Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Magnum Moon in driver's seat
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Magnum Moon will dictate his schedule between now and the Kentucky Derby, trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday, the morning after the horse improved his career record to 3 for 3 with his win in the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.
Magnum Moon earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 97 when he tracked the pace and went on to a 3 1/2-length victory over favorite Solomini. Magnum Moon was making his stakes debut after winning a maiden special weight sprint in January at Gulfstream Park with a Beyer Figure of 95 and a first-level allowance at two turns a month later at Tampa Bay Downs.
Magnum Moon covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.68.
“I was pleased with his overall performance,” Pletcher said Sunday. “Not only was he taking a big step up in class, he was traveling, taking an airplane for the first time. He was in a new environment, a new setting, going into the infield for [riders up]. All those situations play a role in seeing how a horse handles added pressure.”
Pletcher said Magnum Moon passed every test.
Magnum Moon, a May foal by Malibu Moon, races for Robert and Lawana Low. The horse left the Oaklawn backstretch at 5:45 a.m. on Monday to fly home to Florida. Pletcher said plans have yet to be determined for Magnum Moon, who picked up 50 points for the Kentucky Derby.
“I think it’s all about how the horse comes back, how he trains, and handles the ship back and forth,” Pletcher said. “I think the most likely scenario would be to come back for the Arkansas Derby. That would be most likely if we decide we want to run between now and the Derby. We’ll see how things unfold and we’ll let him guide us.”
Pletcher said other preps that would be options are the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and Blue Grass at Keeneland.
Solomini, the runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, was making his first start since Dec. 9, when he finished first in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity in front of stablemate McKinzie but was placed third for interference. He encountered trouble in the Rebel, but put in his run through the stretch.
“It was a little rough for him,” trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday. “I was very proud of him. He ran a very gallant race. He took a little bobble at the start and lost his position and he was stuck down inside. He couldn’t go anywhere. He tried to go inside and they closed up on him. He had every reason to stop running and he kept on going.
“It was a very positive race. He tries hard. Every time, he’s right there. He’s tough. He’s like McKinzie, he does not quit. They don’t have quit in them. They keep running.”
Solomini was scheduled to fly home to Southern California on Monday. Owner Justin Zayat of Zayat Stables announced on Twitter on Sunday that the horse was being pointed to the Wood Memorial.
Solomini earned 20 points for the Kentucky Derby in the Rebel and is sitting ninth on the points leaderboard with 34.
Combatant finished a head behind Solomini in third in the Rebel and sits 13th on the Kentucky Derby points list with 22. Trainer Steve Asmussen said Sunday that plans are to be determined for the horse. Combatant was second in last month’s Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes here
“I know the last two draws have not been ideal for him,” Asmussen said of starting from the 10-hole in the Rebel and Southwest. “He made a long, sustained run and I thought he got a little tired from it, but he came from so far back because he didn’t break the way he can, or should have.”
Asmussen noted Combatant tossed his head as the gate opened Saturday.
Title Ready, who set the pace from the rail and finished fourth in the Rebel in his stakes debut, earned five points for the Kentucky Derby. Title Ready is owned by Charles Fipke.
“Title Ready took a big step up in competition and he ran well,” Asmussen said. “Watching the race he drew a little separation – moved away from them a little bit about the threeeighths pole and gave us hope. I thought they tackled him pretty hard into the stretch and he still stayed on pretty well.
“We’ll speak with Mr. Fipke and his team about what is best for the horse next, but I did think that he stepped up nicely.”
Sporting Chance, last year’s Hopeful winner who was fifth in the Rebel, came out of the race well and will point to the Arkansas Derby, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Sunday.
“I thought that he was flat through the stretch and that really surprised me after what I’d done with him,” Lukas said. “We had to use him a little bit to get into the first turn and then we pushed a little down the backside to get position to where we wanted to be, and it may have flattened him out a little bit.
“He came back in great order so we’ll just readjust. I’ll change up some things and see if I can get him better for the next one.”