Class President, winner of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes, will scratch from Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes, trainer Todd Pletcher said Thursday.
“Just didn’t like the way he went today,” Pletcher said by phone from Keeneland. “Not saying he’s off the [Kentucky] Derby trail. We’ll check him out.”
The Blue Grass also lost Ocelli, who arrived in New York Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial after vanning from Kentucky.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Dreams that began early for Potente and Robusta will endure or expire on Saturday when the top 3-year-olds in California race 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.
One month after finishing one-two in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, Potente and Robusta meet again. They face 100-Beyer maiden winner Cherokee Nation, Grade 1 winner Intrepido, Grade 2 sprint winner So Happy, allowance comebacker Vitruvian Man, and Cal Cup Derby winner Start the Ride.
The road to Kentucky Derby 152 has been filled with potholes thus far for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert, a six-time Kentucky Derby winner, has run seven 3-year-olds in nine points-scoring races toward the Kentucky Derby to be held May 2 at Churchill Downs. While he’s won two of those races, Plutarch, winner of the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes in February, was declared off the Derby trail with an injury. Plutarch, Baffert said, has recently begun jogging.
WHO’S NOT
Renegade was impressive drawing clear to a four-length victory in the Arkansas Derby and now is widely considered the favorite for the Kentucky Derby. David Aragona pegged Renegade at 7-2 in DRF's Derby Watch top 20, slightly ahead of Commandment (9-2), who somehow got his nose down on the wire over The Puma in Grade 1 Florida Derby. The Puma and Chief Wallabee, a half-length behind the top two in the Florida Derby, are co-third choices at 10-1.
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.
