Coolmore Lexington

J Paul Reddam’s Square Eddie, who started the year near the top of almost anyone’s list of contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), makes a late return to the road to Churchill Downs when he faces 10 rivals in Keeneland’s $300,000 Coolmore Lexington (GII).

The 1 1/16-mile race on the synthetic Polytrack surface will be the first start for Square Eddie since January.  Twelve 3-year-olds were entered in the Coolmore Lexington, but Team Valor’s Barry Irwin was unhappy with the outside post draw by Hull and said that colt would scratch and run in next week’s Derby Trial (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

The Doug O’Neill-trained Square Eddie won last fall’s Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland before he turned in a strong runner-up finish behind eventual 2-year-old champion Midshipman in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) over the Pro-Rid surface at Santa Anita.  Square Eddie opened the year with a runner-up finish to the then-unknown The Pamplemousse in Santa Anita’s San Rafael (GII).

But Square Eddie went to the sidelines with sore left front shin and his chance to run in the Kentucky Derby appeared slim as he was out of training for a month.  But he bounced back quickly and Square Eddie comes into the Coolmore Lexington off a pair of strong six-furlong works at Hollywood Park.

“Three months ago, I would not have been surprised to be here; two months ago, yes,”
said O’Neill.  “His past two works have been exceptional, signaling to us that he is ready to get back at it.”

Edgar Prado will ride Square Eddie, who will carry co-high weight of 123 pounds with El Crespo, winner of the Palm Beach (GIII) on the Gulfstream Park turf.  They are the only graded stakes winners in the field.
O’Neill hopes that Square Eddie will run well enough in his return to racing to earn at trip to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby in two weeks.

“I would want to see a really good effort and have him come out of it in good shape,” O’Neill said. “Then we would huddle with Team Reddam.”

The field for the Coolmore Lexington, from the rail out, includes: Jeranimo (Brice Blanc, 117 pounds), Omniscient (Robby Albarado, 117), Pitched Perfectly (Alan Garcia, 117), Brave Victory (John Velazquez, 117), His Greatness (Rene Douglas, 117), Masala (Eibar Coa, 117), Conservative (Kent Desormeaux, 117), Square Eddie (Prado, 123), El Crespo (Javier Castellano, 123), Parade Clown (Julien Leparoux, 117), and Advice (Garrett Gomez, 117).

The race will be telecast from 5-6 p.m. (all times EDT) on ESPN2.

OLD FASHIONED UNDERGOES SURGERY, RETIRED FROM RACING – Fox Hill Farm’s Old Fashioned, at one time the early favorite for Kentucky Derby 135, was retired from racing this week after undergoing knee surgery.  

The Larry Jones-trained son of Unbridled’s Song suffered a slab fracture in a runner-up finish to Papa Clem in last Saturday’s Arkansas Derby.  He underwent surgery this week at Rood & Riddle equine hospital near Lexington.   

Old Fashioned won his first four races, a string that included easy wins in the Remsen (GII) and Southwest Stakes (GIII).  He suffered his first loss in a runner-up finish to Win Willy in the Rebel (GIII) at Oaklawn Park, and followed that effort with his run in the Arkansas Derby.
    
I WANT REVENGE WORKS AT CHURCHILL DOWNS – Wood Memorial (GI) winner I Want Revenge, who could be the betting favorite in the May 2 Kentucky Derby, got a feel for the Churchill Downs track on Tuesday when the colt worked an easy four furlongs  for trainer Jeff Mullins.

The son of Stephen Got Even covered the distance in :50 over a muddy surface under 19-year-old jockey Joe Talamo, who flew in from California for the move.

“I think it was pretty much what we wanted,” said Talamo.  “He didn’t really need much coming out of his last race and he’s plenty fit.  He handled it great.  Actually, for all the rain we had I thought it felt pretty good.”

“He just needed to do enough to keep himself safe,” said Mullins.  “He’s been tearing the barn down and we had to do something with him.  If they get to feeling too good, they might get themselves hurt.”

Several Kentucky Derby contenders entered the grounds at Churchill Downs this week, including Thursday’s arrival of Pioneerof the Nile and Chocolate Candy, the 1-2 finishers in the Santa Anita Derby (GI).  Papa Clem made the trip from Oaklawn Park to Churchill Downs on Tuesday.  Other Kentucky Derby contenders at Churchill Downs include Toyota Blue Grass (GI) winner General Quarters; Illinois Derby (GII) winner Musket Man; Wood Memorial (GI) runner-up West Side Bernie; the Dubai-based duo of Regal Ransom and Desert Party, the 1-2 finishers in the $2 million UAE Derby (GII); and Churchill Downs-based Flat Out, winner of the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn.

Before his departure for Kentucky, Zayat Stables’ Pioneerof the Nile turned in an impressive four-furlong work on Wednesday at Santa Anita.  The Bob Baffert-trained son of Empire Maker covered the distance in :46.20 – the fastest of 29 moves at the distance.

“I didn’t think he went that fast,” said Baffert.  “It’s probably the best he’s ever worked.

MAFAAZ CHANGES BARNS, WILL NOT RUN IN DERBY 135 – Mafaaz, winner of the Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes at Britain’s Kempton Park, will remain in the United States but will not compete in the Kentucky Derby.

The win at Kempton earned Mafaaz a first-ever guaranteed spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate, but his status for the Derby became cloudy after he finished eighth to General Quarters in the Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland.  Late in the week the colt was moved from the care of British trainer John Gosden to Kiaran McLaughlin, but his new trainer said Thursday that plans were uncertain for Mafaaz, but the colt would not run in the Kentucky Derby.

Bo Hirsch's Papa Clem proved again that California-based 3-year-olds are at home anywhere in the country when he rallied from fifth and wore down Fox Hill Farm's favored Old Fashioned to win Saturday's 73rd running of the $1 million Arkansas Derby (Grade II) before a crowd of 55,193 at Oaklawn Park.

With the victory, Papa Clem punched his ticket to the $2 million-guaranteed Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) at Churchill Downs on May 2.  Jockey Rafael Bejarano was aboard the winner for trainer Gary Stute, and Papa Clem covered 1 1/8-miles in 1:49 over a "fast" track.  Summer Bird finished third and Rebel (GIII) winner Win Willy was fourth.

It appeared immediately after the race that both Papa Clem and Old Fashioned would head to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, but plans for the latter changed later when the son of Unbridled's Song was lame as he cooled out after the race.  The onetime Kentucky Derby favorite was found to have suffered a non-displaced slab-fracture of the right knee.

Trainer Larry Jones said the injury would require surgery and is not considered life-threatening, but Old Fashioned's racing career appears to be over.

"He's going back with our horses to Kentucky and we'll look to have him surgically treated once we get there," Jones said.  "Horses with that kind of injury sometimes come back, but rarely at the level at which he competed."

Jones, the trainer of the last two runners-up in the Kentucky Derby in Hard Spun and the ill-fated Eight Belles, still has a Kentucky Derby contender in his barn in Vinery and Fox Hill's Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Friesan Fire.  He said Old Fashioned was scheduled to be taken to Lexington's Rood and Riddle equine hospital for further examination and surgery.

Meanwhile, Stute - the son of veteran California trainer Mel Stute - is making plans for his first Kentucky Derby starter.  Stute's father won the 1986 Preakness (GI) with Snow Chief.

"Up until today, the Preakness was the happiest day of my life," Stute said.  "He (Papa Clem) just doesn't want to get beat.  He has a ton of heart."

Papa Clem, who is scheduled to travel to Churchill Downs on Tuesday, had finished second in his two previous starts to Friesan Fire in the Louisiana Derby and Pioneerof the Nile in Santa Anita's Robert B. Lewis (GII).

Trainer Tim Ice said third-place finisher would not be pointed to the Kentucky Derby, and would likely be pointed toward the Lone Star Derby (GIII) and Belmont Stakes (GI).

Trainer Mac Robertson said a Derby bid was "possible" for Win Willy.

"We'll see in about a week how he's doing and how the rest are doing," Robertson told Daily Racing Form.

KENTUCKY/GENERAL QUARTERS SURPRISES IN TOYOTA BLUE GRASS - Owner-trainer Tom McCarthy has trained horses off and on for most of his life, but never has the 72-year-old former school teacher and high school principal enjoyed a moment like Saturday's victory by 14-1 shot General Quarters in the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (GI) at Keeneland.

McCarthy had claimed the son of Sky Mesa out of his career debut last May at Churchill Downs for $20,000.  General Quarters earned $465,000 for his first-place finish in the Blue Grass, in which he defeated favorite and runner-up Hold Me Back by 1 ½ lengths under jockey Eibar Coa.  Massone, the only 3-year-old in the field of 11 not nominated to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown, was third, and Terrain closed to be fourth.

"I can't tell you what was going through my mind," said McCarthy. "I don't think there's a word that describes it.  I felt a sense of euphoria, a sense of well-being.  It's hard to describe.  It's a feeling I've never had in my life."

McCarthy had been a principal at three Louisville area high schools, but always dabbled with horses.  He has won a relative handful of races, none of which possessed anything close to the prestige and value of the Blue Grass.

The victory by General Quarters improved his career record to 3-3-1 in 11 races and pushed his lifetime earnings to $641,735.

Hall of Fame Trainer Bill Mott said runner-up Hold Me Back would go on to the Kentucky Derby, while trainer Al Stall Jr. said no decision had been made on Terrain's Derby status.

Previously unbeaten Charitable Man finished seventh in the race, one spot ahead of British-based Mafaaz, the winner of the Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes who already has a guaranteed spot in the Churchill Downs starting gate on Derby Day.  Trainer John Gosden said after the race that he was unsure of the colt's status for a Kentucky Derby bid.

Square Eddie To Return in Coolmore Lexington - J. Paul Reddam's Square Eddie, runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) and winner of Keeneland's Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (GI), is set to return to the Lexington track and the Kentucky Derby trail with a run in next Saturday's $300,000 Coolmore Lexington (GII).

Square Eddie worked six furlongs in 1:12.20 on Saturday over the synthetic surface at Hollywood Park and is scheduled to ship to Kentucky on Tuesday.  He has been away from competition since January because of a cannon bone injury.

Godolphin Horses Clear Quarantine - Two Kentucky Derby contenders for Dubai-based Godolphin - Desert Party and Regal Ransom - cleared quarantine at Churchill Downs on Saturday and moved into Barn 41, where they will continue to train toward the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby.

The colts are the first Godolphin horses to attempt the Derby since 2002.

CALIFORNIA/SMITH GETS TEST DRIVE ON CHOCOLATE CANDY - Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mike Smith had a "get acquainted" session on Sunday with Chocolate Candy, the runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) who will be his ride in this year's renewal of the "Run for the Roses" on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Smith was in the saddle as Jenny Craig's homebred son of Candy Ride worked five furlongs in :59.20 over the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita.  Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Chocolate Candy would travel to Kentucky on Tuesday and work twice at Churchill Downs.