The footprint of Churchill Downs’ ban of trainer Bob Baffert and his stable widened Monday, when his horses were excluded from the 22 individual choices revealed for this week's first pool of the pari-mutuel Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
“All other colts and geldings” were made the even-money, morning-line favorite in Pool 1 of the KDFW, which kicks off a four-day run at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving Day. Jack Christopher, the impressive Champagne (G1) winner for trainer Chad Brown who expected to resume training in early 2022, was installed as a 10-1 second choice.
Pool 1 assumes that horses under the care of a trainer suspended from competing in the 2022 Kentucky Derby will not be under consideration. Since Baffert was suspended by Churchill Downs through the 2023 Derby, his prospects Corniche, Messier, Pinehurst and Rockefeller were not among the 22 individual betting interests. They were included within the pari-mutuel field.
Jack Christopher, who was expected to be the US$2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile favorite, was scratched from the Nov. 5 race and had a screw inserted into his left shin due to a stress fracture shortly thereafter.
“We will start him back (training) in early 2022 at WinStar Farm and then ship him to Palm Meadows and start his campaign in South Florida.” Bradley Weisbord, racing manager for co-owner Jim Bakke, told BloodHorse last Tuesday.
