Blazing Sevens Out of Derby, Shidabhuti Skipping Oaks

Blazing Sevens  will bypass the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs and instead be pointed toward the May 20 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course.

Blazing Sevens was 17th in the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 46 points. The top 20 3-year-olds qualify for the race. With his defection, Jace's Road  moves into the top 20.

Trainer Chad Brown told the Daily Racing Form April 23, "I just feel (Blazing Sevens) ran out of time really to develop to get to that race with a good chance to be competitive, meaning I'm looking to have a chance to win or be in the top three. He's a race behind where he needs to be."

Owned by Rodeo Creek Racing and bred by Tracy Farmer, Blazing Sevens began his 3-year-old campaign with an eighth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and was most recently third in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. 

"It's a hard thing to pass on when you have those highly sought-after points," Brown told DRF. "(Owners) John and Carla Capek are clients who have been in the game three years, they're wonderful to deal with and in speaking with them they want to put the horse first, which I love."

Another one of Brown's trainees, Shidabhuti , will skip the Kentucky Oaks (G1), held at the Louisville track the day prior to the Derby. 

Brown told DRF that after the filly finished third in the Gazelle Stakes (G3), it was decided to scale her back to one turn.

An attempt to reach Brown was unsuccessful.