Wood Memorial | Horse Racing Free Tips

Derby: Chad Brown Will Start Either Highly Motivated Or Crowded Trade, But Not Both

Trainer Chad Brown has a pair of 3-year-olds in the top 20 points-earners on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby, Highly Motivated (13) and Crowded Trade (18), but told Blood-Horse he plans to start just one of those on the first Saturday in May.

“I'm leaning toward running Crowded Trade in the Preakness,” Brown told BH, “but I want to be represented in the Kentucky Derby by either him or Highly Motivated. I won't run both of them in the Derby, but I want to work both of them this weekend and see how their health status is before making a final decision.”

Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) ran a bang-up race in the Blue Grass Stakes last out, altering his running style to set the pace and racing game through the stretch to be beaten just a neck by likely Kentucky Derby favorite Essential Quality.

Meanwhile, Crowded Trade (More Than Ready) was third last out behind Bourbonic and Dynamic One in the Wood Memorial, beaten 1 1/4 lengths after closing from nearly the rear of the field.

The defection of Crowded Trade would mean Hidden Stash, 21st on the points list, would earn a spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. The Constitution colt ran third in the G3 Sam F. Davis, second in the G2 Tampa Bay Derby, and fourth in the G2 Blue Grass Stakes on the prep trail this season for trainer Victoria Oliver.

Todd Pletcher Talks Derby Contenders On Writers’ Room

At one point this spring, it was conceivable that soon-to-be Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher would be faced with the unusual situation of not having a GI Kentucky Derby starter. Things change quickly in racing though, as now the seven-time Eclipse Award winner is likely to have four horses in the gate in Louisville and Wednesday morning, he joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to talk about his sudden Derby quartet. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Pletcher also talked about what still motivates him to train, his early opinions on the Derby field and the progress racing has made on safety since his last appearance on the show following the 2019 Breeders' Cup.

Regarding his one-two finishers in Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S., 72-1 Bourbonic (Bernardini) and 15-1 Dynamic One (Union Rags), Pletcher said, “In Bourbonic's case, it was what I would describe as a pleasant surprise. He's a horse that's always trained well and we did think getting around two turns and up to a mile and an eighth was going to be to his benefit. I'd be lying if I said we expected him to win. The strategy was, let's let him fall back, make one run. He should get the distance and hopefully [be] picking up the pieces at the end, which he definitely was. I can't tell you I had a $40 win ticket on it.

“In Dynamic One's case, we were expecting him to run well. We've been a little disappointed in what he's done so far because he's always trained liked a good horse. I think he's still learning how to run and finish off a race. He got a little bit lost by himself [in the stretch of the Wood]. I think Bourbonic surprised him a bit. But that type of performance is what we've been seeing from him in the mornings to indicate he's of that quality.”

As for GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Known Agenda, likely to be the shortest price of the Pletcher four, he said, “He's a Curlin. He's bred to be better a little later. What surprised us about him was he was able to be competitive in his debut at 6 1/2 furlongs. Off that one race, he was able to beat Greatest Honour at a mile and an eighth, and they were 20 lengths clear of the third horse. In the Remsen, he was still green and was stuck inside on a sloppy track. Once he got clear late, he put in a good final sixteenth. He left himself too much to do. Same thing in the Sam Davis. So I think the blinkers have made a difference. The exciting thing about the group that we have is, I think they're all horses that are going to improve at a mile and a quarter. They're all horses that are truly looking for that distance.”

When Pletcher was last on the podcast, he spoke bluntly about the catastrophic situation racing found itself in after the spate of fatal breakdowns at Santa Anita. Wednesday, he was asked what progress he's seen since then in the sport and what still needs to be done.

“One breakdown is too many, but we also live in the real world where those things happen,” he said. “I think we've made a lot of improvements. The statistics are showing that the numbers are down. Like I said then, it's not a trainer thing, it's not a jockey thing, it's not a track veterinarian thing. It's an industry thing. We have to do better from the ground up. From the time these horses are born, to the way they're prepped for sales, the way they're treated the whole way. It's everyone's responsibility. Ultimately, it comes down to trainers making the decisions at entry time and race time. I think the industry has recognized as a whole that we all have to do better. That's why I think we're making improvements and hopefully are not going to rest on our laurels of doing better. We've got to keep getting better.”

Elsewhere on the show, the writers reacted to a huge weekend of racing, analyzed the prospective Derby picture and, in the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, reported on an NFT-based virtual racing game that is rapidly growing in popularity. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

The post Todd Pletcher Talks Derby Contenders On Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The TDN Derby Top 20 for April 6

The first Saturday in April's “power trio” of nine-furlong qualifying preps is in the books. We also learned last week that no Japan-based horse will be accepting the “Road to the GI Kentucky Derby” invitation this year, and that none of the qualifying European horses are nominated, meaning they'd have to supplement $200,000 to get in. So at this time it appears that all 20 starting spots will go to American horses. The rankings below are independent from the “Road to the Derby” points leaderboard Churchill Downs uses to determine starting berths. That list can be accessed here.

1) ESSENTIAL QUALITY (c, Tapit–Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality)
O/B-Godolphin (KY). T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt & MGISW, 5-5-0-0, $2,265,144.
Last Start: 1st GII Toyota Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 3
Accomplishments: 'TDN Rising Star', 1st GI TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile, KEE, Nov. 6, 1st GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, KEE, Oct. 3, 1st GIII Southwest S., OP, Feb. 27
Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 140

'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality's relentless GII Blue Grass S. win now rates as the divisional measuring stick for accomplishment under sustained intensity. The undefeated juvenile champ didn't have to uncork such a highly torqued display of force in his final Derby prep to sail into Louisville as the favorite. But the scary-good nature of his performance is underpinned by trainer Brad Cox's belief that this Tapit-sired Godolphin homebred is only going to build off such a demanding slugfest. “EQ” veered outward and bumped at the break but quickly righted himself to seize a brief early lead. Jockey Luis Saez then skillfully backed him out of a protracted speed duel with stretch-out pacemaker Highly Motivated (Into Mischief), although EQ was keen to re-engage on the backstretch run. Applying outside pressure about a neck back, Saez edged incrementally closer until EQ ranged up on even terms with his rival 2 1/2 furlongs out, and the cadence quickened with Highly Motivated continually repulsing the champ's threatening surges. They shifted and drifted in lockstep through the lane, and only in the final 50 yards did the determined gray finally edge away, earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure. The final furlong of the Blue Grass was clocked in :12.53, the fastest in seven editions of that stakes since Keeneland's main track switched from synthetic back to dirt.

2) GREATEST HONOUR (c, Tapit–Tiffany's Honour, by Street Cry {Ire})
O/B-Courtlandt Farms (KY). T-Claude R. McGaughey III. Lifetime Record: MGSW & GISP, 7-3-1-3, $422,440.
Last Start: 3rd GI Curlin Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 27
Accomplishments: 1st GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., GP, Feb. 27, 1st GIII Holy Bull S., GP. Jan. 30
Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 80

Long-striding Greatest Honour ran three visually impressive races at Gulfstream this winter and has always figured to be a “longer-the-better” type of colt who should excel over 10 furlongs. But he can't quite match the tactical toolbox of new No. 1 kingpin Essential Quality, who commands races with speed-oriented pressure instead of launching one prolonged bid from the back of the pack. This Tapit-sired Courtlandt Farms homebred tried to follow the rail-running winner in the Florida Derby, but holes that opened for Known Agenda (Curlin) closed before Greatest Honour could fly through them; that's the inherent risk of being a trip- and pace-dependent stayer. I'm not a “numbers guy,” yet I do have to admit it's concerning this colt has never cracked 89 (and even regressed to an 85 last time out) on the Beyer scale. But trainer Shug McGuaghey's main goal was never about getting Greatest Honour to peak on the final Saturday in March, and you can't quantify in any sort of numerical figuration the value that this patient Hall-of-Fame conditioner brings to the equation in terms of having this colt tighter for May 1.

3) CONCERT TOUR (c, Street Sense–Purse Strings, by Tapit)
O/B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 3-3-0-0, $756,600.
Last Start: 1st GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 13.
Accomplishments: 'TDN Rising Star', 1st GII San Vicente S., SA, Feb. 6
Next Start: GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr. 10
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 50

The more I look at Concert Tour's past performances, the more I think he's capable of punching through in a big way in Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby, which could stamp him as a horse to beat on the first Saturday in May. This undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' looms large off a frontrunning GII Rebel S. score that was accomplished professionally and all under his own power. The ultra-confident, can-do-no-wrong way that Joel Rosario has been riding through the first quarter of 2021 adds immeasurably to the overall package, and he is a nice fit for a horse like Concert Tour, who likes to be close to the pace but doesn't absolutely need to be on the lead to fire his best shot. Will history also be on Concert Tour's side? The only horses to pull off the Arkansas/Kentucky Derby double since 1980 have been American Pharoah (2015), Smarty Jones (2004) and Sunny's Halo (1983). But keep an eye on whoever finishes second at Oaklawn: Horses who have been the runner-up in the Arkansas Derby during that same time frame have also won three Kentucky Derbies–Super Saver (2010), Grindstone (1996) and Lil E. Tee (1992).

4) KNOWN AGENDA (c, Curlin–Byrama {GB}, by Byron {GB})
O/B-St Elias Stable (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales History: $135,000 RNA Ylg '19 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-1, $541,700.
Last Start: 1st GI Curlin Florida Derby, GP, Mar. 27
Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Accomplishments: 3rd GII Remsen S., AQU, Dec. 5
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 102

Known Agenda now has three wins at nine furlongs and has beaten No. 2-ranked Greatest Honour twice, but what was most impressive about his 94-Beyer Florida Derby victory was how he settled at the rail and came through inside of horses to launch into contention off the final turn. The addition of blinkers two starts back has noticeably increased this Curlin colt's comfort level with racing in tight quarters, and he generally seems to be focused in his stretch runs (beyond some excusable drifting under left-handed stick work in his final prep at Gulfstream). But in no races at age three has this $135,000 RNA at FTSAUG faced a really stern challenge through the final two furlongs of his races. His Feb. 26 allowance win by 11 lengths at 1-2 odds more or less equated to a public workout, and in the Florida Derby the only rival he had to nail in deep stretch was a 12-1 shot who had been softened up by forcing the pace. Having said that, momentum is definitely on Known Agenda's side, which is always a plus heading to Louisville.

5) HIGHLY MOTIVATED (c, Into Mischief–Strong Incentive, by Warrior's Reward)
O/B-Klaravich Stables, Inc (KY). T-Chad Brown. Sales History: $240,000 wlg '18 KEENOV. Lifetime Record: SW & MGSP, 5-2-2-1, $320,050.
Last Start: 2nd GII Toyota Blue Grass S., KEE, Apr. 3
Accomplishments: 1st Nyquist S., KEE, Nov. 6, 3rd GIII Gotham S., AQU, Mar. 6
Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 50

This $240,000 KEENOV Into Mischief colt could very well end up heading to the Derby with the best runner-up performance in any 2021 prep race. Losing only by a neck in the Blue Grass S., his admirable tenacity on the lead while attempting two turns for the first time and being ceaselessly hounded by undefeated juvenile champ Essential Quality cannot be understated. Only time will tell if such a taxing effort toughens or saps both colts for the Derby; if either one manages to springboard forward off that demanding race, look out. Highly Motivated led through an opening quarter of :23.83, then Javier Castellano toned down the second quarter to :24.58. The third and fourth quarters were nearly identical in :23.87 and :23.89, and as noted above in Essential Quality's write-up, the final eighth was the fastest for this stakes in seven runnings on dirt over Keeneland's current nine-furlong configuration. Highly Motivated beat No. 4-ranked Known Agenda in their lone MSW matchup last season in New York, and his track-record, key-race stakes core on the Breeders' Cup undercard last November reinforces the idea that he is more than capable against upper-crust company.

6) HOT ROD CHARLIE (c, Oxbow–Indian Miss, by Indian Charlie)
O-Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing LLC & William Strauss; B-Edward A Cox (KY); T-Doug O'Neill. Sales history: $17,000 Ylg '19 FTKFEB; $110,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 7-2-1-2, $1,005,700.
Last Start: 1st GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 20
Accomplishments: 2nd GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, KEE, Nov. 6; 3rd GIII Robert B. Lewis S., SA, Jan. 30
Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 110

The one-two horses from last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile are now the one-two horses on the Derby points qualifying list after both Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie have completed their final preps. This half-brother to 2019 sprint champ Mitole (Eskendereya) is demonstrating improvement both visually and by the numbers (every lifetime Beyer faster than previous through seven lifetime starts), and jockey Joel Rosario has previously noted how this colt's ability to relax during morning training translates to him being responsive in the afternoons under varying pace scenarios and levels of pressure. Only two horses have won the Louisiana Derby and then the Kentucky Derby–Grindstone in 1996 and Black Gold in 1924. This two-time Fasig-Tipton sales grad ($17,000 FTKFEB; $110,000 FTKOCT) celebrates his third birthday Apr. 11.

7) CADDO RIVER (c, Hard Spun–Pangburn, by Congrats)
O/B-Shortleaf Stable (KY). T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-2-2-0, $196,092.
Last Start: 5th GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 13.
Accomplishments: 'TDN Rising Star', 1st Smarty Jones S., OP, Jan. 22
Next Start: GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr. 10
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 10

Trainer Brad Cox said last week to expect a “more aggressive” Caddo River in Saturday's Arkansas Derby. “We're not going to sit on him quite as much as we did last time,” he added, referencing the refusal-to-rate meltdown that this 'TDN Rising Star' imposed upon himself when he conceded the lead to Concert Tour then fought the rider in the Rebel S. last time out. This Hard Spun homebred for Shortleaf Stable acted much more poised and professional in two New York MSW placings last autumn, then commanded the pace and won allowance and stakes starts at Churchill and Oaklawn by a combined 19 1/2 lengths. Cox said last month that Caddo River is the fastest (based on breezing) among his three Derby candidates. But it remains to be seen if that speed can be harnessed into a multi-dimensional tactical weapon that will allow Caddo River to control the flow of a race over 10 furlongs.

8) MIDNIGHT BOURBON (c, Tiznow–Catch the Moon, by Malibu Moon)
O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steve Asmussen. Sales History: $525,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 7-2-2-3, $461,420.
Last Start: 2nd GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, FG, Mar. 20.
Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Accomplishments: 1st GIII Lecomte S., FG, Jan. 16, 2nd GIII Iroquois S., CD, Sept. 25, 3rd GII Risen Star S., FG, Feb. 13, 3rd GI Champagne S., BEL, Oct. 10
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 66

There is some upside to Midnight Bourbon when you look at his entire body of work, but the caveat is you'd be backing him in the Derby coming off of two so-so performances and no wins since mid-January. This $525,000 KEESEP colt by Tiznow boasts a seven-race foundation of races at a mile or longer, five appearances in graded stakes, no off-the-board finishes, and Beyers of 93, 96 and 96 in three sophomore starts. It will be tough to leave this Steve Asmussen trainee out of Derby exotics, but building your entire betting strategy around him seems iffy. He hasn't yet learned how to seal the deal, and when he hooked up with Hot Rod Charlie for the final 2 1/2 furlongs of the Louisiana Derby, Midnight Bourbon was trying hard but clearly got outkicked after enjoying a sweet stalking trip that should have set him up nicely for a powerful finish. He closed at 26-1 in the Derby future pool right after his GIII Lecomte win three months ago and was 27-1 in the most recent version of that bet at the end of March.

9) ROCK YOUR WORLD (c, Candy Ride {Arg}–Charm the Maker, by Empire Maker)
O-Hronis Racing LLC & Talla Racing LLC. B-Ron & Deborah McAnally (KY). T-John Sadler. Sales History: $650,000 ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 3-3-0-0, $546,600.
Last Start: 1st GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 3
Accomplishments: 1st Pasadena S., SA, Feb. 27
Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 100

This two-time grass winner (at six furlongs and a mile) stretched out to nine furlongs on dirt and really caught the eye with a 100-Beyer wire job in the GI Santa Anita Derby. That breakout performance earned this unbeaten $650,000 KEESEP colt by Candy Ride (Arg) a berth in the gate in Louisville, but the shallow-on-paper nature of this year's Santa Anita Derby–no other stakes winners besides this colt and beaten fave Medina Spirit (Protonico)–leaves Rock Your World's standing among Kentucky Derby peers kind of hazy. He was prominently placed from the outset and took control seven-eighths out when no one else seemed eager to do so. Tracked by a 45-1 presser, Rock Your World clicked off consecutive quarters of :22.42, :23.69, :24.53 and :25.63, progressively slowing the splits yet opening up on the far turn because no rivals were seriously firing. He finished up 4 1/4 lengths the best through a capable final eighth of :12.90, but he still strikes me as a wild card who's difficult to place in the pecking order. On the plus side, there is some 10-furlong pedigree promise with Empire Maker as his damsire, and Rock Your World doesn't figure strictly as a needs-the-lead threat based on two previous stalking wins on the turf.

10) MEDINA SPIRIT (c, Protonico–Mongolian Changa, by Briliant Speed)
O-Zedan Racing Stables. B-Gail Rice (FL). T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $1,000 ylg '19 OBSWIN; $35,000 2yo '20 OBSOPN. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 5-2-3-0, $315,200.
Last Start: 2nd GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, SA, Apr. 3
Accomplishments: 1st Robert B. Lewis S., SA, Jan. 30, 2nd GII San Felipe S., SA, Mar. 6, 2nd GIII Sham S., SA, Jan. 2
Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 74

Medina Spirit is bound for Louisville off a best-of-the-rest second against a soft crew in the Santa Anita Derby as the 9-10 fave. His upside has always been that he's a hard trier who was a bargain buy ($1,000 OBSWIN and $35,000 OBSOPN), and this Protonico colt also stacks up numbers-wise as a Kentucky Derby candidate (four separate Beyers at 94+ as a 3-year-old). “He ran a game race like he always does,” trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday. “The winner was very impressive, but our horse showed up, he ran his race, he came out of it well and we've got four weeks to sharpen him up.”

11) REBEL'S ROMANCE (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}–Minidress {GB}, by Street Cry {Ire})
O/B-Godolphin (IRE). T-Charles Appleby. Lifetime Record: GSW-UAE, 5-4-0-0, $549,879.
Last Starts: 1st G2 UAE Derby, MEY, Mar. 27
Next Start: Possible for GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 100

This Godolphin homebred by Dubawi (Ire) is a slow breaker, but once this large-framed gelding ramps up to cruising speed, his appeal is evident. He circled the field to paste an okay group in the UAE Derby by open lengths, has won under both 131 and 135 pounds as a 2-year-old, and he does have dirt experience. Since 2000, 11 winners of the UAE Derby have gone on to compete in the Kentucky Derby, and the best finish among them was sixth (along with two DNF's and a 20th-place try).

12) HELIUM (c, 3, Ironicus–Thundering Emilia, by Thunder Gulch)
O-D J Stable LLC; B-Teneri Farm Inc & Bernardo Alvarez Calderon (KY); T-Mark Casse. Sales History: $55,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $287,763.
Last Start: 1st GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, TAM, Mar. 6
Accomplishments: 1st Display S., WO, Oct. 18
Next Start: GI Kentucky Derby, CD, May 1
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 50

The 3-for-3 winner of the Tampa Bay Derby will attempt to go 56 days between starts to win the Kentucky Derby. How unconventional is that? Regret won the 1915 Derby off a 259-day break. Sir Barton won the 1919 Derby off a 238-day rest. Since 1929 (the advent of more complete records), the longest winning layoff for a regularly scheduled Derby was 42 days, equaled by Needles in 1956 and Animal Kingdom in 2011. And last year, when the pandemic forced the Derby to September, Authentic won it off a 49-day break. Trainer Mark Casse is generally known as a savvy layoff conditioner, and over the last five years he's won with layoffs of 31-60 days at a 17% clip. But when you drill down that stat to look at Casse's layoffs during that same time-away frame for starters at 10 furlongs or greater, the strike rate plummets to 1-for-56. Although this $55,000 FTKOCT colt by Ironicus is up against the grain of historical convention, the fact that he is tactically versatile and not locked into a certain running style (he's won on the lead, stalking, and closing) should stand him in good stead in a 20-horse race. Julien Leparoux will ride in the Derby.

Potentially rounding out the starting gate…

13) Mandaloun (Into Mischief): After starting his career with some spark at 3-for-4, this 'TDN Rising Star' was a punchless sixth as the beaten favorite in his final prep race. “We're going to press forward straight to the Kentucky Derby,” trainer Brad Cox said last week. “He's a good colt, and I really don't know what to make of his Louisiana Derby.” Cox added that Mandaloun came out of the race in good order, and he has confidence this Juddmonte homebred's stout pedigree will rise to the occasion going 10 furlongs.

14) Soup and Sandwich (Into Mischief): Live Oak homebred took heat on the lead in the Florida Derby then stuck around late in the lane, running second behind Known Agenda. “I was very pleased, especially if he ever learns what he's doing,” trainer Mark Casse said post-race. “[Jockey] Johnny [Velazquez] said he had to fight with him a little. He stayed on his left lead all the way down the stretch. He's like that in the morning, too.”

15) Dynamic One (Into Mischief): His runner-up try in the GII Wood Memorial S. might have represented a better run than the winner's considering it was just the first start outside the maiden ranks for this $725,000 KEESEP colt. He was wide on both turns and just got pipped at the wire, earning the same 89 Beyer as the horse who beat him by a head.

16) Bourbonic (Bernardini): This Calumet homebred lobbed a 72-1 bomb into the Derby mix with a perfectly timed last-to-first move to steal the Wood Memorial in the final jump. But the final clocking of 1:54.49 was the slowest in the race's history and also the slowest of three consecutive nine-furlong races run Saturday at Aqueduct.

17) Hidden Stash (Constitution): This $50,000 KEESEP colt is currently on the outside looking in points-wise (No. 23 on the qualifying list), and his connections were non-committal about a Derby start after his Blue Grass fourth. I do like the fact that he was the only one gaining in the stretch of his two Tampa stakes; he's also won and has run third in two starts at Churchill. Hidden Stash is weak in the numbers category though, with an 83 Beyer twice being his lifetime best.

18) Rombauer (Twirling Candy): Fradkin homebred is currently 21st in qualifying points, so he's right on the cusp. Got bumped by the winner out of the gate in the Blue Grass, but it didn't really hamper his trip. He's run a faster Beyer in every consecutive start over six races, but would enter the Derby never having won on dirt (turf and Tapeta victories only).

19) Hosier (Pioneerof the Nile): Baffert-trained $625,000 FTSAUG colt goes in this weekend's Arkansas Derby. He owns a 1-for-3 lifetime record, with both losses at the hands of No. 3-ranked Concert Tour. Will face his stablemate again on Saturday in search of points and momentum to punch his ticket to Louisville.

20) Like the King (Palace Malice): Big, rangy colt ($28,000 KEENOV, $170,000 OBSOCT) has never been off the board in six lifetime tries but has been beaten by large margins in only two dirt attempts.

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Pletcher Barn Suddenly Flooded With Quartet Of Kentucky Derby Prospects

Calumet Farm homebred Bourbonic, trained by Todd Pletcher and piloted by Kendrick Carmouche, garnered an 89 Beyer Speed Figure and 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his dramatic head score over stablemate Dynamic One in Saturday's Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The victory capped a sensational day for the Pletcher barn, which successfully debuted promising New York-bred maiden Great Workout on the Wood Memorial undercard and also included a closing second from Haikal in the Grade 3 Excelsior.

Bourbonic, a dark bay Bernardini colt, was sent to post as the longest shot on the board at 72-1 and topped an unlikely exacta over 15-1 stablemate Dynamic One that returned $453 for a $1 wager.

Patiently handled by Carmouche, Bourbonic closed from last of nine runners to edge Dynamic One, who had made the lead at top of the lane after tracking the early foot of the prominent Grade 3 Gotham-winner Weyburn.

“It was a very patient ride,” said Byron Hughes, the New York-based assistant for Pletcher. “That track often plays to frontrunners or horses closer to the pace. Yesterday, it was playing fair and there were some closers. He waited as long as he could and made one run and it paid off.”

A late bloomer, Bourbonic graduated at third asking in a $50,000 maiden claiming mile in December at the Big A and followed with a score against winners in January traveling a one-turn mile at Aqueduct. He entered the Wood Memorial from a runner-up effort in a mile and 70 yards optional-claiming tilt at Parx in February.

While many of the Pletcher-trained Kentucky Derby hopefuls wintered at Palm Beach Downs in Florida, Bourbonic remained with Hughes in New York. He said the added distance was beneficial for the improving dark bay.

“We always thought he wanted more distance and two turns is something he needed,” said Hughes. “It was a good day for the team. He's been a forward training horse here. He loves to train and it's been great to have him up here this winter.”

Repole Stable, Phipps Stable, and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One earned 40 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for his runner-up effort under Jose Ortiz. The Union Rags chestnut was piloted to a nine-furlong maiden victory in March by Carmouche at Aqueduct.

“He ran a game race,” said Hughes. “I was looking at the Trakus this morning and he actually ran 43 feet more than Bourbonic did. It was a game race and we were happy with his effort.”

Hughes said he was pleased with how both horses came out of the race.

“They both look good. They both ate up last night and are walking around here this morning with a purpose,” said Hughes.

Pletcher also enjoyed a successful Saturday at Keeneland with Kentucky Oaks hopeful Malathaat remaining undefeated after taking the Grade 1 Ashland. Also victorious at the Lexington oval were 3-year-old turf filly Jouster in the Grade 2 Appalachian and well-regarded sophomore colt Ghazaaly, who graduated in the day's opening race.

“It was a big day for us at Keeneland, too. Malathaat is undefeated and looked great doing it,” said Hughes.

Hughes said the barn is excited at their prospects for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby slated for May 1 at Churchill Downs. They currently have four contenders on the leaderboard, including Florida Derby-winner Known Agenda [102 points], Bourbonic [100], Dynamic One [40] and Sainthood [40].

“It's exciting. We went from not having any to having four in two weekends,” said Hughes. “These last shots paid off and the barn is excited for the Derby. All the hard work getting here at 4:30 in the morning, it pays off for everybody.”

Kentucky Derby Leaderboard

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