Anneau d’Or, winless in three races, all graded stakes, since a narrow loss in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November, will start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on June 6, trainer Blaine Wright said earlier this week.
Anneau d’Or was considered a candidate for the Santa Anita Derby on its original date of April 4, but the race was postponed when the track was ordered closed in late March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Santa Anita reopened on May 15.
Nadal, the undefeated 3-year-old and leading contender for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5, suffered a condylar fracture to his left foreleg after completing a workout Thursday morning at Santa Anita and has been retired from racing, according to co-owner George Bolton.
Nadal worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds on Thursday in preparation for a start in the $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 20.
Afterward, at the barn, trainer Bob Baffert noticed Nadal was off and X-rays revealed the fracture.
WHO’S HOT
The impressive victory by Maxfield in the Matt Winn last Saturday at Churchill Downs caused his odds to tumble to 6-1 from last week’s 15-1 on the line set by Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. That makes him the current fourth choice, behind Nadal, Tiz the Law, and Charlatan. The lone newcomer to the top 20 is Dr Post, who replaces Major Fed. Dr Post is scheduled to make his graded stakes debut in the Belmont Stakes on June 20. He is 50-1 on McGee’s line.
Though the fate of his victory in a division of the Arkansas Derby on May 2 is to be determined, Charlatan continues to train for potential tasks ahead, and on Wednesday at Santa Anita he breezed an easy half-mile in 50 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert in his first work since the race. Of the 94 works on Wednesday at Santa Anita, his was the only one designated as breezing.
Whether upcoming weeks are a breeze for him is in question.
Ny Traffic
Cross Traffic – Mamie Reilley, by Graeme Hall
Bred in New York by Brian Culnan
Maxfield was the star of the show in the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes last Saturday at Churchill Downs, remaining unbeaten with a victory. However, a length behind him was a colt who has quietly been a consistent force on the Kentucky Derby trail and who has months to continue his development.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisiana Derby winner Wells Bayou will bypass the June 20 Belmont Stakes in favor of the July 8 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand or July 11 Blue Grass at Keeneland, trainer Brad Cox said. Fifth in a division of the Arkansas Derby in his last start, Wells Bayou already has a sufficient number of qualifying points (104) to make the 20-horse cutoff for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby.
Grade 3, $150,000 Matt Winn Stakes; 1 1/16 miles; Churchill Downs; May 23, 2020
(50 Derby qualifying points for a win, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)
Winner: Maxfield, by Street Sense
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Owner: Godolphin LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 95
Storm the Court, the champion 2-year-old male of 2019, might have his next start in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby on July 4, trainer Peter Eurton said Monday.
Storm the Court is winless in three starts this year and recently underwent precautionary tests after finishing sixth in a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on May 2 at Oaklawn Park.
“We didn’t find much of anything,” Eurton said. “We gave him a little freshening.”
Champion and prominent sire Bernardini is steadily emerging as a broodmare sire, following in the footprints of his late, great sire, A.P Indy. Bernardini recorded a triple with three stakes winners out of his daughters on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Maxfield rewarded the patience of his connections and ran himself squarely into the Kentucky Derby picture with a one-length triumph Saturday in the 23rd running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Matt Winn Stakes at fan-free Churchill Downs.
