ENDS JUSTIFY THE GREENS
A lightly raced favorite may leave Derby wide open
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Todd Pletcher is throwing numbers at the Kentucky Derby again. Bob Baffert is seeking a fifth victory, and he’s got the favorite, too. An old jinx could be disproved, and history would be written if Mendelssohn wears the garland of red roses.
The 20-horse field for Saturday’s 144th Run for the Roses includes a handful of top contenders who have been consistent this spring.
Justify was the 7-2 favorite in early wagering Friday. Trained by Baffert, the Southern California colt, however, is green, with just three starts.
“We have a good enough horse that can win it, but it’s a very competitive race,” Baffert said. “You’re going to have to have some luck.”
Justify is undefeated and Magnum Moon is 4-0, neither having run as a 2-yearold. They’ll be trying to upend a so-called curse: No horse since Apollo in 1882 has won without racing as a juvenile.
Arkansas Derby winner Magnum Moon is one of four horses to be saddled by Todd Pletcher, who won last year’s Derby with Always Dreaming.
Pletcher’s Audible was the co-third choice at 6-1 with Mendelssohn on Friday. Along with Magnum Moon, Vino Rosso and Noble Indy were double-digit longshots for the trainer, who is tied with mentor D. Wayne Lukas for the most Derby starters all time with 48.
Mendelssohn has the least amount of time on the Churchill Downs dirt of any horse in the field. The Ireland-based colt made his first appearance Thursday — drawing attention with his screeching — after spending the first part of the week in quarantine for Aidan O’Brien. The trainer is 0-for-5 at the Derby, the biggest victory to elude him.
Besides Baffert, four other Hall of Fame trainers are in the race: Steve Asmussen (Combatant), Jerry Hollendorfer (Instilled Regard), Lukas (Bravazo) and Bill Mott (Hofburg). Baffert and Lukas are tied for the second-most wins with four each. None of the others has won a Derby.
Hofburg is Mott’s first Kentucky Derby runner in nine years. Hofburg has just three career starts, including a runner-up finish in the Florida Derby.
“This may be as good a chance as I’ve ever had,” Mott said. “Some of the tougher horses in the race are fairly lightly raced.”
The frequently changing forecast for Saturday calls for a chance of rain at different times during the day. Post time is 6:46 p.m.
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