and fourth in the Louisiana Derby with Luis Saez up, then was third in the Arkansas Derby under Joel Rosario.
LOUISVILLE, K.y. – Mark Casse had always intended to step up the intensity of War of Will’s training between the Louisiana Derby, his final prep on March 23, and the Kentucky Derby 42 days later. But after what transpired in the Louisiana Derby, War of Will’s subsequent training took on even greater importance.
The Lecomte and Risen Star winner, War of Will lost his action shortly after the start of the race and never got involved, finishing ninth. Casse theorized that the colt caught his patella at the start.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tyler Baze, a perennial top-five jockey for many years on the Southern California circuit, rode his first Churchill Downs winner when booting home Moonfield in the third race on the Saturday night opener.
Baze had been 0 for 11 with sporadic mounts at Churchill dating to 2003. The 36-year-old Seattle native, a winner of more than 2,600 races during a 20-year career, intends to ride here through the spring meet, which ends June 29. Joe Santos, the son of retired Hall of Fame jockey Jose Santos, is his new agent.
Moonfield is trained by Phil Sims.
