LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It comes as no shock to Whit Beckman that the first time he has a horse as a trainer in the Kentucky Derby, two of his biggest impediments to success are Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown.
Before going out on his own in 2021, Beckman worked as an assistant to both Pletcher and Brown. He was a New York-based assistant to Pletcher when the now Hall of Fame trainer won his first Derby with Super Saver in 2010. Beckman worked for Brown when that trainer won his first Preakness with Cloud Computing in 2017.
In this year’s Kentucky Derby, Beckman will send out Honor Marie against the Pletcher-trained Fierceness and the Brown-trained Sierra Leone – likely the two top betting choices in the 150th Run for the Roses.
“You know they’re going to come with the favorites,” Beckman said. “Its cool. I’m not considering myself an equal. I’ll always consider myself their employee, or they’re my boss. Without them, without the experience that I had, I would not have been able to come close to accomplish any of this. I’m super grateful for that.
“But to compete on level terms,” Beckman added. “Yeah, it’s gratifying and it’s a cool feeling.”
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In Honor Marie, Beckman has a legitimate Derby contender. A son of Honor Code, Honor Marie went 2 for 3 as a 2-year-old – all at Churchill Downs – including a victory in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club. After a fifth-place finish in the slop in the Risen Star, Honor Marie ran a solid second, beaten one length by Catching Freedom, in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby.
“He’s one that fits among the top,” Beckman said. “I know we can turn around a couple of lengths on this track.”
On Thursday, Honor Marie completed his serious preparation for the Derby by working five furlongs in 59.32 seconds over the Churchill main track, according to Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch. Under jockey Ben Curtis and working outside of his stakes-placed stablemate Agoo, Honor Marie went his first three-eighths in 35.15, got his last quarter in 24.17, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.78 and seven furlongs in 1:27.89.
Opting to work Honor Marie just once over the last two weeks leading to the Derby, Beckman said he wanted a strong move.
“I had four weeks to work with and I didn’t really want four works just because he’s a lighter-framed horse. He doesn’t need a ton, he’s very fit,” Beckman said. “I wanted to do something that was a little on the quicker side, a little sharper, and he handled it with ease and comfort.”
Curtis, who rode Honor Marie in the Louisiana Derby and who will ride him in the Kentucky Derby, was aboard for Thursday’s workout and loved the reaction he got when he asked Honor Marie to finish the work.
“The last eighth of a mile, I gave him an inch of rein and let him gallop out through the line and he galloped out all the way through the turn,” Curtis said. “I think it was everything we wanted to see. The horse did it comfortably, and it should set him up perfect for race day.”
Curtis, who had ridden in England for the last 11 years, decided to try riding in the United States this winter and had a sensational Fair Grounds meet, winning 43 races, good enough for fourth in the standings.
Curtis has elected to remain in the United States for the spring/summer and plans to ride on the Mid-Atlantic circuit, including Laurel, Delaware, and Monmouth.
Curtis said to have the opportunity to ride in the Kentucky Derby is “fantastic.
“It’s one of the world’s showcase races, so just to get the horse here and to have a horse in the Kentucky Derby for Whit and the owners is a massive achievement,” Curtis added. “So we’ll carry on living the dream and keep our fingers crossed.”
Beckman had fielded calls from agents for some big-name riders who wanted to ride Honor Marie, but ultimately decided to stick with Curtis.
“Honestly, I always knew he was probably the most logical choice,” Beckman said. “For me, I appreciate experience on the back of a horse, a guy that’s been there showing up and working for us. I have to go with what my gut says and my gut says he gets along with the horse. He’s here in my shed row every morning, and it means a lot to be part of the team.”
Sierra Leone schools at gate
Sierra Leone, who delayed the start of the Blue Grass Stakes when he balked some at the gate, visited the Churchill Downs starting gate on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Trainer Chad Brown saw what he wanted to see on Thursday and said he likely won’t take the Blue Grass winner back to the gate.
“We took him [Wednesday], he paused a couple of times and then they worked with him and got him in and out pretty good,” Brown said.
Brown added that after talking to starter Steve Jordan the decision was made to bring him back Thursday.
“He thought it would be a good idea just to go right back again because I want to make sure he’s walking in without any hesitation and today he did super as I expected him to,” Brown said.
◗ Trainer John Ennis said Thursday he will enter Epic Ride in the Kentucky Derby, even if it means he’s on the also-eligible list.
Epic Ride, third in the Blue Grass, is likely to be first on the also-eligible list provided there are no changes in the lineup before Saturday.
Epic Ride is at a training center in Lexington and would ship to Churchill on Friday night.
If Epic Ride makes 21 entries, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said he would likely enter Seize the Grey in the Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard, though he hasn’t totally ruled out entering the Derby.
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