A Derby with lightly raced colts, and lots of possibilities
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-year-old. 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.
Mendelssohn has the least amount of time on the Churchill Downs dirt than any horse in the field. The Ireland-based colt made his first appearance Thursday —
Kentucky Derby entrant Justify trains at Churchill Louisville, Ky.
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.
Mendelssohn was an 18½-length winner of the UAE Derby. His regal bloodlines and $3 million price tag suggest he would be a worthy champion, but no Europe-based horse has won the Derby.
Getting the ideal trip in the Derby is critical, especially with the traffic from 20 horses making a chaotic charge into the first turn. Jockeys want to avoid anything that would prevent their horse from getting into rhythm, like being bumped, cut off or blocked.
“There’s so many horses in the field that seem like they have good chances to win the race with a clean trip,” said Chad Brown, who trains Good Magic. “I feel like we have one of them.”
High school dropout Mick Ruis will try to become just the third owner-trainer to win. He has Bolt d’Oro, the colt named in part for Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt. Bolt d’Oro finished second to Justify in the Santa Anita Derby.
“This is the best we’ve had him,” Ruis said.
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). JUSTIFY: One of two Derby charges for trainer Bob Baffert, the colt enters as the 3-1 race favorite thanks to a 3-0 record and an impressive win in the Santa Anita Derby. Justify’s challenge is putting aside 136 years of history and becoming the first Derby champion since Apollo in 1882 without racing as a 2-year-old. MENDELSSOHN: The 5-1 second choice has won his last three outings and four overall with a second in seven starts in Dubai, Great Britain and Ireland, where he’s been based. He might need more than international experience to become the first European horse to win the Derby. Mendelssohn must quickly learn Churchill Downs after hitting the track for the first time Thursday following quarantine since his arrival. MAGNUM MOON: Trainer Todd Pletcher’s hopes of winning consecutive Derbys look good with this unbeaten colt, who has won all four starts beneath Luis Saez by a combined 14 lengths. His most recent outing was a four-length triumph in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 14, which was impressive but also narrowed the turnaround window. AUDIBLE: The jockey combination of Javier Castellano and John Velazquez has made another Pletcher pupil one of the horses to watch and a tempting betting choice at 8-1. The riders have two wins each over Audible’s last four starts, though Castellano will ride him in the Derby while Velazquez guides Vino Rosso for Pletcher. BOLT D’ORO: Initially second to McKinzie in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, the Kentucky bred was awarded the victory in his 3-year-old debut after a postrace disqualification. He’s 4-1-1 in six starts. Jockey Victor Espinoza, who rode American Pharoah to the 2015 Triple Crown, will make his first start atop Bolt d’Oro.