Bob Baffert | Horse Racing Free Tips

Derby Day 147 Is Here!

LOUISVILLE, KY – Beautiful spring weather, enthusiastic racing fans dressed to impress and the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

This, of course, wasn't the case last year, far from it, as the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down and forced both the GI Kentucky Oaks and Derby to be held spectator-free over Labor Day weekend.

Masks, temperature checks and social distancing are more of the norm these days as limited crowds of between 40,000-50,000 (40-50% reserved seating, 60% premium dining areas and 25-30% infield) have been welcomed back beneath the Twin Spires.

Last year's Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox will look to become the first native of Louisville to saddle a Derby winner.

He has unbeaten 2-year-old champion and 2-1 morning-line favorite Essential Quality (Tapit) as well as Mandaloun (Into Mischief). The latter, despite a no-show in his final prep in the GII Louisiana Derby, has become a bit of a talking horse on the Churchill backstretch leading up to the main event.

Redemption for jockey Luis Saez? Disqualified from first for causing interference aboard Maximum Security in 2019, Saez has the call aboard Essential Quality.

Chad Brown has been in good form as he prepares the very live GII Blue Grass S. runner-up Highly Motivated (Into Mischief), beaten just a neck by Essential Quality. Looking for his first win in the Derby, Brown asked to sit next to Hall of Famer Bob Baffert at the Kentucky Derby Trainers' Dinner for some advice.

“I've been working him over there all night and I finally cracked him,” Brown said at the event. “He leaned over to me and said, 'If you want to win the Derby, you're best chance is, you got to sneak into Churchill Friday night and put grass seed all over the main track.' He actually didn't say that, but it's something he would say!”

Baffert, currently tied with Ben Jones for the most Kentucky Derby victories with six, will be represented by the overachieving GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby runner-up Medina Spirit (Protonico). The GIII Robert B. Lewis S. winner, just a $1,000 OBSWIN yearling, brought a mere $35,000 as an OBSOPN juvenile.

The unbeaten Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), meanwhile, figures to go off as the race's second choice. He will look to emulate unbeaten Derby winners Big Brown and Barbaro, who also kicked off their careers on grass.

Two-time Kentucky Derby winning-trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle four–GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Known Agenda (Curlin); GII Wood Memorial S. one-two Bourbonic (Bernardini) and Dynamic One (Union Rags); and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks second Sainthood (Mshawish). There's been plenty of talk about Known Agenda drawing the rail, but we'll see how much of factor it is with the new 20-horse starting gate, which debuted in 2020.

Who's made the best physical appearance during training hours? Mandaloun, as previously noted, the stunning gray Soup and Sandwich (Into Mischief) and Rock Your World are certainly right at the top of the list.

As far as getting over the surface, Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), Known Agenda and Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) were all traveling very nicely during their morning preparations.

In case you missed it, the aforementioned GII Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie has been sporting a special blanket honoring the late Jake Panus, who passed away at 16 last August when he was a passenger in a car involved in a DUI accident. The blanket features a University of South Carolina logo to help spread awareness for The Jake Panus Walk-on Football Endowed Scholarship. Donations to the scholarship fund can be made here: https://donate.sc.edu/JakePanusScholarship.

The supporting cast on the Kentucky Derby undercard includes: the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, GI Churchill Downs S., GI Derby City Distaff S. and three other graded races.

Saturday's Kentucky Derby coverage begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN. The action shifts to NBC Sports at 2:30 p.m. ET for a live five-hour telecast. Post time for the Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET.

Happy Derby!

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Annex Looks to Remain Perfect in American Turf

Unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Annex (Constitution) looks to keep his perfect record in tact as the favorite in the GII American Turf S. at Churchill Downs. Rallying from well back to take his debut at Gulfstream Jan. 16, the chestnut captured the Palm Beach S. there Feb. 27 and followed suit with a win in the Cutler Bay S. in Hallandale Mar. 27. The red-hot Irad Ortiz, Jr. climbs aboard for the first time here, which adds even more upside to this talented favorite.

Shug McGaughey saddles a strong contender in Stuart Janney homebred Scarlett Sky (Sky Mesa). A decisive optional claimer winner at Gulfstream Jan., 14, the dark bay was just a head behind annex in the Palm Beach and made a strong late run to take Keeneland's GIII Transylvania S. last time Apr. 2.

It is not often you see Bob Baffert with an entry in a turf race, but he can't be ignored in any event and sends out Du Jour (Temple City) here. Graduating at third asking at Santa Anita Feb. 19, the $280,000 OBSAPR buy wired an Arcadia optional claimer next out Mar. 28, earning an 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

Todd Pletcher is also represented by a runner with a good shot here in Winfromwithin (Into Mischief), who is unbeaten on turf. Making his first three starts on the main track, the bay broke through when getting on the grass and extending to two turns at Gulfstream Jan. 2. He followed suit with a dominant score in Tampa's Columbia S. Mar. 6.

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Thursday’s Trackside Derby Report

LOUISVILLE, KY – Despite heavy overnight rain leaving the Churchill Downs main track a sloppy mess, there was still plenty to take in during Thursday's GI Kentucky Derby/Oaks training session, including an appearance by the horse that has the big bulls-eye on his back.

Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), Soup and Sandwich (Into Mischief) and Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) drew a nice crowd of admirers by the Lukas gap as the track was being sealed beneath ominous skies and humid conditions just a tick before 7:30 a.m.

With his tail tied, Medina Spirit (Protonico) was among the first to enter and had a nice bounce to his step jogging by the wrong way over the saturated surface.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse stood on the track to watch his duo of the stunning gray Soup and Sandwich and Helium (Ironicus) jog. You certainly know who the crew at TDN will be rooting for Saturday.

Casse exchanged pleasantries by the gap with team Medina Spirit–Bob Baffert and John Velazquez–as his pair made their way back to the barn.

Likely Derby second-choice Rock Your World continues to give off good vibes. With his high-knee action, you can see why the unbeaten GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner began his career on grass. Shades of Barbaro and Big Brown? That's where my money is heading.

Even with a pair of blinkers on, Hot Rod Charlie still gave the cameras and media lined up on the backstretch a glance passing by alongside his famous stable pony Lava Man. Hot Rod Charlie may arguably be reaching out the best over the surface during his gallops from all of the Derby horses this week. Ignore at your own risk.

The unbeaten morning-line favorite and champion 2-year-old Essential Quality (Tapit) doesn't exactly wow you during his training, but the last time we checked, it only counts in the afternoons.

His Brad Cox-trained stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief), however, has become a bit of a buzz horse despite a puzzling last-out sixth in the GII Louisiana Derby. That's how good he's looked in the flesh.

Both of the Cox runners went to the gate, and interestingly enough, Essential Quality's white-and-blue Godolphin branded blinkers were removed after his schooling session. He went on to gallop for about 1 5/8 miles afterward without the shades.

Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow)'s antics on the backstretch and paddock schooling sessions have been well-documented on Twitter this week–getting loose during bath time will do that–but he's had his eyes on the prize while training for what it's worth. Interesting longshot to consider.

Back at the barns, meanwhile, the easy-to-root-for native of Kentucky trainer Greg Foley chatted with Jeff Lifson and a group of West Point partners. The stretch-running O Besos (Orb) jogged a mile a bit earlier around 6:15 a.m.

King Fury (Curlin) seemed to be enjoying himself once again over the off going–he certainly did so last out in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. His handler smiled for a quick photo and asked the flashy, blaze-faced chestnut to pose as he was getting cleaned up outside of Ken McPeek's headquarters.

Have to love seeing that heavyweight champ Tyson Fury will be in his corner and did in fact take McPeek up on his Twitter invite to attend the Derby.

“It's always something I've been interested in, the biggest horse race in the world,” Fury told ESPN. “I've always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby, never had the opportunity to do so. This is the opportunity to do so.”

With his ears up, Essential Quality's class and great mind were on display, never turning a hair before a group of media assembled for his bath.

With more heavy rain looming, his blue-and-white Godolphin cooler was on again shortly and it was back to his stall as training hours began to wind down.

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Dayoutoftheoffice Back for Eight Belles

Blazing Meadows Farm and Siena Farm's Dayoutoftheoffice (Into Mischief) makes her belated seasonal debut in the GII Eight Belles S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard Friday. A romping winner of the GIII Schuylerville S. at Saratoga last July, the dark bay added a two-length tally in the one-turn-mile GI Frizette S. at Belmont Oct. 10, but she settled for second when Frizette runner-up Vequist (Nyquist) turned the tables on her in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Tim Hamm pupil recorded a couple breezes at Tampa in January, but there was a gap in her tab after that and she was eventually taken out of consideration for the Oaks. Dayoufotheoffice fired a sharp :58 flat bullet from the gate at Keeneland for this last Friday, however, and is expected to use this as a springboard for the GI Acorn S. June 5.

Bob Baffert seeks a third win in this event with the cutting back Kalypso (Brody's Cause), winner of the GII Santa Ynez S. going this seven-furlong trip at Santa Anita Jan. 3. She was second in the Feb. 6 GIII Las Virgenes S. and third in the Mar. 7 GIII Santa Ysabel S., both at odds-on.

Fellow Hall of Famer Bill Mott also owns two prior victories in this race, which was previously the La Troienne, and has an intriguing two-pronged attack this time around. Juddmonte homebred Obligatory (Curlin) impressed when breaking her maiden going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Feb. 7, and was most recently fourth in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks–one spot behind 'TDN Rising Star' Souper Sensational (Curlin). Mott's other runner is Godolphin homebred Caramel Swirl (Union Rags), who had been on the board behind some tough foes in her first four outings before breaking through by 10 1/4 lengths at Keeneland Apr. 9, earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

'Rising Star' Slumber Party (Malibu Moon) was second in Keeneland's GIII Beaumont S. after an impressive unveiling at Gulfstream in January. Abrogate (Outwork) and Windmill (Street Sense) traded decisions in the Feb. 28 Dixie Belle S. and Apr. 3 Purple Martin S. at Oaklawn.

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