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Mike Smith’s announcement last week that he would ride Omaha Beach instead of Roadster in the Kentucky Derby raised some eyebrows, but Roadster trainer Bob Baffert said there are no hard feelings.
Well, at least no hard feelings between Smith and Baffert.
“He wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be upset with him,” Baffert said Monday from his Barn 33 on the Churchill Downs backside. “I told him, ‘You don’t have a problem with me. You might have a problem with my wife, Jill.’ He said, ‘That’s what I’m worried about.’ …
“But we understand that’s the business. Mike is a great guy, and I’m not really upset with him.”
Check out:Omaha Beach should be the favorite with Mike Smith on board, Derby oddsmaker says
Smith called it an “extremely tough” decision to choose between Arkansas Derby winner Omaha Beach and Santa Anita Derby winner Roadster.
Smith, who rode Triple Crown winner Justify for Baffert last year, had ridden Roadster in all four of his races. Smith was the jockey for Omaha Beach – trained by Richard Mandella – in his last two races, beating the Baffert-trained Game Winner in the Rebel and the Baffert-trained Improbable in the Arkansas Derby.
“He hasn’t beaten Roadster,” said Baffert, who named Florent Geroux to ride Roadster in the Kentucky Derby. “That’s what we’re going for. That’s my hole card. …
“I have a really good relationship with Mike Smith, and we talked for a long time. I told him, ‘Look, if you want to ride that horse, then ride him.’ The last thing I want to do, if they don’t want to ride your horse, is make them. Then they worry about the other horse.”
Kentucky Derby 2019:Omaha Beach's quarter crack is an 'old issue,' but still something to worry about
Mike Battaglia, who sets the morning line for the Kentucky Derby, said Smith’s decision vaulted Omaha Beach past Roadster as the favorite in the Run for the Roses.
“Is there more pressure on a favorite? I guess if you feel that way, but it all depends on the individual,” Smith said. “It’s the kind of pressure that I like.”
Smith said Omaha Beach is “the now horse.”
“I love his running style, and I love that he’ll handle mud and different surfaces, because that certainly can happen,” Smith said. “There’s always a chance it can be muddy at Churchill. …
“He’s got Roadster to beat and a couple horses from New York that look really good, so it’s going to be a tough Derby, but he’s not without a big chance. Like I said, I love his running style and it suits the Derby.”
* Baffert was in town to watch Improbable breeze, and he posted an impressive four-furlong workout in 48 seconds.
“Couldn’t have picked a more beautiful day here, and he went really nice,” Baffert said. “I’m really happy with the way he bounced over the track. The track’s in great shape.”
Baffert said Game Winner and Roadster will arrive in Louisville on a flight from California either Wednesday or Saturday.
* Other Derby hopefuls working Monday at Churchill were Tacitus (four furlongs in 50 seconds), Long Range Toddy (five furlongs in 1:02.60) and By My Standards (six furlongs in 1:12.80).
By My Standards trainer Bret Calhoun said his horse has been creating a buzz on the Churchill backside in recent weeks. He posted a pair of four-furlong breezes earlier this month – 48.4 seconds on April 4 and 48.8 seconds on April 11.
“I think if anybody watches those works, you’d be very impressed – the novice or the very experienced,” Calhoun said. “These are incredible works that look like gallops. I think that’s what everybody liked about it. That’s what I liked about it. Obviously he’s moving across this track very well.”
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Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/jasonf.
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