Shortleaf Stable's homebred Caddo River was taken out of Kentucky Derby consideration Sunday morning by trainer Brad Cox because of an elevated temperature.
The defection of Caddo River moves Mark Schwartz's Brooklyn Strong into No. 20 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Trained by Daniel Velazquez, Brooklyn Strong is scheduled to work Monday morning at 6 o'clock (all times Eastern) at Parx near Philadelphia, Pa. If all goes well, Brooklyn Strong would leave at 6 p.m. with an early Tuesday morning arrival at Churchill Downs anticipated.
Updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard
Trainer Todd Pletcher announced that Corey Lanerie would have the Derby mount on WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Sainthood. Lanerie has ridden in the Derby four times previously with his best finish being a second on Lookin At Lee in the 2017 running.
Two prominent Kentucky Derby hopefuls from California, Hronis Racing and David Talla's Rock Your World and Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing and Strauss Bros Racing's Hot Rod Charlie arrived at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., shortly after noon following a flight from Southern California.
BURBONIC, DYNAMIC ONE, KNOWN AGENDA, SAINTHOOD – With just one little wrinkle in the mix, trainer Todd Pletcher's quartet of Kentucky Derby 147 horses went back to the racetrack Sunday morning following a walk day Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Leading the crew was the dark colt Sainthood who had Amelia Green attached for a one-mile jog at 6:50 a.m. on a “good” track following a rainy Saturday.
The chestnut 3-year-old Bourbonic was scheduled to join Sainthood for his exercise, but that plan was put on hold when it was determined the Wood Memorial winner needed a new left rear shoe. A farrier handled the procedure in good order and Bourbonic instead went out an hour later at 7:50 with Hector Ramos in the boot for his one-mile jog.
The two other Pletcher colts – Florida Derby (GI) winner Known Agenda and Wood Memorial runner-up Dynamic One – took advantage of the 7:30 to 7:45 Derby/Oaks training period on the big oval with the smooth chestnut “Agenda” going through an easy mile and one-quarter gallop with Ramos doing the steering and white-faced “Dynamic” merely jogging a mile for exercise rider Carlos Perez Quevedo.
Pletcher gave a thumbs up to the whole business, then filled in a blank concerning Sainthood when he announced that Corey Lanerie, a 10-time riding champion at Churchill Downs, would have the call on Sainthood for Saturday's Run for the Roses.
“We know how well Corey rides Churchill,” the seven-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer said. “That was the key element in giving him the mount. We're thinking along the lines that we did with Super Saver (in the 2010 Kentucky Derby) and Calvin Borel. He rode this track so well and that earned him the mount then.”
Pletcher and the Sainthood connections will surely be hoping for a similar outcome for their son of the Medaglia d'Oro stallion Mshawish. In 2010 – on May 1, just as this year's race will be – Borel rode the rail (as he was famous for doing) on a sloppy track and got Super Saver home by 2 ½ lengths to give the trainer his first victory in America's most famous race.
BROOKLYN STRONG – Mark Schwartz's Brooklyn Strong is scheduled to work Monday morning at 6 o'clock at Parx for trainer Daniel Velazquez. If all goes well, Brooklyn Strong would leave at 6 p.m. with an early Tuesday morning arrival at Churchill Downs anticipated.
Winner of the Remsen (G2) to close his 2020 campaign, Brooklyn Strong finished fifth in the Wood Memorial (G2) on April 3 in his 2021 debut.
CADDO RIVER, ESSENTIAL QUALITY, MANDALOUN – Trainer Brad Cox reported Sunday morning that Shortleaf Stable's Caddo River would be removed from Kentucky Derby contention.
“We noticed he was off his feed and took his temperature yesterday afternoon. It was slightly elevated,” Cox said. “It's just really bad timing being this close to the Derby. We drew blood on him (Sunday) morning and his white cell counts were a little high. We just can't run him on Saturday with being a little off his game.”
Cox's remaining two Kentucky Derby starters, Juddmonte Farm's Mandaloun and Godolphin's Essential Quality, walked the shedrow following their Saturday breezes.
Both horses are scheduled to train early Monday.
HELIUM, SOUP AND SANDWICH – D J Stable's Helium and Live Oak Plantation's homebred Soup and Sandwich both returned to the track Sunday morning for the first time since competing their final Derby works Friday. The pair jogged two miles over a “good” main track then went to the paddock to school, according to trainer Mark Casse's assistant David Carroll.
“They'll school in the paddock in the morning every day and on Tuesday in the afternoon,” Carroll said. “Obviously Derby Day horses can get a bit more pumped up with the big crowd, and in this year, a lot of these horses haven't seen that many people. It's practice to get them used to their surroundings and you don't want to go into this race not checking off all the boxes.”
HIDDEN STASH – BBN Racing's Hidden Stash had a scheduled walk day at trainer Vicki Oliver's barn at Keeneland.
Hidden Stash, who will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to gallop early Monday and Tuesday morning at Keeneland and then van to Churchill Downs following training on Tuesday.
HIGHLY MOTIVATED – Klaravich Stables' Highly Motivated exited Saturday's final Derby breeze in good order, according to trainer Chad Brown. The son of Into Mischief went five furlongs in 1:00.40 under exercise rider Peter Roman and simply walked the shedrow Sunday morning.
“Normally I do a walk day and then a jog day, so I'll probably jog him tomorrow,” Brown said. “There's so many things to get through to run in this race and one of them is the final work. Are they OK the next day? And then coming up on the post position draw. We're getting through each hurdle successfully.”
HOT ROD CHARLIE – The Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Hot Rod Charlie arrived shortly after noon at Churchill Downs Sunday following a flight from Southern California that he shared with several other Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks runners.
The colt's conditioner, Doug O'Neill, will be boarding another plane Sunday in L.A. and heading to Louisville also.
O'Neill has already won two Kentucky Derbys. He was first with I'll Have Another in 2012, then he clicked again with Nyquist in 2016.
KEEPMEINMIND – Keepmeinmind, winner of last fall's Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, returned to the main track Sunday morning to jog two miles shortly after 6 o'clock under exercise rider Walter Davila.
Trained by Robertino Diodoro, Keepmeinmind had worked a bullet half-mile in :46.20 Friday morning followed by a walk day.
Keepmeinmind is owned by the partnership of Spendthrift Farm, Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith.
KING FURY – After a Saturday morning work, Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury was scheduled by trainer Kenny McPeek to only walk the shedrow Sunday. According to assistant trainer Greg Geier, the colt exited the work in fine shape in his final preparations for the Kentucky Derby.
On Saturday, King Fury worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard. The splits were :12.80, :25.20, :36.80, and :48.40. He was ridden out to six furlongs in 1:12.80 and seven furlongs in 1:26.60.
LIKE THE KING – M Racing Group's Like the King “jogged great on the main track” at Keeneland for trainer Wesley Ward a day after working five furlongs in 1:01 at the Lexington, Kentucky, track.
Winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park on March 27 in his most recent start, Like the King is scheduled to gallop the next two mornings at Keeneland before vanning to Churchill Downs after training Tuesday.
MEDINA SPIRIT – Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit galloped 1 3/8 miles under Humberto Gomez for trainer Bob Baffert.
Gomez, who arrived in Louisville Saturday night, is back on familiar ground beneath the Twin Spires. He served as the exercise rider last year for Derby winner Authentic as well as for Triple Crown winner Justify in 2018.
Baffert is scheduled to arrive in Louisville tonight.
MIDNIGHT BOURBON, SUPER STOCK – Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon galloped about 1 ¾ miles over the track, which was listed as “good,” Sunday morning and will have his final Derby breeze Monday morning, though trainer Steve Asmussen has yet to commit to a time.
“I'm going to look at the race track this afternoon,” Asmussen said. “I thought it was a little heavy (this morning) after the first drag, so if it's still that moist I'll probably go first thing.”
Asmussen reported that Erv Woolsey's and his father Keith Asmussen's Super Stock came out of his final Derby breeze Saturday morning in fine form. The son of Dialed In went five furlongs in 1:01.20 and had some down time walking the shedrow Sunday.
“We're extremely happy,” Asmussen said. “He cleaned up all his feed last night and walked really good this morning with a high energy level.”
O BESOS – Bernard Racing, Tagg Team Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds and Terry L. Stephens' O Besos jogged one mile and galloped about one mile under exercise rider Margarito Fierro.
“Less than one week out we're doing pretty well,” trainer Greg Foley said. “He's a horse that will be ready to make his most serious run at the top of the lane.”
ROCK YOUR WORLD – Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Rock Your World arrived at Churchill Downs early Sunday afternoon, completing his journey from Los Angeles aboard a flight that held several Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks horses.
Trainer John Sadler, who has steered the Candy Ride colt to a perfect three-for-three record so far, was grabbing another flight Sunday that would also get him into Louisville and allow him to train his horse Monday morning.
Sadler sent Rock Your World through his final major prep for Kentucky Derby 147 Saturday morning at Santa Anita when he worked in company in :59.20 for five furlongs, which was the third best of 68 at the distance. Joel Rosario is slated to handle the speedy colt in the Run for the Roses.
Rock Your World has a racing Hall of Fame connection in his background via his breeder. He is out of the Empire Maker mare Charm the Maker, who is owned by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Deborah. McAnally, who trained many a stakes winner in his 60-plus years of conditioning, but most famously multiple Horse of the Year John Henry, still trains in California at age 88 and most assuredly will be rooting for “Rock” this Saturday.
SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY DERBY – Likely starters in the 147th running of the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade 1) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles on Saturday, May 1, in order of preference (with possible jockey and trainer): Essential Quality (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Hot Rod Charlie (Flavien Prat, Doug O'Neill); Super Stock (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Like the King (Drayden Van Dyke, Wesley Ward); Known Agenda (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher); Rock Your World (Joel Rosario, John Sadler); Bourbonic (Kendrick Carmouche, Todd Pletcher); Medina Spirit (John Velazquez, Bob Baffert); Midnight Bourbon (Mike Smith, Steve Asmussen); Mandaloun (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Highly Motivated (Javier Castellano, Chad Brown); Helium (Julien Leparoux, Mark Casse); Soup and Sandwich (Tyler Gaffalione, Mark Casse); Dynamic One (Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher); Sainthood (Corey Lanerie, Todd Pletcher); Hidden Stash (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); O Besos (Marcelino Pedroza, Greg Foley); King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro).
Possible starters within the Top 20: Brooklyn Strong (TBA, Danny Velazquez).
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