LOUISVILLE, KY – With all the morning noises around Zandon (Start up) since his impressive win in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S.
Colorist Jeff Drown, a September purchase of Keeneland worth $170,000, posted a pair of much-discussed breezes for Chad Brown following his breakout win at Keeneland, including a a photogenic five-feather stretch at 1:00.40 (7/43) in Churchill On April 29. Flavien Prat rides.
“Perfect,” Brown said of the draw. “We’re ready to go.”
Zandon loves a potential Derby this morning pic.twitter.com/TdQ8o54t4w
– Steve Sherack (@SteveSherackTDN) May 2, 2022
Epicenter (Not this time), drawn inside on the third hand, was second pick 7-2. The $260,000 KEESEP graduate has had impressive wins for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen in the GII Risen Star S. and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. Asmussen failed to find the mark with 23 previous starts in Run for the Roses.
“Like any race, you want to get out of the gate easily and go from there,” Asmussen says. “How long he stood in it, how long it was loaded, 150,000 people staring at him – so many. [Jockey] Joel [Rosario] very confident in the rhythm of the horse. So if he’s absent from chastity, Joel will let him be himself. ”
The two top picks have met before. Zandon returned Tuesday from a slow start and wide ride while kicking off the first season with Epicenter’s running Risen Star score.
Louisville native Brad Cox was promoted to 1st with Mandaloun (Into Mischief) after suffering the ill-fated Medina Spirit (Protonico) well-documented drug during last year’s Derby and the suspension of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Will consider to bring them back to come back. He joined the trilogy of Cyberknife (Gunman) (Lesson 16), Port of Tawny (Pioneerof the Nile) (track 18) and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Zozos (Munnings) (Lesson 19).
“I think with the Derby starting at the top and a quarter mile into the first turn, they should be able to get into position,” Cox said.
Former runner-up Baffert, undefeated ‘TDN Rising Star’ Taiba (Gunman) (Lesson 12) and ‘Rising star TDN’ Messier (Empire Maker) (track number six), won tickets to Louisville for coach Tim Yakteen after finishing one or two in GI Runhappy The Santa Anita Derby.
Taiba, a 2-year-old Fasig-Tipton Florida horse, valued at $1.7 million purchased by owner Zedan Racing Stables of Medina Spirit, will become the first horse to win a Kentucky race in a single appearance. third play since Leonatus in 1883. Messier, 15-Length winner of GIII Robert B. Lewis S., was third choice on the morning line by 8-1; Taiba is listed at 12 to 1.
Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, looking for a third win in the Kentucky Derby, will be represented by a trio: GII winner Wood Memorial S. Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) (post one), HOLD Curlin Runner-up of the Florida Derby and ‘Rising star TDN’ Charge it (Tapit) (track eight) and the third place Louisiana Derby Medina’s Pioneers (Pioneerof the Nile) (track 11).
Live broadcast of the Kentucky Derby will be provided by NBC from 2:30pm-7:30pm (ET). Derby match posting time is 6:57pm
From the rails out, full 20 yards for the Kentucky Derby:
1-Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) (10-1)
2-Happy Jack (Oxbow) (30-1)
3-Epiccenter (Not this time) (7-2)
4-Summer is tomorrow (Summer Front) (30-1)
5-Happy smile (Runhappy) (20-1)
6-Messier (Empire Maker) (8-1)
7-Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reaching to the Crown {Jpn}) (20-1)
8-Charge it (Tapit) (20-1)
9-Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) (30-1)
10-Zandon (Start up) (3-1)
11-Pioneer of Medina (Pioneer of the Nile) (January 30)
12-Taiba (Gunman) (12-1)
13-Simplify (Not this time) (20-1)
14-Haircut Line (Race Day) (January 30)
15-White Abarrio (Race Day) (10-1)
16-Cyberknife (Gunman) (20-1)
17-Giant’s Causeway (January 30)
18-Tawny Harbor (Pioneer of the Nile) (January 30)
19-Zozos (Munnings) (20-1)
20-The path of purity (Quality Sugar) (30-1)
Also-Eligibles: Rich Strike (Keen Ice) (30-1) and Rattle N Roll (Connect) (30-1).
