No Derby ‘Conquest’ for Oaklawn runner-up RECORDS ON THE WALL
Oaklawn Park lost a potential Kentucky Derby starter Tuesday with the announcement that Arkansas Derby runner-up Conquest Mo Money will skip the May 6 classic at Churchill Downs.
Instead, the New York-bred son of champion Uncle Mo will be pointed to the May 20 Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, said owner Tom McKenna.
“The decision I’ve made on (Conquest) Mo Money — what I thought about more than anything else is how many people I am going to disappoint if I don’t run in the Derby, and everyone in the industry dreams about the day that you can get to the Derby,” McKenna said at a press conference at New Mexico’s Sunland Park.
“I made the choice on what I think is best for the horse. … I really believe the best choice for Conquest Mo Money is the Preakness.”
Conquest Mo Money finished second by a half-length to champion Classic Empire in Saturday’s Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn. With 60 points from the Arkansas Derby and Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby last month, Conquest Mo Money earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby pending a $200,000 supplemental nomination to the Triple Crown. The supplemental fee for the Preakness is $150,000. (Late Triple Crown nominations of $6,000 were due March 20.)
“The reason I wore this (cowboy) hat up here was to pass the heat for donations,” McKenna joked at the press conference Tuesday.
An $8,500 Keeneland November 2016 purchase, Conquest Mo Money has three wins and two seconds in five starts with earnings of $508,900. He finished runner-up to Hence in the Sunland Derby after winning back-to-back stakes in New Mexico, holding on for second in the Arkansas Derby at 17-1 after bumping last-out Grade 2 Rebel winner Malagacy down the stretch.
Classic Empire, Malagacy and Hence, an Oaklawn maiden winner, have sufficient points to run in the Kentucky Derby, which is capped at 20 starters. Points awarded in 35 designated races determine starting preference if more than 20 horses enter. Classic Empire is trained by Mark Casse, Malagacy by 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher and Hence by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
Other Oaklawn-raced horses with a chance to make the Kentucky Derby field are No. 21 Untrapped, No. 22 Lookin At Lee, No. 23 Sonneteer and No. 24 Royal Mo.
Untrapped, owned by Mike Langford of Jonesboro and trained by Asmussen, finished third in the Rebel and sixth in the Arkansas Derby. The Asmussen-trained Lookin At Lee raced three times at Oaklawn, placing third in the Grade 3 Southwest, sixth in the Rebel
and third in the Arkansas Derby.
Sonneteer, a 10-race maiden trained by Keith Desormeaux, finished second in the Rebel at 112-1 odds and fourth in the Arkansas Derby. Royal Mo, ninth in the Rebel, is a stablemate of Kentucky Derby qualifier Gormley, the last-out Santa Anita Derby winner for the Zenyatta team of trainer John Shirreffs and owners Jerry and Ann Moss.
* Hence, owned by historic Calumet Farm, posted a five-furlong “bullet” workout of 1:00.40 Monday at Churchill Downs, where the spring meeting begins April 29.