SUREBET DERBY DIGEST - TUESDAY, APRIL 27 PM - WITH TOM DAWSON
Two of the horses hoping to land a Kentucky derby berth have made contingency plans. Both Make Music for Me and Setsuko have entered in the American Turf Stakes on Friday. They are 22nd and 23rd on the graded earnings list respectively, and need serious help in the next 36 hours in order to make the Derby field. The connections of both horses have stated their preference for the Derby.
At 21st on the list, Backtalk has a toe in the derby door. Although there has been no official change in the Kentucky Derby field, Interactif has not been declared a definite starter by trainer Todd Pletcher. He is owned by the Wertheimer brothers, who also have Setsuko with trainer Dick Mandella. If Setsuko was sitting in backtalk’s spot, the decision might be considerably easier. The Wertheimers have already engaged their European contract rider Olivier Peslier should Setsuko sneak into the field.
A couple of jockeys firmed up today as California-based Joel Rosario landed on Dean’s Kitten and Ramon Dominguez was named for Homeboykris. That, plus the naming of Mike Smith aboard Jackson Bend, completes the assignments for the confirmed starters.
When Jackson Bend got his spot, it made two starters for trainer Nick Zito. Bob Baffert has two and Wayne Lukas one, making a total of 5 chances for the dominant Derby trio of the 1990’s. During that decade, the three trainers won 7 of the 10 Derbys run, with a second and five thirds for good measure. The first decade of the new millennium wasn’t as kind with only Baffert breaking through (War Emblem, 2002). But clearly, the trio is poised to get the two thousand teens off to a good start.
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