Potente
Colt by Into Mischief – Sweet Sting, by Awesome Again
Bred in Kentucky by Pam and Marty Wygod ($2.4 million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase by Speedway Stable)
Renegade, last weekend’s winner of the Arkansas Derby, has been made the 4-1 morning-line favorite for this weekend’s final Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool, which will close prior to the three major Kentucky Derby prep races scheduled for this Saturday.
Trainer John Ennis two years ago saddled Epic Ride, who won the Leonatus Stakes and finished second in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park. Rather than continuing on that track’s prep series for the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby, Ennis ventured to Keeneland for a dirt try with Epic Ride, who finished a creditable third in the Grade 1 Blue Grass behind Sierra Leone. He drew in to the Kentucky Derby off the also-eligible list, and finished 14th.
The undefeated Paladin, ranked first in Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch, is off the Triple Crown trail after suffering an injury Saturday morning while completing a workout at Payson Park, trainer Chad Brown said Saturday.
Paladin, winner of the Grade 2 Remsen at age 2 and the Risen Star at 3, was pointing to next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. He was timed in a workout Saturday morning in 48.80 seconds.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – There are very few races left on Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s bucket list. One of those is the Grade 1 Florida Derby, a prize he’ll hope to add to his résumé Saturday at Gulfstream Park. There, Mott will send out the lightly raced Chief Wallabee against recent Fountain of Youth nemesis Commandment and Holy Bull winner Nearly in what is indisputably the strongest of all the Kentucky Derby preps to be decided this spring.
The last two horses to beat Ombudsman are not involved Saturday’s Group 1 Dubai Turf Stakes at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.
Delacroix beat Ombudsman by a neck in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park near London last July and is now at stud. Calandagan beat Ombudsman by 2 1/4 lengths in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot last October and is an odds-on favorite to win the Group 1 Sheema Classic at Meydan on Saturday.
Michael Ball was 22 years old in 1980 when he trained a 3-year-old named Summer Advocate who he thought had potential to be a Kentucky Derby horse. Through April of his 3-year-old year, Summer Advocate was a multiple winner though his one stakes performance to that point was a third in the Spiral Stakes.
“He could have beat half of them,” Ball said of the colt he trained for his parents, Don and Mira Ball. “I was 22 years old and I thought I would have one next year that could run better than this one, we don’t need to run him.”
WHO’S HOT
Emerging Market (Louisiana Derby) gave Chad Brown a third winner of a Kentucky Derby points-scoring race this year, joining Paladin (Risen Star) and Iron Honor (Gotham). Emerging Market was courageous in wearing down Pavlovian, who herded him late. He debuts at 15-1 on David Aragona’s Derby Watch morning line.
Chief Wallabee
Colt by Constitution – A La Lucie, by Medaglia d’Oro
Bred in Kentucky by Mike Ball and Katherine Ball
Chief Wallabee, who has made both of his starts at Gulfstream Park, will look to punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby in Saturday’s Florida Derby. His sire, Constitution, won that race and showed a particular affinity for Gulfstream, a trait he has passed on to some of his runners.
A thumbs-up from trainer Brad Cox by text on Sunday confirmed Fulleffort emerged in good order from his victory in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby on Saturday at Turfway Park, assuring himself a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate with the winner’s share of 100 points.
Fulleffort and Lorelei Lee, who won the Bourbonette Oaks for trainer Mike Maker to earn 50 points toward the Kentucky Oaks, would race on dirt for the first time at Churchill Downs on the first weekend in May.