One of our favorite Kentucky Derby underdogs, Roadster, had been on the shelf since he finished third at the Del Mar Futurity. This was in September. Since then he has been lost in the shuffle of Derby contenders. This, thanks to the performances of other horses like Game Winner and Improbable. Also, Roadster appeared to be injured.
Therefore, on Friday, Roadster went into Santa Anita Park as the second favorite. This was to win the race. However, he emerged victorious thanks to a comeback performance. The performance should propel him up the prep race standings.
With two-time Kentucky Derby winning bet jockey, Mike Smith, who won the Triple Crown with Justify riding him, the son of Quality Road completed a mile in 1:37.53.
“He’s back on the Derby trail.” Baffert said. “That was quite a performance off a layoff. We just want to see how he comes out of this.
“..When he worked in 10 and three (six furlongs in 1:10 3/5s) out of the gate the other day, that’s sick. For a horse to do that on this track.”
“He’s so talented.” Smith added to TVG, “and I’m just glad to be kind of pointed back in the right direction again. We’ll see where it takes us.”
Kentucky Derby Underdogs
Ready to bet on Kentucky Derby underdogs? Roadster made his debut in July at the MSW. Also, he easily won his first race. He followed it up with a third place finish at the Del Mar Futurity before he was diagnosed with a breathing issue that required surgery, which kept him sidelined for months.
“Since he’s come back, he’s looked really well — haven’t had any problem with his breathing,” Baffert said before Friday’s race, Roadster’s first start in six months and his two-turn debut.
“…This time of year, it’s tough. You’re lucky if you can get an allowance race to fill. It looks like if he runs well, it’s like Justify. If he runs well in the allowance race, you can take a shot — throw him in the deep end and see what happens.”