Followup from the connections of Saturday's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby starters is provided by the Churchill Downs media office:
TIZ THE LAW – Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law is scheduled to return to New York on Tuesday following his runner-up effort in Saturday's Kentucky Derby with plans for a next start to be determined.
“I just looked him over,” trainer Barclay Tagg said before heading to Lexington to begin the search for the next Tiz the Law at this week's yearling sale. “His legs are good. He ate good. Everything's good.”
The four-time Grade 1 winner, who went off as the 7-10 favorite Saturday, sustained only the second loss in his eight-race career with both setbacks coming at Churchill Downs. He was third in last November's Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) on a sealed sloppy track.
In the Derby, Tiz the Law drew up alongside Authentic at the top of the stretch but never passed the eventual winner.
“The jock (Manny Franco) said that when he really had to get down and run, he was kind of swimming on that track. He didn't like the track,” Tagg said. “You could see it in the stretch. He looked like he was going to go on by and win easy. His last (Beyer) number was a 109 (in the Travers). He bounced down to a 103 this time.
“The jock told me that and when I watch the replay you could see he just wasn't getting a hold of it nicely. If you want to make an excuse, that is probably an excuse. He's come out of well. He ate up his dinner last night. He'll go back to New York Tuesday. I don't want to say too much about the Preakness. I just want to see how he is. He'll go back to New York and we'll evaluate him.”
MR. BIG NEWS – Allied Racing's Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Mr. Big News was “all good” Sunday morning, according to trainer Bret Calhoun.
“He gave us a big thrill,” Calhoun said. “It was an awesome race and we are so proud of this colt.”
Next race plans are yet to be determined.
HONOR A. P. – C R K Stable's Honor A. P. was “doing good” Sunday morning, one day after rallying late for fourth as the 7-1 second choice. The Honor Code colt had a poor start and was last after the first six furlongs. Trainer John Shirreffs and jockey Mike Smith had said Saturday after the race that he was floundering on the track early.
cWhen asked what might be next for Honor A.P., Shirreffs said: “I haven't even thought about that. He'll head back to California Monday and we'll see.”
MAX PLAYER – George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbred Corp.'s Max Player was doing well Sunday morning, but his connections were obviously disappointed after his inside post position compromised his chances Saturday.
“He didn't jump away from the gate as well as I had hoped and jumped up and down in the dirt early first time by, but continued running late,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I think there's more there, and circumstances need to be created to get it.”
As for the Preakness, Asmussen said “I have not spoken with Mr. Hall to see what his plans are. I definitely think that would be me getting ahead of myself.”
STORM THE COURT – Exline-Border Racing, David Bernsen, Susanna Wilson and Dan Hudock's Storm the Court is scheduled to return to his Southern California base on an early Monday morning flight according to trainer Peter Eurton.
Eurton, who was traveling back to Southern California early Sunday morning, said Storm the Court appeared to come out of his sixth-place Derby finish fine and there were no immediate plans for Storm the Court's next race.
ENFORCEABLE – Assistant trainer David Carroll reported all was good with John Oxley's Enforceable the morning after the colt finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby.
The son of Tapit was closer to the pace than usual, rating fifth through the opening half mile, before weakening in the lane.
“His legs are cold and tight, he cleaned up his feed,” said Carroll, assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. “We're very happy with him. We'll live to fight another day. He broke sharp, and (jockey) Adam (Beschizza) never hustled him, he got a clean trip around there. He got us to the big dance and we're proud of him and most of all he came back safe.”
NY TRAFFIC – John Fanelli, Cash is King, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley's Ny Traffic lost a shoe in the running of the Kentucky Derby and was a little banged up, but was no worse for the wear Sunday morning, according to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. No definite plans have been made for his next start.
“He came out well soundness wise,” Joseph said via text. “He got a few cuts front and back. No race in mind at the moment. We'll see how he is in 7-10 days and then go from there.”
NECKER ISLAND – Raymond Daniels, Wayne Scheer and Will Harbut Racing's Necker Island walked the shedrow at trainer Chris Hartman's barn Sunday morning following his ninth-place Derby finish.
“He came back in good shape,” Hartman said. “I'll wait three or four days before we start mapping out a race.”
MAJOR FED – Lloyd Madison Farm's Major Fed cooled out well following Saturday's Kentucky Derby.
“He has a couple of little nicks on him but he's doing well,” said trainer Greg Foley, who stood alongside the homebred colt while he grazed. “It was the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“He had no business being up there where he was,” Foley said of Major Fed breaking sharply from the gate. “Bumper cars going into that first turn. I mean, he was a length off the lead. I don't know if he was too fresh and broke like that and was down in there. That was the end of our chances. Everything had to go good for us. It didn't. He came back good. He looks fine. He ate up. We'll regroup in a little bit. He's eligible for a 'one other than' (first-level allowance). That's about where he'll show up next. Go from there. He'll look pretty good in that.”
SOLE VOLANTE – Reeves Thoroughbreds and Andie Biancone's Sole Volante was heading back to his South Florida base after finishing 11th in the Kentucky Derby.
“He's fine, he's good,” said Andie Biancone, who is also assistant to her father Patrick Biacone and the regular exercise rider for the gelding. “He obviously took a lot of dirt in his face, but he scoped clean. We're happy and proud of him. He'll probably get a break now and maybe go back to the turf.”
WINNING IMPRESSION – Trainer Dallas Stewart reported Winning Impression came out of the Kentucky Derby in good shape Sunday morning.
MONEY MOVES – Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who was overseeing the care of Money Moves on behalf of his former protégé Todd Pletcher, said the colt emerged from his 13th-place finish in good order and was slated to ship back to New York on Tuesday.
ATTACHMENT RATE –Trainer Dale Romans reported via text everything was well Sunday morning with Attachment Rate.
SOUTH BEND – South Bend was reported to be unaffected by wear after finishing 15th in the Kentucky Derby. The Bill Mott-trained colt was attempting to give his conditioner back-to-back victories in the classic after Country House was elevated to the win last year via disqualification.
“He was fine. He made a bit of a middle move around the turn and into the head of the stretch but it just wasn't his day,” assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy said.
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