Malagacy, perfect in 3 starts, may run in Arkansas Derby

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Todd Pletcher could be going for an Oaklawn 3-yearold stakes triple next month, with Malagacy a candidate for the Arkansas Derby after winning the Rebel Stakes here last Saturday.

The Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel was the second of Oaklawn’s three graded preps for the Kentucky Derby. Pletcher won the first one with One Liner in last month’s Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest. The Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby will be run April 15.

“I think that will be our first option,” Pletcher said about Malagacy. “We need to get him home and assess how he handled everything, but it would certainly make the most sense from a timing standpoint.”

Malagacy was returning home to his south Florida base at Palm Beach Downs on Sunday. He remained undefeated in three starts with his Rebel victory, his first start in a stakes race and his first twoturn race. His first two starts were blowout sprint wins at Gulfstream Park. Malagacy won going 1 1/16 miles Saturday, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 91, and would be getting a new distance test in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby.

“I think you haven’t seen the bottom of him yet,” Pletcher said when asked about stretching out Malagacy, a son of Preakness winner Shackleford. “He was a little closer than his previous couple of races [Saturday], pressured pretty honest fractions, and looked like he still finished up pretty good. We still had something left in the end.

“I’m optimistic he’ll continue to stretch out. Aside from having natural speed, he’s a very ratable horse. He’s fast, not headstrong. I think that will certainly help him. He handled a mile and a sixteenth super. Trying a mile and an eighth is the next logical step.”

Pletcher has won the Arkansas Derby four times and had a runner-up finish in 2010 with Super Saver, who in his next start won the Kentucky Derby.

Malagacy races for Sumaya US Stable.

Sonneteer, the maiden who won a photo for second in the Rebel at 112-1, has a few options, including the Arkansas Derby, said trainer Keith Desormeaux. The horse returned Sunday to Santa Anita.

Desormeaux said he and owner Calumet Farm will consider the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and the Santa Anita Derby for Sonneteer. Another angle is to just train up to the Kentucky Derby on May 6 since Sonneteer, who has made eight starts, has experience and fitness in his corner, said Desormeaux.

“It’s going to be a strong point of discussion whether he should run again before the Derby,” Desormeaux said. “He has experience, fitness. But there are no set plans. We’ve got to consider them all. We’ll have fun talking about it the next few weeks.”

Sonneteer closed from next to last in the Rebel and was beaten two lengths by Malagacy. Sonneteer earned an 89 Beyer.

“I think he’ll be even better with more distance,” Desormeaux said. “It was a big day. It’s nice to see one run to your expectations.”

Desormeaux fully expected Sonneteer to be a longshot Saturday as a maiden in the Rebel, but not 112-1. “I thought 30-1, 40-1,” he said. Untrapped finished third, a nose behind Sonneteer. Untrapped was coming off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds and was making his first start at Oaklawn.

“I thought he ran solid, and I think he’ll run back better,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Untrapped for Mike Langford.

Asmussen said Sunday he likes the four-week spacing from the Rebel to the Arkansas Derby better than the threeweek spacing Untrapped had between the Risen Star and the Rebel.

Asmussen also saddled Lookin At Lee in the Rebel, and the horse made up some ground to be sixth, beaten 3 3/4 lengths.

“I’m very anxious to get more ground for him,” said Asmussen, who trains the horse for L and N Racing.

Asmussen said the Blue Grass is a possible next spot for Lookin At Lee because of how well the horse ran over the Keeneland surface last year when second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, won by eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Classic Empire. Lookin At Lee also is under consideration for the Arkansas Derby.

Petrov, who was fourth in the Rebel after running second in the Southwest, will be considered for either the Blue Grass or Arkansas Derby, trainer Ron Moquett said Sunday. Petrov was impeded while making his stretch run Saturday and lost a photo for second to both Sonneteer and Untrapped.

“The difference was literally a quarter of an inch,” Moquett said. “I tweeted this morning [with the official photo] that a picture’s worth a thousand words, and in this case, worth over $100,000.”

A second-place finish in the Rebel was worth $180,000, compared with fourth place.

“That’s how racing is,” said Moquett. “Sometimes everything works your way, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

American Anthem, favored in the Rebel, lost his left front shoe during the race, Elliott Walden, the president, chief executive, and racing manager for co-owner WinStar Farm, said Monday. American Anthem finished an uncharacteristic 10th with Mike Smith aboard for trainer Bob Baffert.

“He did lose his left front shoe during the course of the race,” Walden said. “I don’t know when it happened. Mike thought he scrambled away from the gate, didn’t get away cleanly, hence why he was so far back. It might have happened at the start, but that’s just conjecture. He came out of the race well, and we’ll regroup.”

Walden said one option is the Santa Anita Derby.

“I think Bob will take a hard look at the Santa Anita Derby,” said Walden.

Baffert is overseas to run Arrogate in the $10 million Dubai World Cup this Saturday.

Royal Mo, a Grade 3 winner who finished an uncharacteristic ninth in the Rebel after breaking from post 10, arrived back at his Santa Anita barn Sunday, said trainer John Shirreffs. Plans for his next start are to be discussed, Shirreffs said.

“He didn’t run as we’d hoped he’d run, but I think we’ll sit down, think about it, and try to figure out how we can improve,” Shirreffs said. “We certainly have a lot of faith in him. He’s a really nice 3-yearold. We’ll find a spot for him and figure it out.” $45,000 for