Correll’s Derby Top Ten: Leaderboard Shakeup

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview —-

Nysos romps; Fierceness flat

TRINITY, Fla. – Four 3-year-old prep races were held Feb. 3 with 20-10-6-4-2 points awarded to the top five finishers for colts headed to the Kentucky Derby on May 4 in Louisville, Ky.

One week into the 2024 poll and I’m shaking it up.

The Withers at Aqueduct, the Holy Bull at Gulfstream, the Southwest at Oaklawn and the Robert Lewis at Santa Anita was where the attention was focused. Both the Withers and the Southwest were run over sloppy or wet sealed tracks, so make what you will of the winners.

The race of the day was the Lewis in Southern California where Bob Baffert’s Nysos and Wine Me Up ran first and second, but Nysos was the clear standout, winning by more than seven lengths and earning a 115 Beyer speed figure.

The flop of the day was the Holy Bull in south Florida where 2-year-old champ Fierceness looked terrible in finishing a tiring third. Either he lost a step from last year or this is Todd Pletcher’s idea of running the colt into shape. The latter I doubt since Pletcher seemed as bewildered as many of the colt’s supporters.

Pletcher said after the race that he planned to continue with his original plan of running Fierceness next in the Florida Derby on March 30.

The Holy Bull winner was Hades, a nice looking son Awesome Slew, who is trained by Joe Orseno. He received a 95 Beyer for the win. The race was run in a woefully slow 1:46.07 for the mile-and-a-sixteenth over a track that was listed as fast.

Uncle Heavy, a son of Social Inclusion, won the mile-and-an-eighth Withers in 1:53.79 as he came off the pace to win, beating El Grande O in a head bob. The colt got a 95 Beyer and his trainer Butch Reid Jr., said they probably will stay in New York for the Wood Memorial.

Long shot Mystic Dan came out of a muddy pack to take the Southwest as it looked like most of the favorites faltered in the slop. Ken McPeek trains the son of Goldencents and the colt got a 110 Beyer. I’ll have to see this guy on a dry track before he makes any list.

Nysos (sire: Nyquist) was dominate in the Lewis and his Triple Crown race will be the Preakness.

Locked (Gun Runner) was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and is another Pletcher trainee that has been working regularly at Palm Beach Downs in Florida. He earned a 100 Beyer in the Juvenile.

Track Phantom (Quality Road) won the Lecomte on Jan. 20 at Fairgrounds in New Orleans. He received a 93 Beyer for the effort and is trained by Steve Asmussen. He is listed as a probable for the Risen Star on Feb. 17 at Fairgrounds.

Catching Freedom (Constitution) won the Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 1 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. He is trained by Brad Cox and got 97 Beyer. He also is listed for the Risen Star.

Muth (Good Magic) was second in the Juvenile and won the San Vicente on Jan. 7 at Santa Anita in Southern California. He is trained by Baffert..

Dornach (Good Magic) won the Remsen on Jan. 2 at Aqueduct, but I have never been a big fan of winter racing in New York. He did get a 99 Beyer for the effort and I think trainer Danny Gargan in taking the colt south so that may solve the winter problem.

Fierceness (City of Light) was third in the Holy Bull.

Timberlake (Into Mischief) was fourth in the Juvenile and he has had two breezes at Fairground since the first of the year. Cox is the trainer.

Nash (Medaglia d’Oro) was second in the Lecomte but he didn’t threaten the winner. He is a Cox trainee.

Speak Easy (Constitution) broke his maiden at first asking on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream. He earned a 92 Beyer and he is a WinStar homebred.