Uninjured After Throwing Rider, Verifying Set for Derby

The connections of Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful Verifying  received a scare during his morning exercise May 4 at Churchill Downs when he threw his rider and ran loose for a time, but the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) runner-up came out of the incident unscathed and remains pointed to Saturday's classic.

According to trainer Brad Cox, exercise rider Joel Barrientos likely suffered a separated shoulder in the fall but otherwise was OK.

Cox said he did not see the instant that the fall occurred while watching his Derby and Kentucky Oaks (G1) horses exercise during the 7:30 a.m. time period set aside for runners in those two stakes. He initially wasn't sure it was his horse as the rider's white helmet cover came off in the spill so that it looked like a black helmet. But Cox soon figured out that his rider had been dumped.

Verifying ran loose for about six or seven furlongs before outriders were able to pull him up. Cox complimented the efforts of those riders and later gathered more details about what happened when he talked with his rider.

"He got lucky. We dodged the bullet," Cox said. "I don't know exactly what happened. He was galloping by and he looked great then the next thing I know the rider was on the ground. (Verifying) just ducked out from underneath the rider. 

"He's feeling very, very good. Fresh, cool weather does that. He looks like he's ready to run."

Cox said after the incident he looked over Verifying as did a vet.

"There are no concerns on my end that I see," Cox said. "I guess something could always pop up but he's fine." 

Cox doesn't believe the unplanned run will impact his Derby preparation.

"He wasn't running wide open or anything," Cox said. "I actually was the person that picked him up from the outrider. He got a little flow out of it, but nothing that will sidetrack him at all."

Verifying, second in last year's Champagne Stakes (G1), punched his Derby ticket with that runner-up finish in the Blue Grass. The son of Triple Crown winner Justify   drew post 2 for the Derby, where he'll start under jockey Tyler Gaffalione.

Campaigned by Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor, Verifying is expected to be forwardly placed in Saturday's race, which on paper does suggest many early runners. Listed at 15-1 on the morning line, Verifying will try to nail down the first stakes win of his career in the Derby.

Moments after Verifying was walked off the track, Oaks filly And Tell Me Nolies  dumped her exercise rider as she was exiting the track. While she nearly lost her balance running loose on the backstretch, she maintained her footing and ran back to the barn where she's based with trainer Peter Miller.