BY BROCK SHERIDAN
On last year’s Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs, Florida-bred Macho Music sped away to a conclusive victory to upset the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile presented by SAP, winning by three-and-a-quarter lengths at odds of nearly 14-1. The Rohan Crichton-trained 4-year-old colt tries to repeat that performance again under the Twin Spires on Derby Day in the Grade 1, $1 million Churchill Downs Stakes.
He will face 10 other 4-year-olds and older going seven furlongs while also looking to earn a $7,500 Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association Export Incentive for an out-of-state victory to be paid to Mark and Leslie Malone’s Bridlewood Farm, who bred the bay son of Maclean’s Music.
Macho Music makes his second start this year while trying for his first triumph since the Pat Day Mile. An 11 ¼-length winner of the $100,000 OBS Sophomore Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in March of last year, following the Pat Day he was seventh in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun in June at Saratoga Race Course. He completed his sophomore season finishing in fourth in the Grade 2 Amsterdam presented by Albany Med Health System in July, also at Saratoga.
He was then given an eight-month break before returning for the $150,000 Army Mule (Listed) at Gulfstream Park on March 28. Unfortunately, a bad start compromised his preferred front-running form, resulting in a sixth-place finish.
Macho Music still sports a nice career record of four wins and two seconds in 11 starts with earnings of $518,357 for owners Mark Fletcher Taylor, Daniel Walters and Crichton.
Javier Castellano will ride Macho Music from post three and they are 30-1 on the morning line.
Knightsbridge, who has been a juggernaut at seven furlongs and a mile since November for trainer Bill Mott, looks for his fifth straight and fourth consecutive graded stakes win Saturday.
Knightsbridge started his win streak by taking a second tier, $75,000 optional claiming by nearly three lengths over a sloppy seven furlongs at Aqueduct. He then went to Gulfstream Park to produce two four-and-three-quarters-lengths scores in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector going seven furlongs in December and in the one-mile Grade 3 Fred Hopper presented by Visit Lauderdale on January 24. Last out, he demolished his rivals, winning by 11 ¼ lengths in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Mile presented by Fierceness on February 28.
By Nyquist out of Tyburn, by Brook, Knightsbridge has won six of eight lifetime starts with a second and a third. A homebred for Godolphin, he has earned $503,755.
His regular rider, Junior Alvarado, is aboard again and they have post six.
Also set to line up for the Churchill Downs Stakes are Disco Time with John Velazquez named to ride, Cornucopian and jockey Juan Hernandez, Jose Ortiz will guide Hall of Fame, Irad Ortiz Jr. takes the reins on Disruptor, Imagination will have Flavien Prat in the irons, Ryusei Sakai has the assignment T O Elvis, Crazy Mason will be captained by Manny Franco, Banishing will have Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle and Edwin Gonzalez will be aboard Point Dume.
Return to the May 1 issue of Wire to Wire
