Three for Pletcher

- It looks like Todd Pletcher and Nick Zito will account for 8 out of 20 Derby starters, or 40%, and that’s if the field does fill. Wayne Lukas, on ESPN, said before the race that he didn’t think there would be 20 and thus, you’ll be happy to know, he reaffirmed his previous statement that Going Wild would go to the Derby no matter where he finished. So despite his 5th in the Lexington, I imagine he'll be pointed to the Derby anyway, if he can get in.. Lukas said the race didn’t really matter because of the way some horses don’t like the Keeneland track. When you listen to that, and several trainers have made similar remarks, it seems like they’re almost saying that you can virtually throw out any race you’d like to when handicapping a horse that’s run there! Maybe that’s why after the race, John Servis would not commit to not running 6th place finisher Rockport Harbor in Kentucky, though I imagine he just didn’t want to talk without consulting with owner Rick Porter.

The winner Coin Silver (Anees) joins Bandini and Flower Alley for Pletcher in the Derby. He looks on paper like perhaps a nice allowance horse (he finished third in his first race against winners) who likely benefited from the sloppy track (Pletcher pointed out after the race that his broodmare sire is Conquistador Cielo). Sort It Out gets his graded earnings and we’ll likely see him too, yippee. It may be wishful thinking on Lukas’ part that the field won’t fill; and it would be a real shame for Greeley’s Galaxy to not get in because Going Wild did. But I guess they should have nominated him earlier, why didn't they?