Denis of Cork In
Lexington winner Behindatthebar will skip the Derby and point to the Preakness, trainer Todd Pletcher announced this morning, which means Denis of Cork slips off the bubble and solidly into spot #20 on the graded earnings list. “We’re excited,” said trainer David Carroll of the news. “The horse is here, we feel he belongs in the race with him doing as well as he is” (DRF). Jockey Calvin Borel, who will ride the colt in the Derby, was in the saddle this morning when Denis of Cork worked four furlongs in :48 at Churchill and had nothing but good to say at a time when it still didn’t look like Denis would make it. “He’s peaking right now,” said Borel after the work. “This horse is getting better, and better, and better. Maybe we’ll get in” (Morning Line). Despite how well Denis of Cork is training now, though, his unconventional prep schedule based on the bounce theory and his fifth-place finish in the Illinois Derby makes him hard to like heading into Saturday. Too bad. If only he had stayed at Oaklawn …
