Gary and Mary West's 'TDN Rising Star' Concert Tour (Street Sense) will not run in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby, said trainer Bob Baffert Saturday morning. He will instead be pointed for the May 15 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico.
The homebred wired a field of Santa Anita maidens by 3 1/2 lengths to earn the 'Rising Star' designation Jan. 15 and made a seamless transition to graded competition, taking the seven-furlong GII San Vicente S. Feb. 6. The bay colt made all the running en route to a 4 1/4-length defeat of stablemate Hozier (Pioneerof the Nile) in Oaklawn's GII Rebel S. Mar. 13, earning enough points to make the Derby, but he stubbed his toe when last seen in the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 10, finishing third after leading into the final eighth of a mile.
“He's immature and we were disappointed that he didn't win the Arkansas Derby,” said Baffert. “I was really expecting an outstanding performance and he didn't give it. Physically, he's fine, but he's too immature to come back in two weeks [from Saturday], so we're going to wait for the Preakness.”
Baffert's lone Derby entrant is now the blue-collar Medina Spirit (Protonico), winner of the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. who was second to his injured stablemate Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GII San Felipe S. and runner-up to Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the Apr. 3 GI Santa Anita Derby.
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