Midnight Bourbon | Horse Racing Free Tips

After Troubled Trip In Kentucky Derby, Midnight Bourbon To Wheel Back In Preakness

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen confirmed Thursday morning that Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon will run in the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course May 15.

Asmussen, via text from Texas, also confirmed that Irad Ortiz Jr., the defending three-time Eclipse Award champion, will ride the son of Tiznow in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

Winchell Thoroughbreds is seeking its first victory in a Triple Crown race in the family's many decades in horse racing, while Asmussen won the Preakness in 2007 with two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and two years later with the filly and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. Winchell Thoroughbreds did finish third with Tenfold, just three-quarters of a length behind eventual Triple Crown hero Justify in the foggy 2018 Preakness. Tenfold went on to win the 2019 Pimlico Special (G3).

Midnight Bourbon closed from well back to finish sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) after breaking slowly and taking him out of his up-close running style.

“We didn't think he got the opportunity that he deserved after he missed the break and his back end went out from underneath him,” said David Fiske, the longtime racing and bloodstock manager for the late Verne Winchell and subsequently for Verne's son Ron Winchell. “He got jostled around by the horses on either side of him, then lost some ground. He was pretty wide on the second turn; I think eventually he ran 52 or 56 feet farther than the winner. So that would have put him a little closer. And speed seemed to be lethal on Saturday. There weren't a whole lot of horses that were closing on the front-runners. Then the fact that it took two handlers to get him back to the barn to give him a bath, it didn't seem to take that much out of him. So we thought we'd give it a try.”

Midnight Bourbon visited Churchill Downs' starting gate for routine schooling Thursday, followed by a controlled gallop.

“The horse is doing great,” said Scott Blasi, the assistant trainer who oversees Asmussen's Churchill Downs operation. “I don't think he did a lot of running early (in the Derby), so he seems to have come out of the race pretty fresh.”

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‘So Far, So Good’ For King Fury Try In Preakness; Midnight Bourbon Could Return In Second Jewel

Trainer Kenny McPeek, who saddled filly Swiss Skydiver for a gutsy victory over Kentucky Derby victor Authentic in the 2020 Preakness (G1) last October, is hoping to be back at Pimlico for this year's Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown with stretch-running King Fury. The Lexington Stakes (G3) winner was scratched Friday from the Kentucky Derby after spiking a temperature.

With the Churchill Downs track sloppy following an overnight rain, King Fury had a walk day Monday with his temperature back to normal. “So far so good,” said assistant trainer Greg Geier.

McPeek called the temperature spike 'a one-off deal' Sunday, reporting that the son of Curlin had responded quickly to treatment and had good energy on Derby Day.

“It will be one of those call-an-audible-at-the-line-of-scrimmage [things]. We'll take it into Friday, and see what kind of week he has. If he has a good week, we'll contemplate working him Saturday or Sunday,” McPeek said. “Everything will have to fall into line. He'll have to show there are no ill after-effects on him. He'll have to have good blood work and a good scope (endoscopic exam).”

After watching Medina Spirit's front-running victory in the Derby, McPeek thinks that the race scenario may well have stacked the odds against King Fury, who closed from far back to win the Lexington going away.

“And I don't know if that Derby would have set up for him, either. Might have been fortuitous. It didn't look like anybody could really close any ground,” he said. “The way the racetrack played, they even went fast early and kept going.”

When it was suggested that McPeek didn't see anything in the Derby to scare him away from the Preakness, he said with a laugh: “If I wasn't scared last year, I wouldn't be scared this year. If I've got a horse doing good, I'm going to go. If he's doing really well, we'll go. If he backs out of the tub or his bloodwork isn't right, any notion that he isn't at a full energy level, then we won't go. If he is, we'll go.”

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, who rallied to finish sixth in the Kentucky Derby following an awkward start took him out of his usual up-close style, is under Preakness consideration. The Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up had another scheduled walk day Monday at Churchill Downs and will walk again Tuesday before resuming training Wednesday, said trainer Steve Asmussen.

Asmussen won the 2007 Preakness with two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and again in 2009 with Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner and Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra.

“We're considering running in the Preakness, but we will obviously defer to his training,” the trainer said. “We'll keep discussions open.”

Asmussen said jockey Mike Smith told him that Midnight Bourbon's 'hind end slipped out,' and that's that. It wasn't where we were hoping to be. He ran reasonable after a poor beginning, covered plenty of ground and didn't look like he was horribly overmatched – or overmatched at all.”

Trainer Brad Cox said Monday morning that Kentucky Derby runner-up Mandaloun and fourth-place finisher Essential Quality continue to bounce out of the race well with a Preakness decision yet to be made for either horse.

Cox said he has to talk to owner John Ed Anthony about possibly running Caddo River in the Preakness. Anthony, who now races in the name of Shortleaf Stable, won the 1992 Preakness with Pine Bluff and in 1993 with Prairie Bayou while racing with ex-wife Mary Lynn Dudley under the Loblolly Stable banner.

Caddo River, who finished second in the Arkansas Derby, was knocked out of the Kentucky Derby after spiking a temperature.

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The Haiku Handicapper Presented By Form2Win: 2021 Kentucky Derby

Time to analyze the 2021 Kentucky Derby field, in post position order, in the form of Haiku; a Japanese poem of 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five.

To read previous editions of The Haiku Handicapper, click here.

#1 – Known Agenda
A nightmare post draw
Torpedoes a true win threat
Still play underneath

#2 – Like the King
His road to Churchill
Traversed over Tapeta
Hard to envision

#3 – Brooklyn Strong
A last-minute call
When does that idea work?
Won't be on tickets

#4 – Keepmeinmind
Soph slump in effect
Likes the track, but that feels like
A lifetime ago

#5 – Sainthood
Recovered nicely
After Turfway donnybrook
He'll pass a few late

#6 – O Besos
Won't be knocked around
He'll earn his graded stakes due
In the months to come

#7 – Mandaloun
Early momentum
Was doused by a Fair Grounds dud
Rebounds don't win here

#8 – Medina Spirit
Couldn't seal the deal
Once he got the starting gig
On Baffert's depth chart

#9 – Hot Rod Charlie
The parts appear there
Just not sure how much I trust
The Fair Grounds prep route

#10 – Midnight Bourbon
Last two running lines
Have the same end: Outfinished
Leave him on the shelf

#11 – Dynamic One
Rapid improvement
Might not take home the roses
But wait for the Spa

#12 – Helium
Has seen Thanksgiving
As much as he's seen a race
Since mid-October

#13 – Hidden Stash
A late-stage grinder
Can't hang with mid-tier hopefuls
Not a potent blend

#14 – Essential Quality
The unbeaten champ
Does little else but ace tests
Why would he stop now?

#15 – Rock Your World
Turf-to-dirt success
We'll know all we need to know
After the first turn

#17 – Highly Motivated
Nearly nipped the champ
A breakout win's imminent
Worth a small “win” share

#18 – Super Stock
Surprised at Oaklawn
Breaking his “check-getter” cred
Can't get too enthused

#19 – Soup and Sandwich
An uncommon sight
An Into Mischief that's gray
Might grab a mouthful

#20 – Bourbonic
Long-priced Wood winner
Needs the home stretch seas to part
Tough “win” strategy

Prediction
Champion retains
“Quality” resume grows
Then nine, seventeen

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Thursday’s Trackside Derby Report

LOUISVILLE, KY – Despite heavy overnight rain leaving the Churchill Downs main track a sloppy mess, there was still plenty to take in during Thursday's GI Kentucky Derby/Oaks training session, including an appearance by the horse that has the big bulls-eye on his back.

Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), Soup and Sandwich (Into Mischief) and Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) drew a nice crowd of admirers by the Lukas gap as the track was being sealed beneath ominous skies and humid conditions just a tick before 7:30 a.m.

With his tail tied, Medina Spirit (Protonico) was among the first to enter and had a nice bounce to his step jogging by the wrong way over the saturated surface.

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse stood on the track to watch his duo of the stunning gray Soup and Sandwich and Helium (Ironicus) jog. You certainly know who the crew at TDN will be rooting for Saturday.

Casse exchanged pleasantries by the gap with team Medina Spirit–Bob Baffert and John Velazquez–as his pair made their way back to the barn.

Likely Derby second-choice Rock Your World continues to give off good vibes. With his high-knee action, you can see why the unbeaten GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner began his career on grass. Shades of Barbaro and Big Brown? That's where my money is heading.

Even with a pair of blinkers on, Hot Rod Charlie still gave the cameras and media lined up on the backstretch a glance passing by alongside his famous stable pony Lava Man. Hot Rod Charlie may arguably be reaching out the best over the surface during his gallops from all of the Derby horses this week. Ignore at your own risk.

The unbeaten morning-line favorite and champion 2-year-old Essential Quality (Tapit) doesn't exactly wow you during his training, but the last time we checked, it only counts in the afternoons.

His Brad Cox-trained stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief), however, has become a bit of a buzz horse despite a puzzling last-out sixth in the GII Louisiana Derby. That's how good he's looked in the flesh.

Both of the Cox runners went to the gate, and interestingly enough, Essential Quality's white-and-blue Godolphin branded blinkers were removed after his schooling session. He went on to gallop for about 1 5/8 miles afterward without the shades.

Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow)'s antics on the backstretch and paddock schooling sessions have been well-documented on Twitter this week–getting loose during bath time will do that–but he's had his eyes on the prize while training for what it's worth. Interesting longshot to consider.

Back at the barns, meanwhile, the easy-to-root-for native of Kentucky trainer Greg Foley chatted with Jeff Lifson and a group of West Point partners. The stretch-running O Besos (Orb) jogged a mile a bit earlier around 6:15 a.m.

King Fury (Curlin) seemed to be enjoying himself once again over the off going–he certainly did so last out in the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. His handler smiled for a quick photo and asked the flashy, blaze-faced chestnut to pose as he was getting cleaned up outside of Ken McPeek's headquarters.

Have to love seeing that heavyweight champ Tyson Fury will be in his corner and did in fact take McPeek up on his Twitter invite to attend the Derby.

“It's always something I've been interested in, the biggest horse race in the world,” Fury told ESPN. “I've always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby, never had the opportunity to do so. This is the opportunity to do so.”

With his ears up, Essential Quality's class and great mind were on display, never turning a hair before a group of media assembled for his bath.

With more heavy rain looming, his blue-and-white Godolphin cooler was on again shortly and it was back to his stall as training hours began to wind down.

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