Kentucky Derby favorite Justify will start from post 7 Inside
backer Anthony Solomon out of St. Thomas Aquinas, wide receiver Jeremiah Payton out of Fletcher High in Neptune Beach and offensive lineman Michael Tarquin of Belleview High, who committed on the day the Hurricanes wrapped up spring practice late last month.
In terms of future recruiting classes, Miami already has verbal commitments from eight 2020 prospects, including seven fourstar players. Expect the Hurricanes to continue pushing on that front, as well.
“I always tell our staff that recruiting starts when a kid commits to us or somebody else. We know it’s not over until it’s over. It’s not over until Signing Day. Everybody continues to work a kid and a lot happens between now and Signing Day,” Richt told Rose. “Seasons go great, seasons go bad, guys turn pro at their position and all of a sudden, they’re more interested. There’s all kinds of things that happen, coaches leave and go to another job, you just have to keep banging away at the guys that you want and we’ll fight to the very last minute. The good news is the battles we’re having [are] against some of the greatest schools in America, which is who we should be battling with.”
During another portion of his radio segment with Rose, Richt noted he spent a good amount of time this past weekend monitoring the NFL draft and keeping tabs on not only where his current players at Miami landed, but where some of his former Georgia players went, too.
Throughout the weekend, Richt sent out congratulatory messages to both his former Bulldogs and his Hurricanes on social media, telling Rose it’s hard not to pull for players he’s coached, particularly since his relationships with them often predate their arrivals on campus.
“When you know a kid when he’s in the ninth or 10th grade, you recruit him all the way through, you get him at your school and you get to know him as a person and you get to know their families, it’s fun to see them on draft day get drafted and I wanted to acknowledge that through my Twitter account,” Richt said. “There were some Georgia boys that I recruited and that I know and love and then you have all the guys at Miami getting drafted and getting their chance to do their thing. It was fun. It was exciting. The draft is huge and last year, we had nine guys drafted and every guy made a team. And I think we had three other free agents make a team … Justin Vogel punted for Green Bay, Jamal Carter’s with the Denver Broncos, and you have Malcolm Lewis on the Dolphins’ practice squad. Even some of these guys that didn’t get drafted will get a chance to get in camp and make a team.”
While he’s said repeatedly that Miami’s quarterback competition will continue throughout the summer and into camp ahead of the Hurricanes Sept. 2 opener against LSU, Richt said yet again Tuesday that redshirt senior Malik Rosier currently remains the leader in the race.
Rosier, who started all 13 games for Miami last season, completed 54 percent of his passes and threw for 3,120 yards and 26 touchdowns with 14 interceptions, is trying to hold off charges from youngsters N’Kosi Perry, Cade Weldon and Jarren Williams.
“Malik really had a good spring. He does understand fully what we’re trying to do. He absolutely can get us in the right plays and even just get us in the right MIKE identifications to help everybody know their blocking schemes,” Richt said. “He can go from a bad play to a good play or a good play to a great play when he sees certain things and can audible at the line of scrimmage.
“He threw the ball pretty well. It wasn’t unbelievable, but no one’s perfect. Sometimes you get to where you feel like a guy misses one ball, it’s like, ‘What’s going on?’ But he really had a good spring. The other guys, the good news is, N’Kosi’s learning a lot more, getting better at what he’s doing. He’s a very talented passer, runner. Weldon missed a couple practices with an eye infection, but when he came back, he put back-toback practices together … practiced extremely well. And then, Jarren Williams is the guy that has come in, and quite frankly, he’s a better passer than I thought he was. He’s throwing some dimes out there. He’s not quite sure who to throw to half the time, but when he throws it at something, he tends to hit it, so that’s a good sign. He came midyear, he’s got a chance to learn all summer and keep competing. But if it were today, it’d be Malik and it ought to be Malik. We’ll see if he continues to have a great summer and knock it out in camp.”
When pressed more on the quarterback issue, namely where it stands in terms of a backup, again, Richt said the competition continues.
“It’s open. It really is,” Richt said. “I’d love to say ‘This guy’s No. 1, this guy’s a solid No. 2 and these other guys are battling for playing time or they may redshirt’ and that kind of thing. But we’re not there right now. I’d love to go through the whole summer and know 100 percent who the guy is, and really, Malik is the guy and he’s got to act that way throughout the summer and in the leadership role that the quarterbacks take in the summer and He will. He did it last summer, and he’ll do it again. And I have all the faith and confidence that we’re going to have a great summer with his leadership and the other guys are growing up a little bit more and can take a little bit more ownership of it as well.”
ccabrera@ sun-sentinel.com; On Twitter @ChristyChirinos.
LOUISVILLE, KY. — Justify has come into his first piece of luck as he tries to break the “Curse of Apollo” and become the first horse in 136 years to win the Kentucky Derby after not running as a 2-year-old.
The Bob Baffert-trained colt will start from the coveted No. 7 post in the 20-horse field and was listed as a 3-1 favorite in the morning line after the post-position draw at Churchill Downs on Tuesday morning.
“That’s a good spot,” Baffert said, looking ahead to Saturday’s race. “We didn’t want to be in the one-hole and we didn’t want to be 20. Seven is fine, but he still has to break well. If he doesn’t break well, it doesn’t matter what hole he’s in. … He’s lightly raced and he has to leave there running.”
The Hall of Fame trainer is seeking his fifth Kentucky Derby victory and his first since American Pharoah won in 2015 on the first leg of his Triple Crown romp. Baffert sent California-based Justify to the track at Churchill for the first time Tuesday and pronounced him fit and happy.
“It’s one of the toughest Derbys that I’ve ever seen and one of the best draws that I’ve ever seen,” Baffert said. “The most important horses got good draws. My excuses are really dwindling, so now I’ve got to come with the horse.”
Justify, undefeated in three career starts, heads a strong field that includes entries from the sport’s most decorated trainers and also features a dash of international intrigue.
That comes from Mendelssohn, the Irish-trained horse who earned his Derby spot with a sensational victory in the UAE Derby in Dubai. Mendelssohn will start from the No. 14 post as a 5-1 second choice in the morning line.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, who won last year’s Derby with Always Dreaming, will saddle a quartet of starters, including Magnum Moon, the 6-1 third choice in the morning line, and Audible, the 8-1 co-fourth choice. Audible, the Florida Derby winner, will start from the No. 5 post and Magnum Moon, the Arkansas Derby winner, from the No. 16 post. Pletcher’s other two horses, Wood Memorial winner Vino Rosso (12-1 in the morning line) and Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy, (30-1), will start in the No. 18 and No. 19 posts, respectively.
Bolt d’Oro, the co-fourth choice at 8-1, will start from the No. 11 post. Good Magic, his old rival from last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, will start from the No. 6 post as a 12-1 choice.
“It’s ironic. We had 11 and Good Magic had the 6 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile,” said Bolt d’Oro’s trainer and owner, Mick Ruis. “We drew the same numbers. That’s kind of fun. I’m fine where we are.”
Bolt d’Oro lost that race and lost to Justify in the Santa Anita Derby, so he’ll be seeking revenge on two rivals. Jockey Victor Espinoza will be aboard, seeking his fourth Derby victory and first since he rode American Pharoah.
Hofburg, the lightly raced Florida Derby runner-up, will start from the No. 9 post as a 20-1 choice in the morning line.