Renegade to Return to Florida After Arkansas Derby Win

Reached by phone roughly an hour after Renegade's sparkling Arkansas Derby (G1) victory March 28 at Oaklawn Park, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said he only had a minute to talk because Arizona's basketball game against Purdue in the NCAA Tournament's West Regional final was about to begin. The rush was understandable because Pletcher graduated from the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program in 1989 with a bachelor of animal science. Fittingly, Arizona, after trailing by seven points at halftime, rolled late and advanced to its first Final Four since 2001 with a 79-64 victory. READ: Renegade Overpowers Rivals in Arkansas Derby The Arkansas Derby also produced a fast finish as even-money favorite Renegade, last of eight after a half-mile, inhaled the field on the outside in deep stretch to win the $1.5 million grade 1 race by 4 lengths over Silent Tactic. Renegade represented the record sixth Arkansas Derby victory for Pletcher, who trains Renegade for New Yorker Mike Repole and the colt's breeders, Robert and Lawana Low of Springfield, Mo. Pletcher and Repole teamed to win the 2013 Arkansas Derby with Overanalyze. Pletcher won the race again in 2018 with Magnum Moon, who was owned the Lows. "I just love the progression that he's making," Pletcher said. "Very, very happy for the Lows and the Repoles. Great win for them. Just fortunate to have a colt of this quality." In his previous start, Renegade was a 3 3/4-length winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 7 at Tampa Bay Downs. Renegade ($1,031,500) surpassed $1 million in career earnings with his Arkansas Derby victory. Renegade walked the shed row the morning of March 29. Pletcher said he is scheduled to be flown back March 31 to his south Florida base (Palm Beach Downs) to continue preparations for the Kentucky Derby (G1). Renegade, a son of super sire Into Mischief, collected 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the Arkansas Derby victory—his second in five lifetime starts—and has 125 overall to rank second on the official Kentucky Derby leaderboard released by Churchill Downs. The 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby May 2 at Churchill Downs is limited to 20 starters. The Arkansas Derby was Oaklawn's fourth and final Kentucky Derby qualifying race. Pletcher also won the third when Class President beat Silent Tactic by a nose in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 1. "We've been lucky over the years," Pletcher said of Oaklawn. "It's kind of cool because my dad (J.J. Pletcher) used to race there when he was training. Hot Springs and Oaklawn have always been a special place to us." Class President is scheduled to make his next start in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) April 4 at Keeneland. Class President (50 points) ranks 10th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Casse Horses to Remain in Arkansas for 'Two to Three' Weeks The consistent Silent Tactic is safely in the Kentucky Derby field with 100 points to rank fifth. Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Silent Tactic was the only horse to run in all four of Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby qualifying races this year, finishing second behind stablemate Strategic Risk in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 3, winning the $1 million Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 6, and running second in the Rebel and Arkansas Derby. Silent Tactic held a half-length lead in midstretch of the Arkansas Derby, but he was no match for Renegade in the final furlong. "Pletcher's horse is an unbelievable horse," Caden Arthur, who oversees Casse's Oaklawn's division, said March 29. "We knew he was going to come. We were just trying to hold him off and we couldn't. We got the jump on him down the backside and the turn, but it's OK. We'll take second. We got the points and he looks good today. We'll move on to the first Saturday in May, hopefully." Arthur said Silent Tactic and stablemates Counting Stars and Search Party will remain at Oaklawn for "two to three weeks" before shipping to Churchill Downs. Counting Stars and Search Party finished 1-2, respectively, in the $1 million Fantasy Stakes (G2) March 27, Oaklawn's third and final Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying race. "They're doing really good here, training really good over this track," Arthur said. "So, we'll have an easy week and then start training on them and getting ready for the Oaks and the Derby with all of them." Arthur said the plan for the trio is to have one workout at Oaklawn and one at Churchill Downs in advance of their respective races.