Kentucky Derby 152 notebook - Friday, May 1
Two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer Doug O’Neill now has two chances to win his third Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
O’Neill will saddle Sunland Park Derby winner Pavlovian and now also Robusta. The latter drew into the race on Friday morning when trainer Kenny McPeek scratched Right to Party from the race.
Robusta is a homebred son of Accelerate and is owned by the legendary Calumet Farm. The farm has a record eight Derby wins but the last one came back in 1968 with Forward Pass. Since Brad Kelley took over operations at Calumet in 2012, the farm is 0 for 7 in the Derby.
The best finish during that time has been sixth by Oxbow in 2013 and Bravado in 2018.
Robusta has speed and could be part of the early pace. He has a win and second-place finish in five career starts. He broke his maiden on Jan. 9 at Santa Anita and since then finished sixth in the Robert Lewis, second in the San Felipe and seventh in the Santa Anita Derby.
O’Neill had said earlier in the week that Robusta is "training really well. I like what I see from him." The trainer said he would have pointed Robusta to the Preakness Stakes had he not drawn into the Derby.
Robusta will have a new jockey because Emisael Jaramillo was already booked to ride at Santa Anita Park in California on Saturday. So, Cristian Torres, who was supposed to ride Silent Tactic in the Derby, will get the mount. Silent Tactic was scratched on Tuesday.
Torres will be making his first Derby appearance.
GAFFALIONE BACK IN THE DERBY
After losing his mounts in the Kentucky Derby on Thursday because of a scratch, jockey Tyler Gaffalione is back in the race.
One of the leading riders at Churchill Downs, Gaffalione will ride Ocelli for trainer Whit Beckman. He had been scheduled to ride Jeff Ruby Stakes winner Fulleffort, but he was scratched because of an injury on Thursday.
Beckman then replaced Joe Ramos with Gaffalione for the Derby.
“It’s never easy any time you take off a guy who has been consistently riding horses for you,” Beckman said. “But when you step into this championship round you have to kind of look at stats and guys who have performed on this track. Tyler is consistently the leading rider here.
“It’s not a knock on the other guy, it’s just when the votes were tallied everybody thought for the stage it was a better fit.”
Gaffalione has won 14 riding titles at Churchill Downs and is currently the No. 3 jockey in earnings this year. He is 0-for-7 in the Derby with his best finish a second in 2024 aboard Sierra Leone.
Gaffalione will not ride in the Oaks on Friday night. His mount, Bella Ballerina, was scratched on Thursday and then he picked up the mount on Nycon, but she was scratched on Friday morning.
MALDONADO MAKING FIRST START
Edwin Maldonado won the Sunland Park Derby aboard Pavlovian and then was aboard him in the runner-up finish in the Louisiana Derby. The 43-year-old jockey will make his first Derby start on Saturday.
“I’m just ecstatic and grateful,” Maldonado said. “It’s just a dream come true for me to be here and have this opportunity. I just have to relax and slow down my excitement. I have been riding for 25 years, I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
Maldonado is a little taller than the average jockey at 5-foot-7. He began riding in the U.S. in 2002 and has almost 1,700 career wins.
O’Neill said he’s “very confident” in Maldonado, who he described as a “great gate rider.”
TIP OF THE DAY
There have been nine undefeated Kentucky Derby winners from 37 undefeated horses who have run in the race since 1915.
The last undefeated winner of the Derby was Justify, who won the Triple Crown in 2018.
Danon Bourbon has won all three races during his career, while Emerging Market has won both of his starts.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
While Calumet Farm owns Robusta, O’Neill’s other horse is owned by J. Paul Reddam. That is the same owner/trainer combination that won the Derby in 2012 with Nyquist and in 2016 with I’ll Have Another.
“What’s the old saying?” O’Neill asked. “Good things come in threes. Let’s hope so.”
