With his Kentucky Derby gear still being constructed, South Bend took to the track with his usual Bill Mott saddle towel as he galloped during the special 7:30 a.m. training session for Oaks and Derby horses at Churchill Downs.
A late entrant to the Derby fray, South Bend heads into Saturday's test off a fourth-place finish in the Travers Stakes (GI) at Saratoga on Aug. 8. Though he is winless in eight starts this year, the bay colt has flashed potential, most notably running second in the Ohio Derby (GIII) June 27 while still in the barn of his prior trainer Stanley Hough.
“He's a very consistent horse, if you look at all his races and he tries hard every time,” said Kenny McCarthy, Mott's assistant. “His Travers race was certainly not a bad race. He obviously needs to move forward off of that race but he seems to like this track here. We've seen over the years that some horses look like a cinch coming in but they couldn't get it done.”
“He was previously with Stanley so he's trained over this track (Churchill Downs) many times,” McCarthy added. “This horse, it was a bit of a last-minute decision to go into the race but having said that, I think initially when the horse was purchased, that might have been in the back of their minds to try and get themselves a Derby horse. Obviously with the defection of Art Collector, they figured let's take a shot. Here's to longshots!”
South Bend is listed at 50-1 on the Kentucky Derby morning line, and will break from post position eight.
Thanks to the National Turfwriters and Broadcasters Association (NTWAB), which has assembled a group of pool reporters providing independent reporting to members unable to be on the Churchill Downs grounds this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The post ‘Here’s To Longshots!’ Mott-Trained Derby Entrant South Bend ‘Tries Hard Every Time’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
