Feature Race | Auction | Breeding | General | Hall of Fame | Harness | Interviews | Mixed Breed | New Players | Racing | Site Updates | Steeplechasing | Steward's Cup | Triple Crown
King, More Out of Louisville Derby
Original article written by The Steward posted 16 years 3 weeks agoTwo of the main contenders for this year's Louisville Derby are out according to their trainers.
Tremendous Stakes winner King, trained by Alysse Jacobs, will point for the Baltimore Crown. From the family of 'Crown winners Edict and Empire, King finished third by a head and a neck in the Kentucky Blue Stakes at Lexington Park last weekend.
"The Kentucky Blue was a pretty tough and draining race, it was very close," Jacobs explained. "Since King isn't nearly as battle tested in stakes as his contemporaries and is still coming along, I decided to wait and train him for the Baltimore Crown. It won't be as much pressure on him and his family has good success there. He's not the type of horse I want to press into something he may not be ready for."
Dave Shields also opted out of the Derby with his filly More, a daughter of Derby third-place finisher Wonder a few years ago. More was looking to challenge rival filly Sahara in the race, but finished fourth, beaten another neck, behind King in the Kentucky Blue. She will also train for the Baltimore Crown, a race Shields won with King of Jesters in Year 19 and finished second with Wonder. "I thought maybe the distance would suit her better," Shields said. "She prepped well this spring but might be getting a little tired." More won the Pacific Coast Highway Stakes over colts before the Kentucky Blue. There was brief thought that she might run in the Louisville Oaks, but Shields preferred the extra week of rest.