Arkansas Derby (Grade 1)
IT was a case of one out, one in on the Kentucky Derby front on Saturday evening, with first the news that Paladin, one of the Kentucky Derby favourites, was off the Triple Crown trail because of a condylar fracture in the colt’s front ankle after a workout at Payson Park.
Winner of his three starts for Chad Brown and the Coolmore partners, including the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, Paladin was preparing for a start in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland today. He will now be sidelined at least through the spring and summer.
But into the void came Renegade, the Into Mischief colt putting up an impressive performance in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park, worth $1,500,000 for the nine-furlong contest.
Sustained run
The colt, bred by Robert and Lawana Low and raced in partnership with Repole Stable, came from the back of the field with a sustained run to win by four lengths from Silent Tactic at the line before a record crowd of 73,000 at Oaklawn Park.
Mike Repole will add plenty of colour to the Derby trail again and said afterwards: “This is so special. I’m partners with Rob and Lawana Low and this is their home track. They love this track. They bred the horse. They deserve all the credit. This is the best start of his life and the next one is the big one.”
The victory followed a three and three-quarter-length victory in the Listed Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa and he had three runs at two, beating Paladin in one, but was disqualified to second.
Gulfstream Park
Curlin Florida Derby (Grade 1)
THE Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby Presented By Hill ‘N’ Dale Farms was worth $1,000,000, and it had a much closer finish.
The Puma made an early bid for victory, but was under pressure into the straight by Commandment and Chief Wallabee, the two who had fought out the Fountain Of Youth here last month.
Junior Alvarado on the Bill Mott-trained Chief Wallabee elected to switch out in the straight and may have lost a bit of momentum as they straightened off the final bend. Meanwhile, Wathnan Racing’s Commandment challenged on the outside and it was head-to-head to the line, the photo-finish showing he had just got the nod over a game The Puma with Chief Wallabee half a length back in third.
The win gave sire Into Mischief the two big trial winners of the weekend. The winner was a $500,000 Keeneland September purchase.
The winner’s trainer Brad Cox was quoted on BloodHorse: “I think he put to bed the question of how far he wants to go. With the right trip, he can get it done at a mile and an eighth and a mile and a quarter.”
Cox ‘won’ the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Mandaloun, following the disqualification of Medina Spirit for a medication violation.
With 150 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, Commandment tops the leaderboard heading toward Churchill Downs, while The Puma (106) and Chief Wallabee (50) also strengthened their positions.
Renegade has 125 and Fulleffort is next on 110.
“I thought I had a chance at the eighth pole,” jockey Prat said. “He’s straightforward, and he’s a fighter. He showed some guts down the lane.”
The Puma, a colt by Essential Quality trained by Gustavo Delgado and ridden by Javier Castellano, ran a career-best race in defeat. After settling off the pace, he launched a sweeping move rounding the bend.
Javier Castellano said: “He ran a huge race. I’m very satisfied. He gave me a very good run. I thought I had it.”
Bill Mott wasn’t disappointed by his third-place finisher. “It’s only his third race and they’ve got to learn. It was a good race.”
Oaks win
In the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, it was the Gary and Mary West-owned and bred Prom Queen, a daughter of Quality Road, who emerged a decisive winner by two and three-quarter lengths under Javier Castellano for Brad Cox, beating My Miss Mo and earning her first stakes race win in the process.
She had won her maiden in February on her second try after losing to the beaten favourite here, She Be Smooth, on her first start.
She now heads for Churchill Downs as fourth on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 100 points.
THERE was dismay among US racing fans with the news last week that the FanDuel TV network, which began in 1999 as TVG (Television Games Network), is being phased out over the next 20 months. More than 100 jobs will be lost by November 2026, as the on-track and behind the scenes content disappears.
TVG was launched on cable and satellite platforms in 1999, Betfair bought TVG in 2008, and it was rebranded as FanDuel TV in 2022 after Betfair merged with other betting companies, as part of Flutter Entertainment.
The Paulick Report connected with Andrew Moore, general manager of racing for FanDuel, who was quoted about the coming changes, saying “investments needed to support a linear network didn’t align with its long-term strategy”.
Production
He detailed the next six months: “Beginning in July, there will be a reduction of in-studio production, as well as on-air hosts. We will continue to have our hosts and analysts on-site for coverage of Del Mar’s summer and fall meets, Keeneland’s fall meet, and the Breeders’ Cup.
“Production from these events will remain consistent with previous years.
“Beginning in December and continuing throughout 2027, there will be no in-studio production. Importantly, even without in-studio production, FanDuel TV will continue to broadcast live racing from our track partners.”