While spot secure, Dream Shake could bypass Kentucky Derby

Courtesy of Horse Racing Nation

While spot secure, Dream Shake could bypass Kentucky Derby

Photo: Benoit Photo

With multiple horses bowing out this week, the updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard released Friday by Churchill Downs has Dream Shake listed as in the field for the 1 ¼-miles classic on May 1. Whether the assignment is accepted, however, remains to be determined.

Trainer Peter Eurton told HRN on Friday that Dream Shake would work on Saturday at Santa Anita for the first time since finishing third in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) behind Rock Your World and Medina Spirit. It is scheduled to be a solo five-furlong drill under Flavien Prat, who was aboard in the Santa Anita Derby, but has the assignment on Hot Rod Charlie in the Kentucky Derby.

“I’m going to breeze tomorrow, then we’ll all sit down and make a decision,” Eurton said. “Probably the middle of next week.”

Dream Shake is already scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs the Tuesday before the Kentucky Derby. If the decision is made to bypass the main event, he would instead contest the $500,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) on the undercard, Eurton said.

Dream Shake is owned by a partnership that includes Exline-Border Racing, who in last year’s delayed Kentucky Derby was represented by Storm the Court, the champion 2-year-old of 2019 trained by Eurton. He finished sixth.

Also co-owned by SAF Racing and Richard Hausman, Dream Shake would be making just his fourth career start at Churchill Downs. The Twirling Candy colt was a splashy debut winner at Santa Anita on Feb. 7 and came back to be third behind Life is Good and Medina Spirit in the March 6 San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita.

In the 1 1/8-miles Santa Anita Derby, Dream Shake was in the vanguard stalking pacesetter Rock Your World along the inside before flattening out in the stretch to finish 6 1/2-lengths adrift of the winner.

“I was pleased with both efforts,” Eurton said of Dream Shake’s runs in the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby. “I thought he was stuck inside a little more than I would have like [in the Santa Anita Derby]. He runs much bigger when he’s outside. Other than that, I thought he had a relatively good trip and got a lot of education out of it. He’s still learning.”

Dream Shake would be Eurton’s third Kentucky Derby starter. In addition to Storm the Court, he also finished sixth in 2014 with Dance With Fate.

Churchill Downs’ lists Dream Shake among 16 horses ‘likely’ for the Kentucky Derby, which allows a maximum of 20 runners. The remaining four slots are open for Concert Tour, Caddo River, Highly Motivated and Crowded Trade. All four of those colts are listed as “possible.”

If any of those defect, waiting to slip-in in order of preference are O Besos, Get Her Number, King Fury, Hockey Dad and Keepmeinmind.

 

2021 Kentucky Derby (G1)

*Rating is based on HRN fan votes, which rank the Top Active Horses in training.
Silks Horse / Sire Rating Trainer / Jockey Last Start Status
Essential Quality
Tapit
8.54
B. Cox
1st, 2021 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) 
Probable
Rock Your World
Candy Ride
8.31
J. Sadler
1st, 2021 Santa Anita Derby (G1) 
Probable
Hot Rod Charlie
Oxbow
8.18
D. O’Neill
1st, 2021 Louisiana Derby (G2)
Probable
Concert Tour
Street Sense
8.14
B. Baffert
3rd, 2021 Arkansas Derby (G1) 
Probable
Known Agenda
Curlin
8.08
T. Pletcher
1st, 2021 Florida Derby (G1) 
Probable
Medina Spirit
Protonico
8.04
B. Baffert
2nd, 2021 Santa Anita Derby (G1) 
Probable
Super Stock
Dialed In
7.74
S. Asmussen
1st, 2021 Arkansas Derby (G1) 
Probable
Midnight Bourbon
Tiznow
7.51
S. Asmussen
2nd, 2021 Louisiana Derby (G2)
Probable
Highly Motivated
Into Mischief
7.48
C. Brown
2nd, 2021 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) 
Probable
Soup and Sandwich
Into Mischief
7.40
M. Casse
2nd, 2021 Florida Derby (G1) 
Probable
Like the King
Palace Malice
7.35
W. Ward
1st, 2021 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) 
Probable
Caddo River
Hard Spun
7.31
B. Cox
2nd, 2021 Arkansas Derby (G1) 
Probable
Helium
Ironicus
7.27
M. Casse
1st, 2021 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) 
Probable
Dream Shake
Twirling Candy
7.11
P. Eurton
3rd, 2021 Santa Anita Derby (G1) 
Probable
Bourbonic
Bernardini
6.84
T. Pletcher
1st, 2021 Wood Memorial (G2) 
Probable
Mandaloun
Into Mischief
6.81
B. Cox
6th, 2021 Louisiana Derby (G2)
Probable
Sainthood
Mshawish
6.65
T. Pletcher
2nd, 2021 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) 
Probable
Hidden Stash
Constitution
6.49
V. Oliver
4th, 2021 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) 
Probable
Dynamic One
Union Rags
6.46
T. Pletcher
2nd, 2021 Wood Memorial (G2) 
Probable
O Besos
Orb
6.41
G. Foley
3rd, 2021 Louisiana Derby (G2)
Probable
Get Her Number
Dialed In
5.85
P. Miller
4th, 2021 Arkansas Derby (G1) 
Possible
King Fury
Curlin
5.48
K. McPeek
1st, 2021 Lexington (G3) 
Possible

 

 

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