Which of Baffert’s Derby contenders may be moved?
With one week left before a transfer deadline set by ChurchillDowns Inc., six colts in the barn of Bob Baffert could be prime candidates tomove temporarily to other trainers so they may be eligible for Kentucky Derby 2024.
If the Las Vegas futures for the Derby are any indication,graded-stakes winners Nysos, Muth, Maymun, Pilot Commander, Coach Prime and Prince of Monaco may be the most likely colts to be transferred. Led by undefeated Nysos at best odds of 20-1, theywere among the 42 shortest-priced horses to win May 4 in Louisville, Ky.
Next Monday was set as the deadline when, as the 2024 Derbyconditions were written, “horses under the care of any suspended trainer may betransferred to a non-suspended trainer and become eligible for earning pointsin a road to the Kentucky Derby race on a forward-looking basis.” That is 30days earlier than the deadline that was established last year.
Baffert has been under an indefinite suspension from CDItracks since May 9, 2021, when it was announced Medina Spirit failed a drugtest after finishing in first place eight days earlier in the Derby. That ledto a precedent-setting disqualification as well as lengthy legal andadministrative fights brought by Baffert and Medina Spirit’s owner Amr Zedan.
Tim Yakteen, a former assistant to Baffert, stepped in totrain Reincarnate to a 13th-place finish in last year’s Derby. He also took ontwo of Baffert’s horses in 2022, when Taiba came in 12th and Messier 15th atChurchill Downs. Yakteen, Steve Asmussen and Brittany Russell were sent eight ofBaffert’s potential Derby candidates before last year’s deadline.
Nysos, the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes winner who is 2-for-2 and was the joint secondchoice Sunday in the Nevada futures behind 12-1 Fierceness, is owned byCharles and Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp, which was not faced this transferdilemma before.
“Unfortunately, our country is devolving into a nation whereexcluding the top competition is considered a legitimate way (to) win,” BaomaCorp director Ed Nevins said in a text message Saturday, deferring the decision to Baffert. “Bob Baffert is ourtrainer, and we stand with him and any decisions he makes regarding our horses.”
Baffert did not respond to a text message asking if there would be any move of Derby candidates in the coming days.
Zedan, who transferred Derby candidates to Yakteen each ofthe last two years, owns Muth, Maymun and Coach Prime. Muth, the San Vicente (G2)winner who was 28-1 on Sunday in the Derby futures, forfeited 25 Derbyqualifying points for his American Pharoah (G1) win and Breeders’ Cup Juvenilerunner-up finish. Maymun, a $900,000 Frosted colt, opened at 50-1 in Nevada after a 7 1/2-length debut victory Saturday at Santa Anita. Coach Prime, 100-1 in Las Vegas, lost thethree points he earned for finishing third in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2).
Maiden winner Pilot Commander, who carried a 60-1 Derbyfutures price after finishing second in the San Vicente, is owned by Edward,Bill and Alex Childs’ CSLR Racing Partners, who are faced with this transferdecision for the first time.
Prince of Monaco, who drifted to 120-1 in the Derby futures after his undefeated record was blemished by his fifth-place finish in theBreeders’ Cup Juvenile, is owned by the SF Racing partnership that transferredhorses to Yakteen and Russell the past two years. He lost the three points he would have gotten for his Breeders’ Cup finish.
These were the Baffert horses with their odds Sunday inNevada at Caesars Sportsbook and Circa Sports to win Kentucky Derby 2024:
