Ottinho to Bypass Kentucky Derby

Three Chimneys Farm's Ottinho, runner-up to Further Ado in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), will bypass the Kentucky Derby (G1) in favor of a start in either the Preakness Stakes (G1) or Peter Pan Stakes (G3), trainer Chad Brown said April 18. With the defection, Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) runner-up and Florida Derby (G1) third-place finisher Chief Wallabee will draw into the Kentucky Derby field. Ottinho, a homebred son of Quality Road who is a half brother of 2017 Horse of the Year and Three Chimneys' top stallion Gun Runner, recorded his first breeze since the April 4 Blue Grass Saturday, going a half-mile in :48 2/5 at Keeneland. Brown said he didn't see anything negative about the work, but after talking with Three Chimneys' Goncalo Torrealba, they agreed the horse's development is a bit behind those on the top rung of the Derby picture at this stage. "The function of waiting for his first work back also bought us a little time to survey the field and see if there's any more developments in it," Brown said. "There's two components in a decision like this: The horse has to be doing very well and improving going into the Derby, and who you're running against. How the field shapes up is another important consideration. "As of right now, the top half dozen horses that are still reported as healthy and on target for the race look to be just ahead of this horse right now in their development. It's feeling like, at this very moment, the time to run against those horses would probably be best down the road." Ottinho will shift over to Churchill Downs from Keeneland this week and perform his next breeze in Louisville, Ky., under Brown's eye as he determines which race is next. The Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown held May 16 at Laurel Park, is a race Brown has won twice before with horses he chose to skip the Kentucky Derby with. The 1 1/8-mile Peter Pan May 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack typically acts as a prep for the June 6 Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. Brown trains two other horses who are qualified for the Kentucky Derby: Klaravich Stables' Emerging Market, and St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing's Iron Honor. Emerging Market had his third breeze Saturday since winning the March 21 Louisiana Derby (G2), going a half-mile in :48 2/5 at Payson Park Training Center in Florida. "Emerging Market worked great at Payson Park," Brown said. "Right now, he looks great and hopefully comes out of it great." Brown said the undefeated son of Candy Ride (ARG) will leave for Churchill Downs April 20. While Emerging Market is a definite for the Derby, Iron Honor is still on the fence. The Gotham Stakes (G3) winner ranks 16th on the Derby leaderboard, guaranteeing him a spot if Brown and the owners want it. However, he is exiting a surprise seventh in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) after a wide trip. Brown experimented after that April 4 race by taking off Iron Honor's blinkers for the horse's Saturday breeze at Belmont Park, which he performed in :49 for a half-mile. "In his last race, shortly after the start, the horse drawn just to the inside of him came out and gave him a hard bump going for position into the first turn," Brown said of the choice to take off the blinkers. "It really set my horse off to where he was not only carried way out, but he started pulling against the rider quite a bit, never settled, and really wore himself out for most of the race. Manny Franco rode the horse and strongly suggested after the race to take those blinkers off and get him to relax, because he was totally different in his last start once he got hit—pulling—which he didn't do in his previous starts. Experimenting with that, and he worked excellent." Brown said he would need 24 hours to discuss with the ownership group, but that the two options on the table for the son of Nyquist are the Derby and Preakness. Churchill Downs publicity also had Repole Stable's Grittiness, who would have been the current third alternate, listed as no longer under consideration for the Derby. The next four horses into the Derby field, by order of preference, are Chip Honcho, Intrepido, Nearly, and Bravaro.