Bodexpress, Signalman Play Derby Waiting Game

For trainer Gustavo Delgado and the connections of Bodexpress, the final few seconds of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) series proved to be a gut-wrenching tease.

"For a little while Saturday, we all thought we were in," said Gustavo Delgado Jr., assistant trainer for his father, Gustavo. 

Two weeks earlier, maiden Bodexpress had finished second in the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) at odds of 71-1, picking up 40 qualifying points and seemingly safe 13th on the leaderboard.

Instead, after the April 13 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) and Arkansas Derby (G1), Bodexpress wound up on the outside looking in.

When Country House finished third in the Arkansas Derby, he grabbed the final available starting spot in the Kentucky Derby, leaving Bodexpress at the top of the list of as many as five 3-year-olds who may be re-routed to the May 17 Preakness Stakes (G1) unless there are defections from the May 4 opening leg of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs.

"Before the Arkansas Derby, we did the math and we saw that we could finish 21st," Delgado Jr. said. "We decided that if we didn't make the Derby we were going to continue training as if we were in the race. We still plan to ship to Churchill Downs April 30 and if we do not get in the Kentucky Derby, we'll run in the Preakness."

While the presence of Master Fencer as the 20th starter through the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby trimmed the available spots to 19, the Arkansas Derby also had a profound impact on the chase for the final spots. The victorious Omaha Beach was 19th and Improbable 26th before they finished 1-2 in the last of the series of 35 qualifying races to collect 100 and 40 points, respectively, and vault into the field for the Run for the Roses. Considering they were the two favorites heading into the Arkansas Derby, Delgado Jr. expected to lose ground to both.

The crushing blow came when Country House, the only other horse in the Arkansas Derby field who could bump Bodexpress from the 19th and final spot with a third-place finish, kept Laughing Fox at bay in the final furlong to take third by a length and scoop up 20 qualifying points, jumping from 24th to 17th. That left Bodexpress in a tie for the 19th spot with Spinoff (both with 40 points), with the tie-breaker going to the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up by virtue of an extra $36,000 in graded stakes earnings.

Until Saturday's disappointment, Delgado Jr. and his father thought they had matched 2016 when the elder Delgado saddled Majesto to a runner-up finish in the Florida Derby to secure the 18th spot in the Kentucky Derby with those 40 points. 

"We had the same feeling we had with Majesto," Delgado Jr. said. "We thought Bodexpress was in."

Now they will need a defection in order to capitalize on the improvement they have seen in their Kentucky-bred son of Bodemeister  the past two weeks.

"The groom wants to go to the Derby. The owners want to go. Papa wants to go. Mama wants to go and I certainly want to go, but now we have to wait to see what happens," Delgado Jr said. "It would be a shame if he doesn't get in because he keeps developing and getting better. We like what we see. He beat some good horses in the Florida Derby."

Bodexpress is not alone in playing the waiting game. The connections of Signalman, Anothertwistafate, Sueno, and Bourbon War all had Kentucky Derby hopes but may wind up adding depth to the Preakness field.

Signalman, who was third in the Toyota Blue Grass (G2), is right behind Bodexpress on the leaderboard. The son of General Quarters finished with 38 points, as did Anothertwistafate, but Signalman has the upper hand in the tiebreaker for the 22nd spot through a $227,880 edge in graded stakes earnings.

Like Bodexpress, trainer Ken McPeek plans to train Signalman as if he will be racing on the first Saturday in May, hopeful that a couple of scratches will allow his 3-year-old, owned by Tommie M. Lewis, Steve Crabtree, Dean Demaree, David Bernsen, Jim Chambers, and Magdalena Racing, to run.

"We'll prepare (Signalman) for the Kentucky Derby. A lot can happen in three weeks. He's on the outside looking in but I believe everything happens for a reason," McPeek said. "If he doesn't get in, we'll go to the Preakness. That might be the best plan anyway. The Preakness then the (grade 1 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets) would be a good pattern for this horse. If we get into the Derby we'll make a decision as it comes. But there's a higher power in charge now. Whatever will be, will be."

Anothertwistafate, who finished second in the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) Saturday at Keeneland to add eight points to his total, is also headed to Churchill.

"He will spend a couple more days (at Keeneland) and then go to Churchill Downs maybe Tuesday or Wednesday," trainer Blaine Wright said. "We planned to go to Churchill no matter what, so now we will take a wait-and-see approach."

Sueno, who was third in the Lexington, is 24th with 32 points. He already has returned to his stall at Churchill Downs and Julie Clark, an assistant to trainer Keith Desormeaux, said April 14, "Now we keep our fingers crossed."

Bourbon Lane Stable and Lake Star Stable's Bourbon War was fourth in the Florida Derby and second in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth (G2) and is 25th with 31 points. Prior to Saturday's preps, trainer Mark Hennig said if the Tapit  colt does not run in the Kentucky Derby, he would be pointed to either the Preakness or the May 11 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park.