Shared Sense wanted the Indiana Derby prize all to himself.

Bulling his way to the outside at the quarter pole, Shared Sense got up a full head of steam into the homestretch and drew clear to win the Grade 3, $300,000 Indiana Derby by three lengths.

Major Fed finished a tough-luck second and a claim of foul lodged by his jockey, James Graham, against Florent Geroux on Shared Sense for interference at the quarter pole was disallowed. Shared Sense bumped Major Fed as the eventual winner angled to his right, briefly pushing Major Fed off stride.

Danon Pharaoh, a Japanese-bred colt by American Pharoah, had an ideal trip to win Wednesday’s $711,694 Japan Dirt Derby at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo, the final race in the Kentucky Derby qualifying series in that country.

Danon Pharaoh ($73 in American pools) easily beat the strongly favored Cafe Pharoah, the previously unbeaten Kentucky-bred colt who faded from contention in the final three furlongs and finished seventh, beaten more than 12 lengths.

Churchill has released the balance of the stakes schedule for Kentucky Derby week (Sept. 1-5) with the Grade 1 Churchill Downs being the most notable absentee from the traditional slate. Grade 1 races such as the Old Forester Turf Classic, the La Troienne, and the newly named Derby City (formerly Humana) Distaff will be run as usual on the Oaks and Derby undercards.

Kenny McPeek sang a familiar refrain when revealing Wednesday that Swiss Skydiver will run against males Saturday in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

“This has already been one of the weirdest years ever,” said McPeek, referring to the far-reaching repercussions of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Might as well add to it.”

WHO’S HOT

Uncle Chuck has raced just twice, but has impressed to the extent in those races – including his victory last Saturday in the Los Alamitos Derby – that he is now the fifth choice, at 12-1, on the line of Daily Racing Form’s Marty McGee for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. He was 20-1 a week ago. Fellow late developer Creed, who won an allowance race last week at Belmont for his second straight victory, was lowered from 50-1 to 30-1.

Swiss Skydiver

Daredevil – Expo Gold, by Johannesburg

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm ($35,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Ken McPeek)

Rulings by stewards at Oaklawn Park into medication violations by two horses trained by Bob Baffert who won races on May 2 at Oaklawn are expected to be issued next week, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which oversees the state’s racing commission, said Tuesday.

The horses are Charlatan, who won a division of the Arkansas Derby, and the filly Gamine, who won an allowance race that day and most recently won the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park.

Two horses trained by Bob Baffert had split samples confirmed for a medication violation after races at Oaklawn Park on May 2, which his attorney on Monday said was “innocent exposure” from cross-contamination owing to an employee using a pain patch for human use.

The horses are Charlatan, who won a division of the Arkansas Derby, and the filly Gamine, who won an allowance race that day and most recently won the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park.

While Kenny McPeek mulls which race is next for his leading 3-year-old filly Swiss Skydiver, the 57-year-old trainer is reveling in the flashy debuts turned in last weekend by Hard Strike and Crazy Beautiful. Both 2-year-olds were easy winners in one-mile maiden races over the Ellis Park turf course.

“Very, very encouraging,” McPeek said.

Meanwhile, McPeek was promising a last-minute decision Wednesday morning on whether Swiss Skydiver will be entered in the Blue Grass or Ashland, both to be run Saturday.

Cafe Pharoah, an unbeaten Kentucky-bred colt, will have what is expected to be his final prep race for the Kentucky Derby in Wednesday’s $711,694 Japan Dirt Derby at Oi Racecourse in Tokyo.

Judging from his win in the Grade 3 Unicorn Stakes at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse on June 21, Cafe Pharoah will be a massive favorite in the Japan Dirt Derby, run at 1 1/4 miles.

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