Justify, Midnight Bisou Set for Trip to Churchill

A day after impressive performances in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Santa Anita Oaks (G1), the West Coast contingent once again appears to be a top player for the action on the first week of May at Churchill Downs.

But Justify and Midnight Bisou, who won their respective prep races by open lengths April 7 at Santa Anita Park, will bring significantly different flavors into the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Justify is a highly regarded, half-million-dollar colt who showed frontrunning flash Saturday. He's from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, a standard on the first weekend in May.

BALAN: Justify Powers to Santa Anita Derby Victory

Midnight Bisou is a closer with an eye-catching turn of foot who inhaled her rivals in the Santa Anita Oaks. She will bring trainer Bill Spawr to his first try in either the Kentucky Derby or Oaks. She was an $80,000 buy by co-owner Jeff Bloom.

BALAN: Midnight Bisou Blows by Rivals in Santa Anita Oaks

Despite the prospects' different styles, back stories, and connections, their trainers expressed awe in what they saw Saturday afternoon.

"It's amazing," Spawr said of his Midnight Lute  filly's third straight graded win. "You only appreciate something like that when you see it. ... And I went to the test barn, and she wasn't blowing or tired."

"That was his third out. He beat Bolt d'Oro in his third out," Baffert said of the lightly raced Scat Daddy colt. "Bolt d'Oro is a good horse, man."

Regarding multiple grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro, who went off at 6-5 to Justify's 4-5 in the Santa Anita Derby and finished three lengths back in second, owner and trainer Mick Ruis was upbeat the morning after and liked his chances with an extra furlong to work with on the first Saturday in May.

"We ran against Justify, and what a great, great horse," Ruis said. "Bolt really tried, but when he made that move to try to make up that ground (in the second turn), it's hard to sustain it. It was a good race. We hope we can turn the tables on him in the Kentucky Derby, and we know (Justify) won't get those splits."

The pace of the Santa Anita Derby was a common talking point Sunday morning, but Baffert felt the Santa Anita main track was playing very slow Saturday and that both Justify and Thirteen Squared (who finished third in the Oaks) ran faster than it appeared on the front end.

"People don't realize that the track was really, really deep," Baffert said. "He was moving, but he got away from those horses, and they couldn't keep up with him. And Bolt ran a good race. He was trying. I thought for a minute at the eighth pole he was going to make a run at (Justify), then (jockey) Mike (Smith) just let him out."

Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains fourth-place Santa Anita Derby finisher Instilled Regard, felt his grade 3-winning colt was hampered by a slow pace. Justify easily made the lead and set fractions of :23.96, :47.85, and 1:12.61 through six furlongs.

"Do you think a horse can close on those fractions?" Hollendorfer said. "Well, neither do I."

Midnight Bisou did close into relatively soft fractions—Thirteen Squared clicked off splits of :23.47, :47.63, and 1:12.04—albeit not behind two commanding favorites.

"As a horseman, you look at those fractions—you're not supposed to close into those fractions," Spawr said. "And then after, you're going, 'Really, what just happened? Did that really happen?'"

Although Justify is inexperienced with only three starts, Baffert is not concerned about potential trip issues for the colt in the Kentucky Derby, as long as the big chestnut breaks well.

"You can't worry about experience. He's smart, he's fast, and the only way he's going to have traffic problems is if he doesn't break," Baffert said. "Even if he's run 20 times, if you don't break, you're going to have traffic problems.

"I don't care how many outs you have. He can put himself wherever he wants. Really good horses don't have traffic problems."

Ruis and Spawr said their horses will train at their Santa Anita home base and ship to Churchill Downs the week of the races. Baffert also is leaning that way for Justify because of the unpredictable nature of the weather in Kentucky, but he didn't rule out shipping to Churchill sooner.

The top two colts came out of the Santa Anita Derby with foot issues, but both trainers said they were minor.

Bolt d'Oro grabbed a quarter, while Baffert said Justify "sprung a shoe."

"I'd compare it to a splinter," Ruis said. "Sometimes when you grab a quarter, you tear a piece of the meat off, but this morning it was barely visible. In three days, you won't even know it happened."

"He sprung a shoe leaving the gate," Baffert said. "His shoe was out. He stepped on himself. When he came back, we had to get the shoe and take it off."

Also of note Sunday morning, Santa Anita Oaks runner-up Spectator will not run in the Kentucky Oaks, according to trainer Phil D'Amato (she isn't nominated, either). D'Amato said the Jimmy Creed  filly could point toward the June 9 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

"She ran a credible race the first time going long against a very nice filly," D'Amato said. "We're proud of her."