Hence

HENCE (c, Street Boss—Floating Island, by A.P. Indy) O/B-Calumet Farm (KY). T-Steven M. Asmussen. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-2-1-1, $542,601.

Last Start: 1st, GIII Sunland Derby, SUN, Mar. 26

Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs

KY Derby Points: 50

Hence hasn't done anything but train quietly and capably at Churchill Downs since winning the Sunland Derby. Yet his stock has inched upward during his time between starts because his New Mexico company line got boosted by a win and a second by Irap (Tiznow) and Conquest Mo Money (Uncle Mo), respectively, in the Blue Grass S. and Arkansas Derby. With a foundation of five straight races at a mile or more, Beyer Speed Figures that have improved in every career race, and the addition of the capable Florent Geroux picking up the mount for the Derby, Hence has all the makings of an off-the-radar contender who could pose an unforeseen threat at a vastly inflated mutuel on Derby Day. His last two running lines indicate a comfort level with rating from the back of the pack, but I'd be intrigued to see what he might be able to do if he got into the action a little bit earlier in the race. He was an effective second, beaten only a neck, over the Churchill strip going a one-turn mile as a juvenile when he was on the lead for most of the race, and when he broke his maiden in the slop at Oaklawn in February he stalked throughout, never more than 4 3/4 lengths out of the hunt.

VIDEO PPS