Owner Justin Zayat said he is hoping to return to Oaklawn Park for the first time since American Pharoah's win in the 2015 Rebel Stakes, while late candidate Quip walked the shedrow early Saturday morning in advance of his scheduled start Saturday in the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby.
Zayat Stables is scheduled to be represented by Solomini in the Arkansas Derby. Job requirements kept Zayat from attending the Grade 2 $900,000 Rebel Stakes on March 17.
Solomini will attempt to give Zayat Stables LLC, which is headed by Justin's father Ahmed, its third Arkansas Derby victory. Justin Zayat said he hopes to see it live.
"I'm actually overseas right now, and I'm back on Monday," Zayat, the family's racing and stable manager, said Thursday morning. "I'm hoping to be there. God willing, I'm booking my flight."
Solomini was the 3-2 program favorite for the Rebel, but finished a troubled second, beaten 3 ½ lengths, by unbeaten Magnum Moon. The two are scheduled to have an unexpected rematch in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby, which will offer 170 points to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.
Solomini had been ticketed for the Grade 2 $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes Saturday at Aqueduct Race Track in New York before an injury to stablemate McKinzie led Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert to reshuffle his 3-year-old deck. Solomini was rerouted to the Arkansas Derby, with the trainer's original expected entrant, unbeaten Justify, remaining home for the Grade 1 $1 million Santa Anita Derby Saturday in California.
Justin Zayat said it was Baffert's call to send Solomini back to Oaklawn for the Arkansas Derby.
"Obviously, I'm from New York," Zayat said, referring to the Wood Memorial being in his backyard. "But, hey, look at our record in Arkansas. We love it there. You're also looking at a Grade 1 as opposed to a Grade 2."
Zayat calls Solomini, named for his 17-month old nephew Solomon, the family's best Kentucky Derby prospect since American Pharoah, who began his 2015 campaign with runaway victories in the Rebel and Arkansas Derby before becoming the first Triple Crown winner since 1978, a Breeders' Cup Classic winner and Horse of the Year.
Zayat Stables also campaigned Bodemeister, who won the 2012 Arkansas Derby by 9 ½ lengths before finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. American Pharoah and Bodemeister were also trained by Baffert, who has 13 Kentucky Derby prep victories at Oaklawn since 2010.
A son of 2007 Rebel and Arkansas Derby winner Curlin, Solomini was among the country's most accomplished 2-year-olds last year. He was disqualified from a victory in the Grade 1 $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 9 for interference in the stretch and also finished second in the Grade 1 $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 4 at Del Mar and the Grade 1 $300,000 FrontRunner Stakes Sept. 30 at Santa Anita.
Solomini found traffic trouble along the rail turning for home in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel -- his 3-year-old debut -- and was on his left lead through the stretch.
"We thought he ran well in the Rebel," Zayat said. "Had a little troubled trip, so we're hoping for a cleaner trip this time. We felt getting him the extra week would help him, too."
Magnum Moon (3 for 3) worked a half-mile in :48.65 Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs in south Florida for trainer Todd Pletcher. Magnum Moon is scheduled to be flown to Arkansas Monday, with Solomini arriving from Southern California Wednesday.
Quip worked a half-mile in :48.60 at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky., at around 5:30 a.m. Friday morning. He was then vanned overnight to Oaklawn, arriving in Hot Springs at 4:15 a.m. Saturday, trainer Rodolphe Brisset said.
Brisset, a former assistant under Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, had to shift gears, too. Brisset was aboard for Quip's work, flew to Arkansas Friday night and was leading his Grade 2 winner around the shedrow early Saturday morning.
"I'm used to that," said Brisset, who spent approximately a decade under Mott before starting his first horse in May 2017. "I'm not worried about that. That's the beauty of my job for Mr. Mott. You know where you're at, you know where you're going. You have your routine."
Quip was scratched from Saturday's Grade 2 $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, another fallout from an injury to McKinzie. Justify and Quip have common ownership in China Horse Club and WinStar Farm. Quip was 6-1 on the morning line for the Blue Grass Stakes.
Brisset said he was not looking for a bullet-type move Friday morning from Quip, who was credited with splits of :25 for the opening quarter and :38 for 3 furlongs before galloping out 5 furlongs in 1:01.60 over a fast track. A son of Distorted Humor, Quip had worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 on April 1 at Keeneland.
"Watching the weather, we were not going to be able to breeze any Saturday or Sunday, so we decided to breeze him at five days, which is a little out of the ordinary for us," Brisset said. "He did it on his own."
Brisset said Quip will "more than likely" return to the track Sunday morning. Post positions for the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby will be drawn Wednesday.
"I know we are pretty fit," Brisset said. "I don't think we're going to do anything crazy tomorrow, maybe some jogging and (schooling) in the paddock, if the paddock is open."
Quip has won 3 of 4 starts overall, including the Grade 2 $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby on March 10 at Tampa Bay Downs in his last start. Brisset said regular rider Florent Geroux will have the mount on Quip for the Arkansas Derby.
Brisset has never started a horse at Oaklawn, but said he was in Hot Springs in 2012 to oversee Ron the Greek's preparations for the Grade 2 $400,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2). Ron the Greek finished second for Mott, Oaklawn's leading trainer in 1986.
Sports on 04/08/2018