Adventist 'Ready' if Derby Spot Opens Up
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Treadway Racing Stable's Adventist, who remains in the 22nd spot on the Road to the Kentucky Derby points list, remains "ready for anything," trainer Leah Gyarmati said May 1.
With a trio of third-place finishes in the Withers (gr. III), Gotham (gr. III), and the Wood Memorial (gr. I), all at Aqueduct Racetrack, the Any Given Saturday colt would need two defections in order to be guaranteed one of 20 spots in the starting gate May 7 at Churchill Downs.
Adventist breezed five furlongs in 1:02.24 over the Belmont Park training track April 28. The move was his second work since finishing behind Derby entrants Outwork and Trojan Nation in the Wood. His first was a half-mile drill in :48.63 April 21, also over the training track.
"He's ready if he gets in," Gyarmati said. "He's being prepared the same way, whether he runs in the Derby or not—nothing is different. If he doesn't get in, then we'll likely look at the Peter Pan (gr. II, May 14 at Belmont) or maybe the Preakness (gr. I). It will be up to (owner) Jeff (Treadway) to decide."