Drop Out of Music School

- It’s time to dial 1-800-NODERBY and vote Music School out of the Derby. This promising colt attracted tons of attention when he made and won his three-year old debut. But in two subsequent stakes tries, he ran 4th in the Southwest, and then 8th in the Rebel, during which he suffered a minor back injury.

One could argue that the colt has already been campaigned too aggressively, considering that his comeback win, which was nice but not overly impressive, was his first race since last summer and only the second of his career. And now, despite two futile stakes tries and an injury, Howard is still talking about possibly running in the Lexington Stakes on April 22, and was quoted in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as saying “We’re going to try and determine what he wants and let him be what he can be, whether it’s going a mile and a quarter in the Kentucky Derby or three-quarters of a mile in a sprint.” It seems inconceivable to me that Howard would still contemplate running in the Lexington, which could be renamed the Desperation Stakes, and then in the Derby just two weeks after! Music School’s close relative Mineshaft was a champion at four; let’s hope that Music School is still sound and racing by then.

- Achilles of Troy, who could now be trained by Andrew Card for all we know, breezed six furlongs this morning in 1:16.71 (3/4).

- A commenter queried about Film Fortune the other day, and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article linked to above confirms that Jack Van Berg’s maiden will indeed run in the Arkansas Derby after a decent 5th in the Rebel. He’s is by Indy Film, a rather obscure son of AP Indy who doesn’t even turn up in the Stallion Register; according to the Pedigree Query site, he was winless in ten starts. But Film Fortune is a half brother to this year’s Sunshine Millions Distaff winner House of Fortune.