Clement Says Deterministic 'Unlikely' to Run in Derby

Trainer Christophe Clement said April 15 that Deterministic  is "unlikely" to run in the Kentucky Derby (G1) after a disappointing eighth-place finish as a 4-5 favorite in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

"He's not in or out of the (Derby) because a decision has not been made, but it's unlikely he will run in the race based on the way he ran last time," Clement said. "But I will talk to the owners later this week and make a decision after that."

The Wood was just the third career start and first loss for the son of Liam's Map   bred by Hinkle Farms. Owned by St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker, and Vicarage Stable, Deterministic won his Aug. 12 debut at Saratoga Race Course but did not race again until March 2, when he won the Gotham Stakes (G3). That victory netted him 50 qualifying points toward a spot in the the May 4 Derby, which has him 16th in the chase for one of 20 spots in the field.

Should Deterministic skip the Derby, it would open the door for Grand Mo the First  to run. Third in the Florida Derby (G1), he has 40 points and is 21st on the Leaderboard.

Clement said he has yet to put his finger on what went wrong for Deterministic in the Wood.

"He's doing well. He came out of the race surprisingly well," Clement said. "There's nothing wrong at the moment."