Things are getting dicey as we draw closer and closer to the biggest date on the annual horse racing calendar, the Kentucky Derby. Horses, trainers and owners continue to jockey for points and positioning, while a number of others are deciding if they want to go to Churchill Downs – or if they’re even healthy enough to attend.
Cairo Prince Ruled Out
There will be no Kentucky Derby this year for Cairo Prince, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin confirmed. The Holy Bull Stakes winner has suffered a near-fore fetlock injury, and while it won’t require surgery, it will keep Cairo Prince out of at least the annual Run for the Roses and perhaps the Preakness and Belmont too, though McLaughlin wasn’t prepared to say if either race was a possibility just yet.
From a betting perspective, Cairo Prince’s exclusion is big news. He’s been on the Derby radar since last year, when he won the Nashua Stakes as a 2-year-old, then showed extremely well in a runner-up performance to Honor Code at the Remsen. It was expected many who bet on Kentucky Derby online would’ve wagered on Cairo Prince, with McLaughlin calling it a “sad day” in having to announce the horse’s departure from the Derby field.
Keep an Eye on Commanding Curve
Dallas Stewart has been here before, and he’s hoping for similar results.
Stewart, who rose to prominence at last year’s Derby with Golden Soul, is optimistic that his horse for this year’s Kentucky Derby – Commanding Curve – can reap some similar results at Churchill.
A quick refresher for those unfamiliar with Stewart: one year ago, he was on the fence with Golden Soul, unsure if the colt would even qualify for the Derby (sitting 28th at one time on the points leaderboard). A late surge and some drop-outs got Golden Soul into the field, though, and that’s when things went crazy – a 34-1 longshot for the Derby, Golden Soul stunned onlookers and nearly pulled a gigantic upset, finishing second to Orb in a very exciting race.
Now, Stewart is hoping for the same luck.
Commanding Curve is right on the cusp of the Derby, currently sitting 21st on the points leaderboard. He got some good news last week when Bob Baffert pulled Midnight Hawk out of contention, and could get some more in the not-too-distant future considering Sunland Derby winner Chitu is highly questionable to run at Churchill too.
For bettors, Commanding Curve is certainly one to watch. He’s won at Churchill before and recently put forth a solid third-place showing at the Louisiana Derby, and has run in a number of highly-competitive fields (finishing sixth at the Risen Star, for example). But what horse racing enthusiasts will want to pay close attention to, though, is what odds Commanding Curve will carry into the Derby. As Stewart’s shown in the past, he has an affinity for getting underdogs to perform well in big moments.
