Zedan Joins List of Owners Sticking with Baffert Despite Derby Ban

   Amr Zedan, who owns several top 3-year-old colts, has informed TDN that his horses are staying with trainer Bob Baffert, which means they will be ineligible to run in the GI Kentucky Derby, barring any change in policy from Churchill Downs. Churchill set Monday as a deadline for owners to take their horses away from Baffert. Any horse remaining in his barn after the deadline will not be permitted to race at Churchill Downs.

“No move,” Zedan said in a text message. “Mr. Baffert (is) our man.”

Tuesday morning, John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times reported that no 3-year-old Derby prospects had left the barn after the Jan. 29 deadline imposed by Churchill Downs.

“Nobody is going to transfer their horses,” Baffert told the Times. “I just remain focused on training my horses and competing in the big races. It's out of my hands. I just want what's best for the game.”

Zedan has several top 3-year-old colts. The best may be Muth (Good Magic), the winner of the GI American Pharoah S. and the GII San Vicente S. He also has 'TDN Rising Star' Maymun (Frosted), a very impressive winner of his Jan. 20 debut, and Coach Prime (Quality Road), who was third in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity.

On Monday, the TDN reached out to a number of Baffert owners and could not find one who had decided to take their horses away from Baffert in order for them to run in the Derby. Zedan joins a list that includes Mike Pegram, Jack Liebau and Dr. Edward Allred, Baoma Corp and the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.

Baffert was banned for two years after his 2021 Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for betamethasone, an ingredient in a cream prescribed for a skin rash. Baffert served his two-year ban, only to find that Churchill had tacked on an additional year in 2024.

In 2022 and 2023, several owners turned their horses over to former Baffert assistant Tim Yakteen, which made them eligible to contest the Derby.

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Brady to Partner With Repole In NOBULL

Tom Brady's TB12 and Brady Brand–a line of fitness supplements and athletic apparel–will merge with Mike Repole's NOBULL footwear and apparel brand, creating one company operating under the NOBULL brand, according to new posted on the NOBULL website Tuesday morning.

The company will offer footwear, apparel, and nutrition products, and Brady will become NOBULL's second-largest shareholder, according to CNBC.

“TB12 and NOBULL Footwear & Apparel have merged to create one company dedicated to help you improve mentally, emotionally, and physically,” according to the statement on the website. “Tom Brady is no stranger to the NOBULL mentality; on and off the field he has always been focused on making himself better every day.  The two brands have come together to provide the right tools to help everyone reach their full potential. Exceptional training footwear and apparel, uncompromising nutrition, and a healthy obsession with getting better every day-that's what TB12 and NOBULL's all about.”

Repole and Brady, widely regarded as the best NFL quarterback of all time, reportedly met at the Kentucky Derby several years ago, where Repole is expected to be represented in 2024 by his Champion Two-Year-Old Fierceness (City of Light).

Repole, one of the sport's largest owners and a veteran in the beverage business, bought a majority stake in NOBULL in July, 2023.

“We both have enough humility to understand that this is tough and will be a big challenge,” Brady said in a video interview with Sportico Tuesday morning. “But we have some tremendous teams that are already in place that are excited for the challenge. Neither of us have backed down from a challenge a day in our life, and we don't plan on it anytime soon.”

“This is going to be incredibly fun but also an emotional opportunity for us to give back,” Repole said in the same interview. “We have some great teams. I didn't do what I did alone, and neither did Tom. Now we're making it a NoBull family. We're going to influence as many people as we can.”

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Nine Runners Declared For Crown Prince’s Cup

Three British-trained runners, plus two in the Godolphin blue, feature in a nine-strong field for the Listed Crown Prince's Cup (Sponsored by Cebarco) at the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club on Friday, February 2.

Charlie Appleby, who won the race in 2023 with Warren Point (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), saddles a leading contender again this year in the shape of the four-year-old Local Dynasty (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was last seen running out an emphatic winner of a handicap at Meydan. His vanquished rivals on that occasion included the same owner's Passion And Glory (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who will be back in familiar surroundings in Bahrain as he tries to reverse the form in the Crown Prince's Cup. Trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, Passion And Glory was second in the G3 Bahrain International Trophy in 2022 before winning the Listed His Majesty The King's Cup the following year.

The British challenge is made up of three horses who will also be familiar to local racegoers having taken part in the Bahrain Turf Series during the winter. The Ian Williams-trained Duc De Kent (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}) has been beaten in his two starts, but Isle Of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and Lucander (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) have both been among the winners for George Scott and George Baker, respectively. Lucander came out on top by a short head when the pair met most recently, but Isle Of Jura is better off at the weights in the Crown Prince's Cup, leaving Scott optimistic of another bold showing in the familiar colours of His Highness Shaikh Nasser's Victorious Racing.

“Isle Of Jura has not surprised me in terms of how well he has done in Bahrain,” said Scott. “He has really thrived in the conditions and the lovely fast ground was always going to suit him.

“The plan was always to progress from the Bahrain Turf Series to the Cup races and this [2000m] is his distance, so I am very hopeful of a big run. It would mean a great deal to His Highness Shaikh Nasser to win a race as prestigious as the Crown Prince's Cup.”

Rollajam (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) will also sport the silks of Victorious Racing and is one of two runners for leading local trainer Fawzi Nass along with Bahrain Turf Series winner Zagato (GB) (Frankel {GB}). The home defence is completed by Allan Smith's American Flag (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and the Jaber Ramadhan-trained Sovereign Spirit (GB) (Le Havre {Ire}) on another significant day in the Bahrain racing calendar, with two Bahrain Turf Series races and the Bahrain Derby and Bahrain Oaks also featuring on the card.

The declared runners for the 2024 Crown Prince's Cup can be found here.

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