Owners, Trainers React to Kentucky Derby Postponement

After pointing their 3-year-old colts for months toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, horsemen began operating with amended calendars March 17 following the race’s official postponement until Sept. 5.

The road map to get there is largely unknown, however, in a world and racing landscape dramatically altered by precautions undertaken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus. Already, two Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races, the Sunland Park Derby (G3) and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2), have been canceled, and entire race meets, such as the one at Keeneland, will not be conducted. More could follow.

In many jurisdictions, owners and trainers are uncertain whether their region’s tracks will be racing next week, let alone beyond that, creating confusion about what to expect. Nor has the entire Triple Crown schedule, a sequence that also includes the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1), been finalized, if it remains a series for 2020.

Collectively, it adds up to an unclear lead-up to the Derby, though many are relieved it is still scheduled for 2020. Other major sporting events went on a year's hiatus.

Bob Baffert, who has won five Kentucky Derbys and two Triple Crowns and has one of the most loaded stables of young horses in the country, is having none of the woe-is-racing mentality. He declined to speculate about what he would do with a couple of his 3-year-olds who were entered but will not run in the Sunland Park Derby: Azul Coast and High Velocity.

"The Kentucky Derby—at least they didn’t cancel it, but at the end of the day, it still is just a horse race," he said Tuesday. "I’m more worried about everybody else in the world."

Baffert's sentiment was shared by several owners and trainers.

"The health of the people is most important. What is the Kentucky Derby compared with a worldwide sickness?" said Patrick Biacone, who trains high-profile contenders Sole Volante, who is likely headed next for the April 4 Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2), and Ete Indien, who is being aimed for the Curlin Florida Derby (G1). "They made the right decision. We'll see what happens, and I hope things will be better throughout the world as soon as possible with the least damage as possible."

"Obviously, we have been pointing toward the first Saturday in May, but we'll adjust," said Mark Casse, who trains John Oxley's Enforceable, who won the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and is entered in the spectator-free TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) on Saturday. "As important as the Derby is to all of us, it is not as important as everybody's health. We are going to be hit with adversities in life, and it comes down to how we deal with them."

Churchill Downs executives said in a teleconference Tuesday that new races would be added to the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, though no specific stakes or points have been established. Stakes schedules across the country could change, both from the immediate effect of the coronavirus and from the repositioning of the Derby and potentially other races. Horses will retain the points they currently have.

Casse said he is happy the Louisiana Derby will still be run, and he hopes other tracks will consider running some races without spectators, as was done with the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park.

"If anyone can do this, it is the Kentucky tracks," Casse said. "It is going to be hard for a while, but the quicker we are on this, the quicker it will be over."

While trainers and owners welcomed the relatively quick decision and announcement that the Kentucky Derby would be moved, the almost daily changes in racing schedules are making these uncharted waters particularly hard to navigate. 

"We really can’t make any real plans until we know which tracks are going to be open, which races are going to be run, and which races are going to have points," said Jack Wolf, the founder of Starlight Racing, which co-owns Derby prospects Authentic, Charlatan, and Eight Rings in large partnerships.

Lightly raced Charlatan and grade 1 juvenile winner Eight Rings, who has yet to start this year, might capitalize from the Derby postponement, potentially picking up valuable starts. Though Wolf countered that the added time might not prove as beneficial to Authentic, who is perfect in three races, including the March 7 San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park against a star-studded field.

"Eight Rings, the extra time could help him if he is going to compete in these two-turn races," Wolf said. "And, you know, Authentic, he seemed to be right on schedule. He seems to be the one you’d be more concerned with because he was in very good form. I guess he will still run in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) if, indeed, they have it.

"I guess he would have been the favorite for the Derby at this point— if it had been May 2—so the negative part of that sort of outweighs the additional time you get with the other horses."

Sol Kumin, whose Madaket Stables also owns a share of Authentic, Charlatan, and Eight Rings, said he also looks forward to seeing what races are assigned points toward the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), which was moved to Sept. 4 by Churchill this year. Madaket is a part-owner in British Idiom, last year's champion 2-year-old filly.

"We have a few solid contenders for both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, so the moving of the races wasn't ideal, but these are unprecedented times and you just have to hope a few of these horses, or maybe some others, can be in form and peak in September," he said. "For now, I just hope they can run the Florida Derby, Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby, and Arkansas Derby (G1) as scheduled."

Along with Eight Rings, Maxfield, who has yet to run this year after off-season ankle surgery, might also be more apt to make the Derby with more time to prepare. A 3-year-old son of Street Sense , he broke his maiden on debut in September at Churchill Downs before taking the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) last fall at Keeneland. The Godolphin homebred is trained by Brendan Walsh.

Frustrating in the Derby announcement Tuesday by Churchill Downs was the lack of "coordinated response with the other Triple Crown players," said Jack Knowlton, the managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, which owns Tiz the Law, the expected favorite for the March 28 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

"That would have made me feel better if there was a plan, but maybe it’s too early for a plan. I’m not sure," he added.

By early afternoon Tuesday, Maryland Jockey Club officials had not publicly announced any plans for this year's Preakness Stakes (G1), currently scheduled for May 16 at Pimlico Race Course, though Mike Ricci, the communications director for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, tweeted that discussions were ongoing to postpone the race until September.

The New York Racing Association said in a statement following the Churchill announcement that it is working through the best date for the Belmont Stakes, which remains slotted for June 6 at Belmont Park.

Other races on NYRA's traditional schedule might need altering. While the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) has traditionally been contested a week before the new date for the Kentucky Derby, and the Alabama Stakes (G1) two weeks before the rescheduled Kentucky Oaks, NYRA says it has yet to release its stakes schedule for the Saratoga Race Course meet and will address it in time.

Knowlton, a native New Yorker, is hopeful the Travers could be repositioned earlier on the summer calendar so Tiz the Law could use a start there to make his way to the Derby.

This is "totally unprecedented, and we hope we can get through it and it will be an interesting one-timer," he said.

Aron Wellman, the president and founder of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, said despite the challenges moving the Kentucky Derby has caused, the industry also needs to collectively embrace the opportunity the change could create.

If the Triple Crown races were moved to September and October, the positioning of the classics as lead-ins to the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Nov. 6-7 could produce a compelling series for fans and sponsors.

"Hopefully, the racetrack operators get together and really mesh," said Wellman, whose horses include grade 3 winner and Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) runner-up Independence Hall, who is being aimed for the Florida Derby. "We are doing ourselves a disservice if we just go through the motions here. With so many sports completely shut down, we're the only game in town. We are being presented with an incredible opportunity, and the only question is what we do with it. We have a very narrow window to act."

-Additional Reporting by Bob Ehalt