DAILY DERBY UPDATE: Friday, May 5, 2023

C R K Racing’s Skinner was scratched from Kentucky Derby 149, trainer John Shirreffs citing an elevated temperature. With the defection of Skinner, the Kentucky Derby field is down to 19 starters. Practical Move, Lord Miles and Continuar (JPN) were scratched on Thursday. The last time four horses were scratched from the Kentucky Derby was 2015 when 22 horses entered the race.

ANGEL OF EMPIRE/HIT SHOW/JACE’S ROAD, VERIFYING  – Gary and Mary West’s Hit Show went out to train at 6:30 a.m., while his other three Derby running stablemates, Albaugh Family Stables’ Angel of Empire, West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables’ Jace’s Road, and Coolmore’s Verifying went to out to train at 7:45 a.m. during the special training time Friday.

All four had routine 1 ½-mile gallops, including Verifying, who had gotten loose after dumping his exercise rider Thursday. 

“Everybody’s good,” trainer Brad Cox said.       

CONFIDENCE GAME  – Don’t Tell My Wife Stables’ Confidence Game returned to the track Friday to gallop and is likely to also gallop Saturday morning, race day.

When asked earlier in the week, how he saw the Kentucky Derby playing out, trainer Keith Desormeaux said, “It seems simple to me. In my mind, it’s simple. Our post position is determined. Hopefully there’s speed on the outside, surely. They’re going to be sending their horses. They are going to overdo it and they’re going to come down on us. But, that pace is going to be rapid and if James Graham can just get him out on the rail, do a Calvin Borel special and get him on the rail and comfortable. And, hopefully the Red Sea opens when it’s time to go. But yeah, simple. Get on the rail and pray.”

CYCLONE MISCHIEF  – After sweating out whether Cyclone Mischief would make the field, trainer Dale Romans was relaxed Friday morning after his colt galloped with exercise rider Faustino Herrarte.

On Thursday, Cyclone Mischief made the field when Practical Move was scratched with a fever. By Friday morning, with three more scratches, the colt owned by Albaugh Family Stables LLC and Castleton Lyons took ownership of the No. 17 gate. He’ll wear the 21 saddle number for betting purposes.

“The entire look of the race really changed yesterday,” Romans said following his horse’s gallop of about a mile-and-three-eighths. “I’m happy with his gallop.”

DERMA SOTOGAKE – Hiroyuki Asanuma’s Derma Sotogake (JPN)  came on the track accompanied by a pony at 6:50 and walked to the frontside of the track before circling back to the mile chute where he walked with the pony for 30 minutes.

After jogging in the chute for another 10 minutes and walking for five, Derma Sotogake galloped a little more than a mile.

Trained by Hidetaka Otonashi, Derma Sotogake will be ridden in the Derby by Christophe Lemaire.

Lemaire, who will be riding in the Kentucky Derby for the second time, was aboard Derma Sotogake for the first time in the UAE Derby (GII) victory. The UAE Derby was the eighth start for Derma Sotogake, making him and Two Phil’s the most experienced runners in Derby 149.

“He has a lot of experience and it has made him tougher and tougher,” Lemaire said. “It is important to have that experience with 18 other horses in a high level race.”

Derma Sotogake led all the way in the UAE Derby victory, but Lemaire says he doesn’t have to have the lead.

“In the past, he has won from the middle and from the front,” Lemaire said. “He can adapt to the conditions of the race and that is a big advantage for me.”

Derma Sotogake is not expected to go to the track Saturday morning.

DISARM – Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Disarm galloped Friday at 7:45 a.m. for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

FORTE/KINGSBARNS/TAPIT TRICE –  The Todd Pletcher trio galloped strongly Friday morning for the last time coming up to their dates with destiny Saturday in Kentucky Derby 149.

They took advantage of the special 7:45 to 8 a.m. training period for Oaks and Derby horses only on the big Churchill Downs strip. The three colts had their usual exercise riders aboard for their mile and three-eighths exercise – Hector Ramos on multiple-stakes winner Forte; Elder Flores on the undefeated Kingsbarns, and Amelia Green aboard the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) ace Tapit Trice.

The Hall of Fame trainer was asked if there was any one thing he’d wished he had for any of his three runners coming up to the mile and one-quarter Classic.

“In a perfect world, I would have liked to have had one more race for seasoning for Kingsbarns,” he said. (The Uncle Mo colt has only three starts coming into the race.) “But other than that, we’re all good to go.”

Pletcher has Irad Ortiz Jr. named to ride Forte; Jose Ortiz set to handle Kingsbarns, and Luis Saez set to handle Tapit Trice.

KING RUSSELL  – Brereton C. Jones and Naber Racing’s King Russell galloped 1 ½ miles Friday at 7:45 a.m., his first gallop as an official Kentucky Derby starter. The Arkansas Derby runner-up, AE23, needed three defections to make the field and after two earlier in the day, the connections got word shortly before 9 p.m. when Continuar was coming out and King Russell was in.

“I kind of thought we’d get in the whole time,” trainer Ron Moquett said. “I was under the impression we would be and should be in the Derby. I schooled him yesterday as if he was in the race, but at the time I was walking to the paddock, it was still a full field.”

Moquett has never wavered in his confidence in King Russell, a son of Creative Cause, who ran fifth in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness in 2012. When asked what gives him that confidence, Moquett said, “I think he’s improving and the fact there are some well-meant horses that finished behind us that day (in the Arkansas Derby). We’re moving forward at the right time. That’s what anybody wants for their horse to be happy and healthy, to be peaking at the right moment. Hopefully, we get a good trip and everything works out well.”

MAGE –  The Good Magic colt, runner-up to Forte in the Florida Derby (GI), galloped Friday a little more than a mile-and-a-half with regular exercise rider J.J. Delgado. 

“We’re pleased with the way he has been training for the race,” said assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. “He’s ready.”

Delgado Jr. said his father, trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr., does not plan to take Mage onto the track Saturday morning. Javier Castellano will ride the colt, owned by OGMA Investments LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC and CMNWLTH. He’s listed at 15-1 on the morning line.

MANDARIN HERO (JPN)  – Hiroaki Arai’s Mandarin Hero came on the track at 6:50 and walked to the frontside of the track before circling back to the mile chute where he walked for 30 minutes. After jogging in the chute for another 10 minutes and walking for five, Mandarin Hero galloped a little more than mile under Yuji Horita.

Mandarin Hero did not draw into the main body of the race until Thursday with the withdrawal from the field of Practical Move and Lord Miles.

Trainer Terunobu Fujita had canceled a flight to Louisville when it appeared the Santa Anita Derby (GI) runner-up would not be in the starting gate. However, last-minute arrangements were made with Fujita scheduled to arrive late tonight.

Arai is scheduled to arrive in Louisville this afternoon.

Another late arrival will be jockey Kazushi Kimura, who has six mounts this afternoon on Woodbine’s program that begins at 1:10 p.m. ET. Kimura, who rode Mandarin Hero in the Santa Anita Derby, is scheduled to arrive in Louisville at midnight.

Mandarin Hero will not go to the track Saturday morning.

REINCARNATE –  Trainer Tim Yakteen’s remaining Kentucky Derby hope – SF Racing (and partners) Reincarnate – went out early (5:15) Friday and galloped a mile and a quarter under Baltazar Contreras in his final piece of preparation for Saturday’s Derby 149.

The California-based conditioner was forced to scratch his other Derby hope – the big colt Practical Move – when he spiked a fever Thursday after training in the morning. Word out of the barn is that he was doing better Friday, but they were hoping for better yet by Monday when the trainer has arrangements to fly back west the six horses he brought to town for Saturday’s card.

Reincarnate, who’ll be handled in the Derby by Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, will break from Post 7 in the 20-horse lineup.   

RAISE CAIN – Andrew and Rania Warren’s Raise Cain  jogged with exercise rider Rene Morales aboard for trainer Ben Colebrook to complete his preparation for Derby 149.

Raise Cain, who represents Colebrook’s first Derby starter, and will be ridden by Gerardo Corrales, also in his first Derby.

“I hope he gets a clean break and gets into the first turn without getting wiped out,” Colebrook said of the deep closer. “I think there will be more pace than people think.”

ROCKET CAN –  The Into Mischief colt, owned by Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, was on the track Friday morning for a gallop of about a mile-and-three-eighths with regular exercise rider Guelser Cardona. He’ll also have a gallop on Saturday, roughly 11 hours before the Derby.

“He made it around there, and made it back,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott joked, noting that he’ll bring Rocket Can out on Saturday morning. “No problems.”

The colt, listed at morning-line odds of 30-1, will have Junior Alvarado aboard in the Derby. He’ll wear blinkers, and has worn them in training.

SKINNER –  Just as things appeared to be coming up rosy for trainer John Shirreffs and his Kentucky Derby candidate Skinner, the bottom fell out Friday morning.

The Curlin colt had galloped a mile strongly Friday morning during the special 7:45 to 8 a.m. Derby/Oaks training period and all looked well. But then, back at Barn 41, something seemed amiss. Several temperature checks on the well-made bay did not come back right, forcing the veteran conditioner to alert track officials that it would not be right for him to run Saturday. It was a last-minute heartbreaker for the trainer and the horse’s connections, the C R K Stable of Californians Lee and Susan Searing.

Skinner was a fast-closing third in his most-recent outing, the Santa Anita Derby on April 8 and was seen as a serious contender for the Kentucky Derby. He had been scheduled to be handled by California’s top rider, Juan Hernandez.

Ironically, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby, the big colt Practical Move, had spiked a fever Thursday also forcing his people to take him out of the race.

With Skinner’s withdrawal, the field for Derby 149 is now reduced to 19 runners.

SUN THUNDER –  Trainer Kenny McPeek had his colt back on the track Friday morning with regular exercise rider Martin Vargas, galloping slightly more than a mile-and-a-half. McPeek’s assistant, Greg Geier, said there are no plans for Sun Thunder to go out on Derby Day to train.

The colt, owned by R.T Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine is 50-1 on the morning line, has trained with blinkers on, and will wear them in the Derby.

TWO PHIL’S – Patricia’s Hope, Phillip Sagan, and Madaket Stable’s Two Phil’s  had a walk day on Friday ahead of his “Run for the Roses.”

“He’s feeling strong,” trainer Larry Rivelli said.

This will be Rivelli’s first Derby and the same goes for Two Phil’s jockey, Jareth Loveberry. Winner of the Street Sense as a 2-year-old over a sloppy track, the son of Hard Spun has one win over the local track in two tries.

“We’d be very happy if it rained,” owner Anthony Sagan said.