Darren Rogers | Horse Racing Free Tips

Un Ojo Defection Allows Ethereal Road to Draw Into Derby

According to a tweet from Churchill Downs' Senior Director of Communications and Media Services Darren Rogers, Un Ojo (Laoban), who registered a 75-1 upset in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park Feb. 26, was not entered for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby. The Wayne Lukas-trained Ethereal Road (Quality Road), who missed by a half-length in the Rebel and exits a fourth in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland Apr. 16, will take the 20th spot in the field when entries are drawn Monday afternoon.

“It's a little bit unexpected,” said Lukas. “Going into the week I was a little apprehensive about even putting him on the also-eligible [list] because I didn't think there was a big chance, but it seems like as we go through this process every year, something happens or somebody decides that it's not the place for them. I'm happy for the owners. I've been there, sung 'My Old Kentucky Home,' watched it all happen and everything, but they're new clients, very enthused about everything and so they're tickled to death. I'm happy for them.”

He added, “He's going to have to have a pace up front, but there will always be one in the Derby. These guys who are worried about pace up front can quit worrying about it because it's always fast. He'll be closing. He has to improve. We're not sitting here with grandiose ideas that we're going to go in and beat everybody. We have to improve. Our numbers are not as good as some of the others, but we're in the race and it's a large purse with great prestige so we'll take our best shot.”

According to Rogers's tweet, Rich Strike (Keen Ice) and Rattle N Roll (Connect) are expected to be the also-eligibles in the race.

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No Baffert Trainees Nominated to Oaks

A total of 103 horses have been nominated to the GI Kentucky Oaks and they all have one thing in common: none are trained by Bob Baffert.

According to Churchill Downs Senior Director, Media Services, Darren Rogers, it was not a case of Churchill rejecting Baffert's nominees, but a matter of Baffert failing to nominate any horses.

Baffert is under suspension at Churchill and ineligible to race in the Oaks, but that doesn't mean that horses currently under his care won't be able to compete in the race. Baffert's owners have the option of removing their horses from his barn and giving them to another trainer, which would allow them to run in the Oaks. Owners also have the option of paying a $1,500 late nomination fee that would make their horses eligible for the Oaks. If a horse has still not been nominated by April 16, a $25,000 supplemental entry fee can be paid at entry time.

Baffert and his legal team could also find a solution through the court system, perhaps getting an injunction or finding some other avenue that would force Churchill to accept his entries.

Why Baffert did not nominate any of his horses is unclear. Was it a sign that he is not going to fight the Churchill ban and is resigned to not competing in either the Oaks or the GI Kentucky Derby? And, with the chance that his horses could compete in the Oaks for another trainer, why wouldn't their owners have made sure that the nomination fee, which is just $200, was paid?

The TDN sent texts to Baffert and his lawyers Clark Brewster and Craig Robertson and only Brewster responded, writing “Bob is considering all options.”

Baffert has won the Oaks three times, most recently in 2017 with Abel Tasman (Quality Road).

Baffert has a handful of horses who, under normal circumstances, would be considered top threats for the Oaks. His team of 3-year-old fillies is led by GIII Las Virgenes S. winner Adare Manor (Uncle Mo), who is No. 1 in the latest edition of the TDN's Kentucky Oaks Top 10. The TDN list also includes the Baffert-trained Eda (Munnings) at No. 6. She is the winner of last year's GI Starlet S., but has not run since.

Baffert's top colts have been nominated to the Kentucky Derby, but the process of nominating for the Derby is different from the Oaks. The 3-year-old males are nominated to all three Triple Crown races at once and there are no restrictions in place that would keep Baffert out of the GI Preakness S.

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Churchill Has Issued Proposal for Derby Spectators, Waiting to Hear From Governor

After submitting its proposal to allow fans to attend this year’s GI Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs officials are expecting to hear back from Governor Andy Beshear this week.

At his press briefing Monday, Beshear said he is reviewing Churchill’s proposal and would announce a decision shortly. Alluding to the GI Belmont S., where fans were not allowed in the stands, Beshear said he envisioned that the Kentucky Derby will be “different” than the Belmont.

“I believe that Churchill Downs made a very good decision to move the race,” the governor said. “It certainly wouldn’t have been safe when it was. I think they are offering a lot of concessions and are looking at safety precautions. I hope to have some information on this this week.”

“We submitted a plan to the governor’s office and we have continued our ongoing discussions about having a Kentucky Derby with spectators,” said Darren Rogers, Churchill’s senior director of communications. “We have had good, careful collaboration with their office and they have asked some questions and we gave them our answers. We expect to hear some news this week.”

Churchill has not released details of its proposal and it is not clear if management is seeking to have a Derby with an unlimited amount of spectators or one where the number of people that can attend is capped.

“Our team has worked through a number of different scenarios based on whatever permissions are granted,” Rogers said. “We want to have as many people as we can while operating safely and responsibly.”

Because of the pandemic, the date of the Derby was shifted from May 2 to Sept. 5 in hopes that by Labor Day weekend the coronavirus situation would become more manageable. It appears that will be the case. Beshear said in his press briefing Monday that he had no new coronavirus deaths to report and said he could only recall two other days since the pandemic started that that was the case. Kentucky will move into its next phase of reopening Monday. When that happens, Beshear said, “just about everything in the commonwealth will be open in some capacity.”

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