The prep races for the 2021 Kentucky Derby are over, but the field still remains in flux. Essential Quality, winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (Grade II), is at the top of a list of projected starters, but connections for at least five horses have indicated that they may decline the invitation this year. For example, Weyburn is more likely to run the Peter Pan (Grade III) on May 8 at Belmont Park, a week after the Kentucky Derby, after he came in fourth at the Wood Memorial (Grade II) last weekend. Proxy had sat at 21st in the qualifying standings (with just 20 slots available), and the departure of Weyburn opened up the door for him, but Proxy will not run. Other uncertainties include Concert Tour, who opened as the favorite but came in third at the Arkansas Derby (Grade I) on Saturday.
Check out more updates as you plan your Kentucky Derby betting for Churchill Downs.
Horse Racing News: Kentucky Derby Updates
Concert Tour is trained by Bob Baffert, who likey saw the third-place result in Arkansas as a setback. He had said to reporters last week about the Arkansas Derby, “You need to run first or second unless that third was a troubled trip,” so Baffert may have other plans for Concert Tour, who had never lost a race before.
Panadol came in second last month at the UAE Derby (Grade II), earning enough qualification points to head to Kentucky. His trainer, Salem bin Ghadayer, based in Dubai, has indicated that there is about a 70 percent chance that Panadol will take part in the Derby.
Crowded Trade is another qualifier that could skip the Kentucky Derby. According to trainer Chad Brown, his impulse was to train him until the Preakness Stakes after the horse took third at the Wood Memorial (Grade II). Highly Motivated, also in Brown’s barn, came in second at the Blue Grass and is the more likely choice to end up in the Kentucky Derby.
These decisions have moved Rombauer, who came in third at the Blue Grass behind Essential Quality and Highly Motivated, is the latest horse to qualify for an invitation. Behind Rombauer are Hidden Stash, Dream Shake and O Besos. Final decisions for qualifiers are due by the morning April 27, but Panadol would have to start quarantine next week before heading to the United States.
As May 1 approaches, here are some interesting numbers surrounding the Kentucky Derby. The 2021 edition will be the 147th running of the race, which normally takes place the first Saturday in May. In 2020, it was postponed to Labor Day weekend due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first time it was not held at its usual time since 1945.
The record for the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby is 1:59.40 and has stood since 1973, when Secretariat won the race en route to a Triple Crown. The only other horse to finish under two minutes is Monarchos, who won the race in 2001 with a time of 1:59.97.
There are 20 gates now at Churchill Downs, but the field has not always been this large. In fact, there have been two years when only three horses entered: 1892, when Azra won, and 1905, when Agile took the victory.
Bill Hartack and Eddie Arcaro share the record for Kentucky Derby wins by a jockey with five. Among active riders, the high number is three, shared by Calvin Borel, Victor Espinoza, Kent Desormeaux and John Velazquez. Ben Jones and Bob Baffert have each trained six Kentucky Derby winners to share that record.
Finally, 13 horses have won the Triple Crown, which starts with a win at the Kentucky Derby: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharaoh (2015) and Justify (2018). Will that number grow to 14 this year?
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