Tuesday, April 19, 2016

CUPID OUT MO TOM IN

Cupid, who finished 10th in the April 16 Arkansas Derby (gr. I), won't compete in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), according to trainer Bob Baffert. And that opened the door for Mo Tom, who as of the morning of April 18 was on the outside looking in.

Baffert confirmed a Daily Racing Form report earlier in the day that Cupid would miss the Derby and undergo surgery for an entrapped epiglottis. The 3-year-old Tapit   colt, heavily favored in the Arkansas Derby, sat just off the early lead for a half-mile and then uncharacteristically backed through the field.

Cupid, winner of the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) at Oaklawn Park in March for owners Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith, could resurface in the other Triple Crown events.

Mo Tom was 18th in the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings before the Arkansas Derby, but afterwards had dropped to 21st. The Derby field is limited to 20 starters.

"We're not taking anything for granted," Tom Amoss, who trains the Uncle Mo   colt for G M B Racing, said April 18 before the Cupid defection. "We're training him as if his next race date is May 7. And I will say if we get into the race, I hope it's because the plans for another horse have changed, not because of injury or sickness."

Amoss later said he is "hoping for a speedy recovery" for Cupid.

With Mo Tom, winner of the Lecomte Stakes (gr. III), now in the Kentucky Derby, that leaves Fellowship (21), Adventist (22), the maiden Laoban (23), Dazzling Gem (24), and Cherry Wine (25) next in line.

Eric Guillot, who trains Laoban for McCormick Racing and Southern Equine Stable, said given the number of horses that would have to defect, he's currently looking toward the May 21 Preakness (gr. I) for the Uncle Mo colt who finished fourth in the April 9 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and before that second in the Gotham Stakes (gr. III).

"I think a lot of them (in the Derby) won't come back for the Preakness," Guillot said April 18. "(Not running in the Derby) could be a blessing in disguise. I wish (the Preakness) was sooner rather than later because that's a lot of time between races."

Guillot said he would have considered running Laoban in the Pat Day Mile for 3-year-olds (gr. III) May 7 if it was a week earlier. He said Laoban has trained well since the Blue Grass.

"It was a better race than it looks on paper," Guillot said, noting Laoban was the only horse in the race that contended early and hung around for a money spot. "Physically, he ran a big race."

Jacks or Better Farm's Fellowship, now in the barn of Mark Casse, will continue training with the Derby in mind, though assistant trainer Norman Casse April 17 said the Awesome of Course colt obviously needs a defection from the top 20 to get into the May 7 race.

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