Castaway in the Lexington Stakes, still can make the Derby
Mrs. John Magnier owned 3-year-old colt, Castaway, was given the chance to prove himself in the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park on 25 March, 2012, but the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes winner sent out a signal that he isn’t ready for that kind
on company just yet.
In the aftermath of it all, veteran trainer Bob Baffert decided to pull him off the Derby trail and look for other 3-year-old races that would suit the colt more in terms of getting his confidence back by winning some winnable races.
The Coolmore Lexington Stakes after all the commotion has finally reeled in a Kentucky Derby hopeful, and it will be Castaway to run over a distance of 1 1/16 miles over the Keeneland’s synthetic surface on 21 April, 2012.
Castaway will have an opportunity to show his class against some good runners with the likes of, Golden Ticket, who is also off the Derby trail after his second place finish in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby to winner Prospective after his maiden special weight
race win that came after three starts.
Harlan’s Holiday’s three-year-old colt, News Pending, has also been thrown in the mix after his disappointing seventh place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park to winner Take Charge Indy, going over a distance of 1 1/8 miles on 31 March,
2012.
Dale Romans trained is out of mare Motivated Sreva by Lear Fan, and the Kentucky bred colt prior to the Florida Derby turned in back to back runner up finishes in an allowance race and then in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes to winner Union Rags.
Though, Castaway has a slight chance of making the Kentucky Derby because if he goes on to win the Lexington Stakes, his share of the purse will be $120,000 which would add to his graded stakes earnings.
He won the Grade 3 Southwest and earned $150,000, and after his seventh place finish in the Sunland Derby, he got another $12,000 which makes a total of $282,000, which is enough to make it to the Derby.
Even if Castaway makes it up for the graded earnings, it will be tough for him to run on 21 April, conserve energy and get back on the track for the Kentucky Derby on 5 May.
Tags: