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The 2022 Kentucky Derby prep races began last September at Churchill Downs and culminate at Keeneland in April. It has been a confusing and frustrating year, not so much due to the pandemic, but because trainer Bob Baffert muddied the waters with his positive test for betamethasone with Medina Spirit in 2021.
Baffert was banned from receiving any Derby points by Churchill Downs this season, but remained eligible to run in the prep races. He has several Derby prospects in his stable, and among them they have captured all California prep races and one in Arkansas. It felt awkward to me to write about the Derby Trail because of this situation until yesterday, when the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission finally disqualified the now deceased Medina Spririt, and named Mandaloun the official winner.
With this disqualification, Baffert was handed a $7500 fine and a 90-day suspension at all tracks in Kentucky…not just Churchill Downs. As is customary, other states followed suit in honoring that ban at their tracks. Surprisingly, California was one of the first to speak up and uphold the suspension.
So, once the appeals are out of the way, and until Corniche, Newgrange, and Messier are on a van to Todd Pletcher or some other high profile trainer, we can focus on legitimate winners, such as Epicenter, in the Grade II Risen Star on Saturday.
To say Epicenter took a step forward on Saturday from his 2022 debut last month would be a gross understatement. The talented, well-bred colt was caught at the wire and defeated by a head in the Grade III Lecompte on January 22nd. Most horse racing pundits, including yours truly, felt that was just exactly the tightening he needed. A few skeptics raised possible distance limitations. I was NOT one of those.
Epicenter is by Not This Time out of a Candy Ride mare, and boasted a 409 distance Tomlinson number for the 1 1/8 mile distance of the Risen Star race…the highest in the field of ten. In addition, his Beyer numbers had improved incrementally in all four previous races. As the third betting choice behind Smile Happy and Pappacap, Epicenter provided horse players with both entertainment and decent value.
Epicenter and Joel Rosario jumped out to a lead and clicked off times of :23.79, :47.97, 1:12.25, 1:36.58 and 1:49.03. The last three furlongs were strong, especially as Rosario wrapped up on him before the wire. The 2 3/4 length victory was worth 50 points and puts him in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby on May 7th. Owner Ron Winchell is “in it to win it”. So, as long as the horse remains sound, he should be a contender for the garland of roses.
Epicenter was a $260,000 purchase at the Keeneland yearling sale. He is a Kentucky-bred colt and is trained by Steve Asmussen. He received a career-high 98 Beyer for the effort.
Put this one on your Derby watch list, folks. And, do not dismiss the runner-up, Smile Happy in his next start. He was making up ground in his 2022 debut, and trainer Ken McPeek said he would absolutely move forward off the effort.