Bob Baffert's Castaway will earn Kentucky Derby place with win
PICTURE: Edward WhitakerLast-chance saloon for Castaway at Keeneland
Preview: USA, Saturday 10.13pm BST (live on ATR)
Keeneland: Coolmore Lexington Stakes (Grade 2) 1m½f, AW, 3yo
CASTAWAY (Bob Baffert/Shaun Bridgmohan) could earn himself a last-gasp chance in the Kentucky Derby in a fortnight's time with victory for the sponsors in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on Saturday.
Already a Grade 3 winner at Oaklawn in February, the son of Street Sense would probably accrue enough graded stakes earnings to guarantee a spot in the Churchill Downs starting gate if he wins the $200,000 event.
Having finished second on the Del Mar Polytrack in August, he returns to a similar synthetic surface after a disappointing display behind Kentucky hope Daddy Nose Best in the Sunland Derby.
Others in with an outside shout of getting sufficient funds in the bank for a Kentucky Derby start include Fountain of Youth Stakes runner-up News Pending (Dale Romans/Kent Desormeaux) and Illinois Derby second Morgan's Guerrilla (Mike Maker/Julien Leparoux).
Holiday Promise (Todd Pletcher/Junior Alvarado) chased home Derby contender Went The Day Well in the Spiral Stakes on the Turfway Park Polytrack, while Summer Front (Christophe Clement/Ramon Dominguez) was unbeaten in three on turf as a juvenile. With the layoff not a worry with this trainer, he must have chances here.
Comments