HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Two local jockeys with ties to three horses currently considered major players on the Kentucky Derby trail will be sidelined indefinitely after sustaining injuries in two separate riding mishaps occurring less than 24 hours apart here last week.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Green Light Go is in but Structor will be out when entries are drawn early Wednesday afternoon for Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens said Monday he intends to run his Grade 2 winner Green Light Go in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth, but the much-anticipated 3-year-old and main-track debut for the undefeated Chad Brown-trainee Structor will have to wait another day.
A strong recent work has sent Sir Rick back into stakes company Sunday for the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park, according to his trainer, Robertino Diodoro.
The 1 1/16-mile race is one of four stakes on the card, and it serves as the final local prep for next month’s Grade 3, $700,000 Sunland Derby. The program includes the $75,000 Island Fashion, a prep for the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks, and an allowance that drew Grade 3 winner Runaway Ghost.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Max Player, the Grade 3 Withers Stakes winner and a member of Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch, returned to the work tab Wednesday morning, breezing five furlongs in 1:03.75 over the Belmont Park training track.
Max Player, a son of Honor Code trained by Linda Rice for owner George Hall, is pointing to the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 4.
Like Willie Nelson, Bill Mott just can’t wait to get on the road again. The Derby road, that is.
Mott is the defending training champ for the Kentucky Derby, winning it last year when his colt Country House was placed first following the disqualification of Maximum Security. Mott last Saturday put himself in position to get back to this year’s Derby when Modernist scored an upset victory in the second division of the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds.
WHO’S HOT
Modernist, Mr. Monomoy, and Silver Prospector – all of whom won graded stakes races last weekend – are the newest members of the Derby Watch top 20. Mr. Monomoy, who won the faster division of the Risen Star, is 15-1 on the Kentucky Derby future line set by Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form. Modernist and Silver Prospector are both 20-1. Gouverneur Morris, winner of an allowance race last Friday in his 3-year-old debut, is down to 12-1 after being 20-1 a week ago. Tiz the Law remains the 4-1 favorite.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gouverneur Morris has eased back into training at Palm Beach Downs following a successful 3-year-old debut as trainer Todd Pletcher considers what will come next for his top prospect for the 146th Kentucky Derby.
Gouverneur Morris won a first-level allowance last Friday at Tampa Bay Downs in his first start since finishing second to Maxfield in the Breeders’ Futurity last October at Keeneland. A Constitution colt, Gouverneur Morris most likely will have just one chance to earn enough qualifying points to make the May 2 Derby, Pletcher said.
Listed, $101,800 El Camino Real Derby; 1 1/8 miles (all-weather); Golden Gate Fields; Feb. 15, 2020
(10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)
Winner: Azul Coast, by Super Saver
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
Owner: Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman
Beyer Speed Figure: 74
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Horses trained by Brad Cox locked up the second- and third-place spots in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes on Monday at Oaklawn, with Wells Bayou earning 4 Kentucky Derby points for his runner-up finish and Answer In earning 2.
Silver Prospector moved past Wells Bayou in the later stages for a length win. Wells Bayou was making his stakes debut. He earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96.
