Waiting game for Kentucky Derby 150 resumes
With defections in the field, trainer Brad Cox might have three horses in the 150th Kentucky Derby.
Cox-trained Encino secured 20 qualifying points Saturday for the May 4 $5 million classic at Churchill Downs in winning the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland in central Kentucky. That puts the Godolphin colt 21st with 40 points. With two starters coming from overseas, the top 18 in the American points system fill the 20-horse field.
As it stands, Cox has Oaklawn-raced Catching Freedom (third with 125) along with Just a Touch (ninth, 75) in the race. The Louisville native finished third with Angel of Empire in the 2023 Derby, with the same owner (Des Moinesbased Albaugh Family Stable) as Jan. 1 Smarty Jones and March 23 Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom. Cox said recently that Feb. 24 Oaklawn Grade 2 winner Timberlake would skip the May classic.
Just Steel, second in three Oaklawn points races for Hall of Fame trainer Wayne Lukas, is 12th with 65 points. Grade 3 Southwest winner Mystik Dan, with Arkansas connections, is 18th with 46 points.
Fort Chaffee-born Ken McPeek, yet to win the Derby but second with Tejano Run in 1995, trains Mystik Dan for Lance Gasaway, Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway’s 4G Racing and David Hamby III. A show finish in the March 30 Grade 1 Arkansas Derby (Timberlake was fourth) secured his spot.
“That was huge,” said Lance Gasaway, cousin of Brent and from Star City. “If we don’t run third, we’re not in the Kentucky Derby.”
Both Gasaways (Sharilyn is Brent’s wife) are co-breeders along with Hamby’s brother, Scott. Gasaway said Hamby purchased an interest in Mystik Dan after his eightlength cruise in the G3 Southwest Feb. 3 at Oaklawn.
“I’ve never been to the Kentucky Derby,” Lance said. “I said I’ll never go unless I have a horse in the race. I’m not a crowd person. I said the only way I would do it is if I had one in there.”
Mystik Dan worked a half-mile in 48 seconds Saturday at Churchill Downs. Lance Gasaway said McPeek sent him video of the breeze, which ranked 14th out of 123 recorded at the distance.
“Looked good,” Gasaway said. “The horse moved good. Just a maintenance half-mile. They’ll get down on him in the next two weeks.”
The only outright Kentucky Derby winner with a sole Arkansas owner is Lil E. Tee (1992) for the late Magnolia oilman Cal Partee. Hot Springs horsemen Stephen and Keeley DeSalvo were part of the Team Valor syndicate that raced 2011 winner Animal Kingdom.
Seven horses with a top-three Oaklawn finish last time out have won the race (most recently Country House, 2019, through disqualification after a show finish in Hot Springs to injured Derby morning-line favorite Omaha Beach).