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Unbeaten Champion Essential Quality Favored for Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, KY – Unbeaten champion Essential Quality (Tapit) was assigned post 14 in a full field of 20 assembled for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby at Tuesday's post position draw held at Churchill Downs.

The Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star,' tabbed as the 2-1 favorite on Mike Battaglia's morning line, made it a perfect five-for-five for trainer Brad Cox with a hard-fought, neck decision over Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in the GII Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 3. Luis Saez, disqualified from first aboard Maximum Security in 2019, has the call.

Cox will also be represented by fellow 'Rising Star' and GII Risen Star S. winner Mandaloun (Into Mischief) (post seven). These will be the first Derby starters for the native of Louisville.

“It got a little nerve wracking with both horses still to go and the rail still being out there,” Cox said. [Essential Quality's] got good, tactical speed that he'll be able to get into a good position from there.”

Cox added, “He can adapt to no pace or there being pace in front of him. He's not a one-dimensional horse. He's able to adapt. I've always felt like he's a horse that the further they go, the better he'll get. We're gonna get an extra eighth of a mile Saturday that he's never had before.”

Unbeaten, front-running GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) was made the second choice on the morning line at 5-1. The $650,000 KEESEP yearling purchase exits from post 15 with Joel Rosario aboard and figures to be prominent early. Rosario piloted 2013 Derby winner Orb.

“He has a good, high-cruising speed,” trainer John Sadler said of the Hronis Racing and Talla Racing colorbearer. “He's fast and he can carry it a long distance. I imagine he'll be forwardly placed. I can see him sitting second or third depending on what the pace is. We have a great rider with Rosario, he'll determine what the pace is and put the horse in the right spot, hopefully. We're generally pretty happy with the post.”

The connections of Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) let out a nice roar in the Aristides Lounge after the GII Louisiana Derby winner drew post nine. The dark bay's ownership group of Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC and William Strauss includes Doug and Dennis O'Neill's nephew Patrick.

“We got a great group of guys,” two-time Kentucky Derby winning-trainer Doug O'Neill said. “They were gonna be excited no matter what number we got. These horses reflect our energy, and win, lose or draw, we're bringing great energy to 'Charlie' and he's giving it back to us. It's a great post, you're right in the middle of the pack. We've got so much confidence in Flavien Prat. He's such a great rider. I think the nine is a great spot for us. If the pace is slow, and nobody else goes, at least we showed in the Louisiana Derby that we could go to the front. I think Flavien is gonna go in with an open mind and just play the break.”

Fellow two-time Kentucky Derby winning-trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle four–GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Known Agenda (Curlin) (post one), GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks second Sainthood (Mshawish) (post five), GII Wood Memorial S. second Dynamic One (Union Rags) (post 11); and Wood Memorial upsetter Bourbonic (Bernardini) (post 20). Pletcher also trains GI Kentucky Oaks morning-line favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin).

“It certainly wasn't the one we were hoping for,” Pletcher said of Known Agenda's rail draw. “But I've often said sometimes you get bad trips from good posts and good trips from bad posts. I think hopefully with the new starting gate that will make a little bit of a difference.

Pletcher continued, “I was kind of hoping for Sainthood and Bourbonic to draw inside and Dynamic One and Known Agenda to draw in the middle towards the outside. I thought we did OK with two of them. Nothing we could do about it. We'll focus on the things we can control.”

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen brings the formidable pair of GI Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock (Dialed In) (post 18) and GIII Lecomte hero Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) (post 10) in search of his first Derby victory.

“It's definitely on the bucket list,” Asmussen said. “We've been given tremendous opportunities and the two horses this year are great examples of that.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, currently tied with Ben Jones for most Kentucky Derby victories with six, will be represented by Santa Anita Derby runner-up Medina Spirit (Protonico) (post eight).

Saturday, Churchill Downs, post time: 6:57 p.m ET
GI Kentucky Derby, $3,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/4m
1-Known Agenda (Curlin) 6-1
2-Like The King (Palace Malice) 50-1
3-Brooklyn Strong (Wicked Strong) 50-1
4-Keepmeinmind (Laoban) 50-1
5-Sainthood (Mshawish) 50-1
6-O Besos (Orb) 20-1
7-Mandaloun (Into Mischief) 15-1
8-Medina Spirit (Protonico) 15-1
9-Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) 8-1
10-Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) 20-1
11-Dynamic One (Union Rags) 20-1
12-Helium (Ironicus) 50-1
13-Hidden Stash (Constitution) 50-1
14-Essential Quality (Tapit) 2-1
15-Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) 5-1
16-King Fury (Curlin) 20-1
17-Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) 10-1
18-Super Stock (Dialed In) 30-1
19-Soup and Sandwich (Into Mischief) 30-1
20-Bourbonic (Bernardini) 30-1

The post Unbeaten Champion Essential Quality Favored for Kentucky Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Hot Rod Charlie Dons Blanket Honoring Jake Panus

Jake Panus will not be at his father's side Saturday watching the GI Kentucky Derby. His life ended at an all-too-young 16 last August when he was a passenger in a car involved in a DUI accident on Block Island, just off the coast of Rhode Island. But his friends, his family and a Kentucky Derby trainer have made sure that he will not be forgotten this week at Churchill Downs.

Derby contender and GII Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) has been equipped with a special blanket honoring Panus, whose father, Stephen, is the president of TJC Media, which produces the America's Best Racing website and content. The blanket features a University of South Carolina logo and Jake Panus's initials on one side and a bear logo on the other, a recreation of a necklace Panus wore.

The South Carolina Gamecock logo is meant to spread awareness for The Jake Panus Walk-on Football Endowed Scholarship, which was set up by the Panus family to provide financial assistance annually for a player who walks on to the South Carolina football team. Entering his junior year in high school at the time of the accident, Panus dreamed of attending South Carolina, his father's alma mater.

“Jake was raised a Gamecock, if you will,” Stephen Panus said. “He grew up watching their games with me, no matter the sport. He certainly identified with college football, which is a big deal in our family. Jake epitomized that walk-on type mentality. He was a gritty athlete and a vocal leader. He was someone people gravitated towards and he had a lot of moxie and hustle on the field as an athlete.”

The younger Panus was visiting with his girlfriend's family when the accident occurred. Some seven months later, the family is doing its best to navigate its way through an unspeakable tragedy.

“We're surviving,” Panus said. “I do these things because it keeps me connected to Jake and it's part of my healing. It is hard, though. It is emotionally draining. I'll take a phone call with someone, talk about it and break up. I cry a lot. My wife (Kellie) is struggling. It's been very hard on her. For a mom who carried a child in the womb, it's probably the most painful thing you can go through.”

By all accounts, the teenager was exceptional in many ways.

“Jake cared about helping people,” Panus said. “He was that kind of kid. People gravitated to Jake and he was a born leader. When he walked into a room, you knew it. He was a big, bright light and always had a smile on his face. He loved to laugh and he made people feel welcome, no matter who they were, friend or stranger. He was there to listen and help.”

Hot Rod Charlie with the blanket honoring Panus | courtesy Stephen Panus

Shortly after Jake's passing, the family established the Jake Panus Memorial Scholarship in partnership with their church, Southport (CT) Congregational Church. During the summer of 2019 Panus participated in a church mission to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where he aided and assisted Native American children. The scholarship provides educational assistance to students from the reservation's Red Cloud High School.

The Panus family also wanted to do something honoring Jake's passion for the University of South Carolina and its sports teams. In late December, the family got a call from head football coach Shane Beamer, who had heard about Jake and the accident and wanted to do something to help. It was soon thereafter that Beamer, the school's athletic department and the Panus family came up with the idea to start a scholarship for walk-on football players.

“I was a walk-on. Those guys are partial to me,” Beamer said. “We [are intent] about trying to find guys and sell them on what a fantastic opportunity this is at Carolina. That will always be a critical aspect of this program; get guys in here as walk-ons, develop them as players and student-athletes and get them on the field.”

Through his work with America's Best Racing and The Jockey Club, Panus had befriended Doug O'Neill. The trainer reached out to the family to tell them he would like to help in some way. When Hot Rod Charlie won the Louisiana Derby, O'Neill knew he had a high-profile Kentucky Derby contender on his hands, which he thought was a perfect avenue to raise awareness for The Jake Panus Walk-on Football Endowed Scholarship.

“He started talking about doing a scholarship in Jake's name and I said 'how can I help?'” O'Neill said. “I wanted to do whatever I could do to help. So we had the blanket made for 'Charlie ' to help promote the scholarship. I knew Jake through Stephen. He was a friend to everyone, whether you knew him well or whether you were a stranger. We need more Jakes in this world. I wanted to help promote the scholarship in Jake's name. I'm proud and honored to have a horse that can help spread the word.”

The bear logo is from a pendant Jake wore as a necklace that symbolized his devotion to helping Native American children. To the Lakota Indians, the bear represents courage, confidence, healing and protection.

Within the first week after the football scholarship was announced, $75,000 had been raised. Thanks to O'Neill, the blanket and the spotlight that shines on the Kentucky Derby, the hope is that they are just getting started.

“What we are seeking to do is to raise awareness and procure donations to help to grow the scholarship fund so it is fully endowed,” Panus said. “We've gotten support from coast to coast and it has been overwhelming. It has been uplifting to us as a family to see people hop on board and understand what we are trying to do, which is to allow Jake to do something in spirit that he intended to do while here with us, which was to attend the University of South Carolina.”

Donations to the scholarship fund can be made here: https://donate.sc.edu/JakePanusScholarship.

The post Hot Rod Charlie Dons Blanket Honoring Jake Panus appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Industry Voices: Bob Feld On What it Means to Try

The man lying in the hospital bed silent and completely still was a good man and led a good life. A loving husband, amazing father and a relentless provider for his family was slipping closer to death. My dad was a man of conviction, integrity and faith and I try every day to be the man he was. I won't get there, but I try. It's all about trying. He lived a full life and gave up a lot of the freedoms of his youth when he got married, which included owning racehorses.

My mom and dad raised five children on very low incomes. We all grew up thinking we were a middle-class family but in hindsight we were far from it. My parents created a way of life for us so that we never questioned our status growing up. We were happy and lacked nothing, especially love. In his younger days, John Feld dressed well, drove fancy cars, loved to bet on the horses and his getaway was Las Vegas. He was quite the bachelor and lived a fun and adventurous single life and a bit beyond his means because he could.

On one fortuitous trip to Las Vegas, he made a nice chunk of change over the weekend by hitting number 17 on the roulette wheel multiple times. The number 17 became the “Feld family lucky number” and includes events like his first born son born on February 17. The number 17's karmatic showing continues to this day.

My dad had slowly but surely gone into a coma as he was slowly but surely dying in front of his family. My mom, brother, sister, brother-in-law and I were all in the room to be in his presence as he passed. The doctor had told us that his coma was so deep that we would not be able to communicate with him nor would we see any response from him. As the hours went by, it became very apparent that the end of his life was near.

My son Sean and his “Pop” were close because they shared the passion of horse racing. Pop was the quintessential two-dollar bettor who loved the puzzle of picking the winner more than the gamble. In the 1980's, the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita started a tradition of giving away a commemorative stein each year on Opening Day of the meet. Pop started his own personal tradition of taking his oldest grandson, Sean, to Opening Day each year to get his stein. Annually on a Wednesday, his Mom and I allowed him to ditch school each year to go with Pop to add to his collection of steins.

I decided since Pop's life was about to end, to call Sean on my cell phone to see if he would like to say goodbye to his grandpa. He agreed. The room was deafeningly silent as if a vigil for my dad had already started. I held my phone up to Pop's ear and I could hear Sean through the phone tell his grandpa, “We are going to win the Kentucky Derby for you Pop.”

At that moment, my dad made a grunting sound. Time stood still. All of us in attendance could not believe there was this fleeting moment of “life” coming from my father to his grandson as he was about to take his last breath. Teary-eyed, I hung the phone up and the silence continued. It wasn't much later when my dad did take his very last breath. It was 9:17 a.m. and of course, on April 17th.

During the past 21 years since Pop passed, like everyone else in the Thoroughbred business, we have “tried” to win the Kentucky Derby, not for ourselves really but for Pop. Our budgets have ebbed and flowed over the years but with any and all budgets we try. That's what we do, it's all about trying. We got close a few years ago when a $61,000 yearling purchase, Sueno, would have been the last horse “scratched” into the race but he chipped his ankle Kentucky Derby week and did not enter. This year, our (not kidding) $17,000 yearling purchase is second in the point standings and has the look of a real contender coming off an impressive win in the Louisiana Derby.

My brother Jude trained on the Southern California circuit for 20 years so Pop knew the game well and he knew how tough it was to win a race, any race. Hot Rod Charlie doesn't have to win on the first Saturday in May and he still has to get there. The fact we have come this far with a $17,000 horse while knowing that Pop was “with us” when we bought him at that price is a victory in itself. I know Pop is proud of us already for trying, but if a 14-year-old boy could keep his promise to his dying grandfather, that would be the most satisfying and greatest victory of all and I have a feeling time will stand still once again for Pop!

Bob Feld, posted on Facebook and published with his permission

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O’Neill Sending Lava Man (aka The Coach) To Assist Hot Rod Charlie In Kentucky

Doug O'Neill is nothing if not confident about Hot Rod Charlie's chances in Saturday's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky,

Of course, that's not headline-worthy information for the trainer who turns 53 on May 24. He already has two victories in the Run for the Roses on his growing resume, in 2012 with 15-1 outsider I'll Have Another and in 2016 with 2-1 favorite Nyquist.

It's also not breaking news that O'Neill generally and refreshingly sees the glass as half full, and such is the case with Hot Rod Charlie, who worked six furlongs in 1:13.68 at Santa Anita Saturday prior to the first race.

It was Hot Rod Charlie's final major breeze for the 147^th Kentucky Derby, and O'Neill was still well-satisfied after he had a chance to sleep on it.

“I'm very happy,” O'Neill said by phone at 7 o'clock Sunday morning as he waited to board a plane that would lead him to the Bluegrass State. “He went very nice, very steady. It was exactly what we had hoped for, and Flavvy was very happy with it as well. That means a lot.”

“Flavvy” would be Flavien Prat, Santa Anita's runaway leading rider with a 93-54 bulge over runner-up Juan Hernandez. Prat was aboard Hot Rod Charlie for Saturday's workout and rides him in the first jewel of the Triple Crown.

“They're all individual horses, but we're optimistic,” O'Neill said when asked if there was a difference approaching Saturday's classic from his previous two experiences.

“But this year the Derby does seem like it's really wide open. It will be interesting to see where we draw (post positions will be announced on Tuesday) and how he settles in. He ships today and we're eager to see him at Churchill Downs and how he does.

“But like Nyquist and I'll Have Another, we're excited about the opportunity. He's a good shipper (having finished second by less than a length at odds of 94-1 to undefeated Eclipse Award champion Essential Quality in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland last year, and winning the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds on March 20).”

Hot Rod Charlie, a Kentucky-bred son of Oxbow owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC and William Strauss, will have elite company on his journey.

“His mentor, Lava Man, is going with him,” O'Neill said, referring to the fabled gelding who celebrated his 20^th birthday this year and is affectionately called “The Coach” by stable staff.

“He's funny,” O'Neill said of Lava Man, now a stable pony after a storybook career as a racehorse, once claimed for $50,000, winner of 17 of 47 races, earner of $5,268,706 and elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015.

“With his shirt on and a saddle on, he looks great. But like me, when you see him with his shirt off, you can tell he's 20.”

Not to worry. As Mark Twain once said, “Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been,” and for Team O'Neill, there have been plenty.

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