Bolt d’Oro, McKinzie hold onto top spots in Kentucky Derby Contenders List

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview —-

Magnum Moon; Coady Photography

Magnum Moon, a son of Malibu Moon, put trainer Todd Pletcher squarely on the Kentucky Derby trail with a powerful win in the Grade 2 Rebel on March 17 at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. The colt stalked a moderately fast pace before taking over rounding the second turn to win the mile-and-a-sixteenth race in 1:42.68.

The Bob Baffert-trained Solomini rallied for second, some three-and-a-half lengths behind the winner. In Solomini’s defense his jockey got him into a tight spot on the second turn and by the time he got out of the box Magnum Moon was gone. Solomini beat the third-place horse, Combatant, by a long head or short neck, Take your pick.

Now we will have to invoke the curse of Apollo. Magnum Moon is undefeated in three races but his first race was on Jan. 13 at Gulfstream Park. The last colt to win the Kentucky Derby without racing as a 2-year-old was Apollo in 1882. I’m just throwing that out there because the naysayers will point that out. What I’m saying is if the colt is good enough, it doesn’t matter to me when he started racing.

The next two races are the Louisiana Derby on March 24 at Fair Grounds and the Sunland Derby on March 25 at Sunland Park in New Mexico.

The 2018 Kentucky Derby contenders are:

Bolt d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro) won the San Felipe on the disqualification and headed to the Santa Anita Derby on April 7.

McKinzie (Street Sense) ran a heck of a race in the San Felipe; also headed to Santa Anita Derby.

Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon) had a powerful win in the Rebel.

Enticed (Medaglia d’Oro) won the Gotham and makes Audible’s win in the Holy Bull look even better. He is being pointed to the Wood Memorial on April 7 in New York.

Solomini (Curlin) will make the Derby; he’s just had some bad racing luck.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Good Magic (Curlin) was third in the Fountain of Youth, but I still think he’s got a lot of talent.

Audible (Into Mischief) looked strong in winning the Holy Bull; Florida Derby is next.

My Boy Jack (Creative Cause) goes here after the Southwest win, but I still want to see him on dry land.

Promises Fulfilled (Shackelford) won the Fountain of Youth but I have pedigree issues.

Justify (Scat Daddy) needs to get into a points’ race.