Lion Horse Race Co. Ltd.'s Continuar (Jpn) (Drefong) will reportedly be scratched from this year's GI Kentucky Derby, according to trainer Yoshito Yahagi.
“After evaluating the colt upon my arrival, I feel that he has not been able to reach the peak fitness required to take on a race as tough as the Kentucky Derby,” Yahagi said. “Considering the future of the horse and the fact that we cannot show the horse's true ability in his current state, we have decided to scratch Continuar from the Kentucky Derby. I am very sorry that I cannot participate in the world's number one horse racing festival, however I sincerely hope to return to the Derby in the future. I want to thank everyone who has supported Continuar and Yahagi Stable on this journey.”
Continuar qualified for the Kentucky Derby through the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby point series where he received an invitation to compete in the first leg of the Triple Crown. With this defection, Brereton Jones and Naber Racing's King Russell (Creative Cause), trained by Ron Moquett, will draw into the field and break from the outside post 20. The program number 23 will remain the same. King Russell will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano.
“You can't help but feel for the ones that scratch,” Moquett said by phone, when asked about the news that his horse had drawn in. “This is an opportunity for the team, our owners and we have been here all week preparing just like King Russell was already entered. We know he is special horse and like Babe Ruth calling his shot, I predicted that he would finish in the top three in the Arkansas Derby and that he would be in the [Kentucky] Derby. Here we are. After the training, pointing him here, galloping, schooling, we are going to see if he can get the mile and a quarter. I've been here before with Far Right in 2015 and that following year with Whitmore, and now it is time to get down to business because we are wanting to do more.”
Scratch time for Kentucky Derby 149 is Friday at 9 a.m. ET.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
