Trainer Bob Baffert is planning to send Souvenir Copy, winner of the Derby Trial over the weekend at Churchill Downs, to the May 9 Illinois Derby at Sportsman’s Park.
“He’s a very good horse,” Baffert said Monday. “If he was owned by anybody else he’d probably be in the Kentucky Derby. You could get Derby fever with this horse.”
Souvenir Copy is owned by his breeder, John Mabee, who was North America’s top thoroughbred breeder last year. According to Baffert, Mabee agrees that the Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles “might be stretching it a little bit.”
The Grade II $500,000 Illinois Derby is a 1 1/8-mile race.
Last year after winning the Kentucky Derby with Silver Charm, Baffert sent Anet to Sportsman’s, and the horse ran second in the Illinois Derby.
Morning glory? Old Trieste figures to be a Kentucky Derby long shot but he still was the talk of the backstretch Monday after working 3/4ths of a mile in 1:09 Sunday morning. The Churchill Downs publicity department called it “likely the fastest 6-furlong pre-Derby workout in history.”
“He did it effortlessly, the right way,” jockey Robby Albarado said. “He was blowing a little bit when we came back but nothing like it took anything out of him.”
“Sure, I’m a little concerned that he went too fast,” trainer Mike Puype acknowledged. “But I know this horse is peaking. He’s fresh and lightly raced. It’s just a matter of keeping him where he is right now.”
The Derby will be the seventh start in the career of the son of 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy and grandson of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. In his only stakes race he was second behind Souvenir Copy in last October’s Grade II Norfolk. In 1-mile allowance races at Santa Anita this year he was a distant fourth behind Indian Charlie before winning his last start by 10 lengths.
“When he ran against Indian Charlie he was a short horse,” said owner Gary Biszantz. “We’re ready now. Bring on Indian Charlie!”
Another rehearsal: Favorite Trick, the 1997 Horse of the Year who is vying with Indian Charlie for the role of Derby favorite, worked 6 furlongs handily in a moderate 1:14 Monday. Trainer Bill Mott was concentrating on the colt rather than on the clock and said he liked what he saw.
