By Brian DiDonato
Heading into this year's Triple Crown trail, champion juvenile Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) looked a rock-solid early GI Kentucky Derby favorite. But after a foot abscess, back issue, two aborted works and a puzzling third-place finish in his lone start at three, the horse who previously seemed so formidable still has much to prove. He'll get his chance to return to top of the class as the likely favorite in Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby.
“I think probably a month, a month and a half ago when he was continuing some of his antics we kind of had thrown our hands up and been like, 'Well, what are we supposed to do?'” Norm Casse, assistant to his father Mark, told the Oaklawn publicity department Thursday. “Last-ditch effort, we send him back to Ocala where it all started for him and said if he trains there, good; if not, we'll take a step back and will wait until the summertime. So, he's earned his right here. We feel like we're kind of playing on house money.”
To be fair, the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero's one race this year looks a bit better in hindsight–he finished third, albeit a distant third, to two major Kentucky Derby contenders in Gulfstream's Feb. 4 GII Lambholm South Holy Bull S. Romping winner Irish War Cry (Curlin) was similarly dominant in last week's GII Wood Memorial after a flop of his own, while runner-up Gunnevera (Dialed In) aired in the GII Fountain of Youth S. in March before finding himself too far back when third as the chalk in the GI Florida Derby Apr. 1. Still, Classic Empire must truly be back on his game to tackle this test.
Wide-drawn 'TDN Rising Star' Malagacy (Shackleford) aims for a perfect four-for-four in a year in which his trainer Todd Pletcher has been extra dominant with his sophomores. The $190,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile acquisition cruised home a 15-length winner sprinting at Gulfstream Jan. 4, and doubled up with a strong 97 Beyer Speed Figure and -1 1/2 Thoro-Graph number for a seven-length optional claiming score Feb. 12. He was a clear-cut two-length winner of the local GII Rebel S. Mar. 18, but the next five finishers in that affair–Sonneteer (Midnight Lute), Untapped (Trappe Shot), Petrov (Flatter), Silver Dust (Tapi) and Lookin At Lee (Lookin At Lucky)–will take him on again.
Of the new shooters, Conquest Mo Money (Uncle Mo) could be the most interesting. The $8,500 KEENOV bargain buy annexed his first three races at Sunland before running a solid second at this distance in the lucrative GIII Sunland Derby Mar. 26. Winner Hence (Street Boss) was seventh behind several of these in this venue's GIII Southwest S. in his previous start, but the form of that race was flattered when fourth finisher Irap (Tiznow) returned to upend last Saturday's GII Blue Grass S. at 31-1.
Irap's stablemate Rockin Rudy (Midshipman) will need to outrun double-digit odds if he's to provide Reddam Racing and Doug O'Neill with another highly coveted Derby prep win. The Iowa-bred grey was purchased privately from Twin V Farm and John Brocklebank off a debut romp in an $80K maiden seller at Del Mar in August. He was second to talented 'Rising Star' Conquest Farenheit (Scat Daddy) down the hill in Santa Anita's Feb. 20 Pasadena S., and completed the exacta again in a Mar. 24 optional claimer over the same course.
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