Kentucky Derby news: Bob Baffert’s bad luck; Maxfield picks Blue Grass over Belmont
Things sure flipped on Bob Baffert in a hurry.
No more than a month ago, the five-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer appeared loaded towards a major run at win No. 6 on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs. He trained the undefeated Nadal, winner of the Grade 2 San Vicente, Grade 2 Rebel and a division of the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. He trained the undefeated Charlatan, winner of the other division of the Arkansas Derby. He trained the undefeated Authentic, winner of the Grade 3 Sam and Grade 2 San Felipe.
Then, racing luck struck.
During a workout on May 28, Nadal suffered a condylar fracture that required surgery. He is being retired to stud.
On Saturday morning, Baffert announced that Charlatan was being taken off the Kentucky Derby trail because of filling in the horse’s ankle. After a 45-day training respite, Charlatan could be back in time for the Preakness Oct. 3.
Then Saturday afternoon, Authentic broke way wide from his outside post position and suffered his first defeat, losing to Honor A. P. in the Santa Anita Derby.
That’s not even counting Charlatan reportedly testing positive for a banned substance after his Arkansas Derby win. The split sample has been sent to an independent lab for verification of a numbing agent banned on race days.
Rescheduled from its original April 4 date, Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby drew a field of seven with Authentic the 1-2 favorite. But Honor A. P. was an impressive 2 3/4-length winner under jockey Mike Smith. The victory netted 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
“He ran great,” trainer John Shirreffs told The Blood-Horse after Honor A. P.’s win. “It was a super effort.”
The son of Honor Code is now 2-for-4 in his career. He finished second to Authentic in the San Felipe before earning revenge at Santa Anita on Saturday. And Shirreffs, who won the 2005 Kentucky Derby with Giacomo, has a history with Smith. The two were trainer and jockey for Zenyatta.
Meanwhile, the connections for last year’s Breeders’ Futurity winner, Maxfield, have decided to skip the June 20 Belmont Stakes in favor of the July 11 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, reports Horse Racing Nation.
“We’ve got a race on our doorstep where we don’t have to ship him,” trainer Brendan Walsh said of the Blue Grass, and in a unique season where the Belmont has shortened to 1 1/8 miles, “we can keep him at two turns, which I think is essential. We can run him on a track that we know he acts on and he trains on every day.”
After a long layoff because of a bone chip, Maxfield won the Matt Winn on May 23 at Churchill Downs to earn 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The Blue Grass Stakes offers 100 points to the winner.
Florida Derby winner Tiz the Law is being prepped for the Belmont Stakes in New York. Owned by Sackatoga Stables, who campaigned 2003 Derby winner Funny Side, Tiz the Law leads the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 122 points.
Others believed pointing toward the Belmont are Dr Post, Mischevious Alex, Sole Volante, Gouverneur Morris, Max Player, Farmington Road, Basin, Modernist and Tap it to Win.
“With the horses we’re preparing for it, the biggest beneficiary is Dr Post, who would have been behind for the traditional Triple Crown series,” trainer Todd Pletcher told Tom Pedulla for Horse Racing Nation. “In his case, he’s going to be coming around at the right time. By gradually stretching out to a 7-furlong race, to a mile and a sixteenth, to a mile and an eighth, that’s a big help to him.”
This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 10:31 AM.
