Domino effect lands Quip in Arkansas Derby

After unbeaten Justify was removed from consideration for the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby, trainer Rodolphe Brisset said Thursday Grade 2 winner Quip was heading to Oaklawn Park to run in the April 14 race for his high-profile connections.

China Horse Club International and WinStar Farm LLC. will be represented in the Arkansas Derby after all. Brisset said Quip, a son of Distorted Humor, was scheduled to arrive by van early today after he was to scratch the Grade 2 $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky.

The move comes less than a week after Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert opted to keep Justify home for the Grade 1 $1 million Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita rather than run in the Arkansas Derby, the unbeaten colt’s original target before an injury to stablemate McKinzie had a domino effect on four races. McKinzie had been ticketed for the Santa Anita Derby.

Baffert’s Arkansas Derby entrant is now scheduled to be Solomini, who was headed for the Grade 2 $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack in New York before McKinzie’s injury.

WinStar, which bred Quip, and China Horse Club are also partners in Justify. SF Racing LLC also co-owns Quip.

“Of course, Justify has the same ownership in my horse,” Brisset said Friday morning. “The fact he went for the Grade 1 in California kind of opened … for us to run in a Grade 1 instead of a Grade 2.

“It’s really, really why you

make the move. WinStar, China Horse Club and SF Racing are looking for a stallion and Grade 1 winner, so running in a Grade 2 doesn’t really change anything for them.”

WinStar, China Horse Club and SF Racing won the Grade 3 $500,000 Southwest Stakes – one of Oaklawn’s four major Kentucky Derby preps – last year with One Liner and own a piece of Audible, winner of the Grade 1 $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Florida.

Brisset, a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, has never started a horse at Oaklawn. Mott was Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 1986.

Quip has won 3 of 4 starts overall, including the Grade 2 $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby March 10 at Tampa Bay Downs in his last start. Brisset said regular rider Florent Geroux will have the mount on Quip for the Arkansas Derby.

Post positions for the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby will be drawn Wednesday.

Quip was 6-1 on the morning line for the Blue Grass Stakes.