The field for the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is set — for now.
A handful of defections, including that of an injured Tappan Street on Saturday, left Santa Anita Derby runner-up Baeza as the only also-eligible when the 20-horse field was drawn on Saturday night at Churchill Downs. The bad news is he’ll have to hope for another withdrawal by 9 a.m. local time on Friday morning. The good news is there’s been at least one horse scratched from the body of the Derby field in each of the past six years.
If Baeza does draw in, he’ll be considered a contender at odds of 12-1, fourth-shortest on the morning line along with Rodriguez and Burnham Square. Ian Wilkes, who trains Burnham Square, told Daily Racing Form’s David Grening after his final official Derby work that he thinks the Blue Grass winner is sitting on his best race.
“He’s right where I want him,” Wilkes said.
On Saturday, Burnham Square turned in what DRF clocker Mike Welsch called “the work of the day” over the Churchill strip, breezing five furlongs in 59.13 seconds before galloping out six furlongs in 1:11.92.
“He is an improving and very dangerous contender who gives every indication he should get better the farther he goes,” Welsch observed.
As for Rodriguez, the horse he defeated by 3 1/2 lengths in the Wood Memorial, Grande (20-1), comes into the Kentucky Derby from somewhat off the radar for trainer Todd Pletcher. This suits the horse’s owner, Mike Repole, who, along with Pletcher, has had the early favorites — Forte and Fierceness — in the past two Derbies, only to see their hopes demonstrably dashed.
“Less pressure is a better privilege,” Repole told Grening. “Never been more relaxed, grateful, and happier being in the Derby versus the last two.”
In single digits on the morning line are Arkansas Derby winner Sandman (6-1), Fountain of Youth victor and Florida Derby runner-up Sovereignty (5-1), and, of course, Santa Anita Derby winner Journalism (3-1). Should Sovereignty prevail, his sire, Into Mischief, will become the first since 1957 to father three Kentucky Derby winners, with his first two being Authentic and Mandaloun.
Meanwhile, Journalism continues to live up to his favored status while training at Churchill Downs over the past week. After observing his Sunday workout, Welsch wrote, “Journalism has made an outstanding impression on a regular basis during routine gallops since arriving locally.”
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