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Casse: Enforceable ‘Has Grown Up A Lot,’ But Will Need ‘Plenty Of Pace’ In Kentucky Derby

Grade 3 winner Enforceable will enter the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby off a two-month layoff, trainer Mark Casse told The Canadian Press this week. Most recently fourth in the G2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on July 11, the 3-year-old son of Tapit is still ranked 12th on the Derby points leaderboard (43).

Enforceable is therefore expected to earn a spot in the starting gate for the classic, delayed by COVID-19 to Sept. 5.

The royally-bred Enforceable is a full brother to multiple graded stakes-winner Mohaymen and half-brother to Grade 1 winner New Year's Day, and races for owner John Oxley. A late-closing type, the colt's other starts in 2020 include a win in the G3 Lecomte (Jan. 18), a second in the G2 Risen Star (Feb. 15), and a fifth in the G2 Louisiana Derby (Mar. 21).

“He has grown up a lot,” Casse told The Canadian Press. “It's a tough Derby, he is going to need things to go his way. He needs there to be plenty of pace . . . that makes him much more effective.”

Bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms, Enforceable's total earnings stand at $397,150 with a record of 2-2-2 from 10 starts. He was a $775,000 RNA at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

His most recent workout was a five-furlong move at Churchill in 1:02.60 on Aug. 1. Enforceable, under jockey Declan Carroll, started about two lengths behind his stablemate and worked through fractions of :12.80, :25.60 and :38.40. Enforceable finished about a half-length to the good at the wire but continued in front through a six-furlong gallop out of 1:15.80 and finished his work with a seven-furlong time of 1:29.60.

“I was very happy with how he worked this morning,” said 21-year-old Carroll, whose father, David, oversees Casse's Churchill Downs string. “He did everything in stride. I was just the pilot.”

Casse was not in town for the work but reported via text following watching a short video of his stretch run, “I really like what I'm seeing.”

Deadline: Jockeys Riding In Kentucky Derby Required To Arrive In State By Aug. 24

Any jockey expecting to ride in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 or Kentucky Oaks on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs must arrive in Kentucky by Aug. 24, according to regulations first reported by Horse Racing Nation.

All riders, not just those shipping in from out of state, must pass two separate coronavirus tests, one by 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 24, and a second by noon on Monday, Aug. 31. Jockeys testing positive will be required to quarantine for 10 days, the report states.

In addition, all individuals with access to the jockeys' room will be required to test by Aug. 31.

Kentucky Derby Delay Causes $149 Million Loss For Churchill Downs

In Thursday's quarterly earnings call with investors, Churchill Downs' chief executive Bill Carstanjen explained that the decision to delay the 2020 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks to September cost CDI $149 million, reports the Courier-Journal.

“The Derby long term has not been damaged in any way, (but) we are going to do what's right by our customers and our sponsors,” Carstanjen said.

To that end, Churchill has stopped selling general admission tickets to the Sept. 5 Derby.

“We're still well under the capacity that we've discussed with the governor. But we've stopped (selling general admission tickets) anyway because we want to make sure first and foremost that when our customers come to the event, that they feel safe,” Carstanjen said.

‘Thankful To Not Be Sick’: Florent Geroux Out Of Quarantine, Resumes Riding Friday At Ellis

Jockey Florent Geroux was getting on horses at Churchill Downs Tuesday morning for the first time since a positive test for COVID-19 put him on the sideline for two weeks until he tested negative. Geroux resumes riding races Friday at Ellis Park.

“I never had any symptoms, I'm thankful for that,” he said. “I was not sick. You can see in our country and the rest of the world, some of them, it's not very pretty. I was just thankful to not be sick. I missed a couple of weeks of racing, but that's the way it is, and I had to stay home in quarantine.”

Several of Geroux's scheduled mounts won in his absence at Ellis Park.

“It's never a good time, but it's better last week and two weeks ago than happening Kentucky Derby Week,” he said. “And I have some good mounts coming up now.”

The post ‘Thankful To Not Be Sick’: Florent Geroux Out Of Quarantine, Resumes Riding Friday At Ellis appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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