Built to Skip Kentucky Derby in Favor of Pat Day Mile
By: Sean Collins BloodHorse
When Kentucky Derby (G1) entries are taken the morning of April 26, Built‘s name will not be present. Instead, owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trainer Wayne Catalano will enter the son of Hard Spun on the Derby’s May 3 undercard in the $600,000 Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2).
Winner of the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots this winter, Built earned 45 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, enough to give him a spot in the 20-horse Derby. However, after flattening out in the late stages of the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star Stakes (G2) and the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby (G2), the connections made the call to cut back to a one-turn mile.
“It really just boils down to us doing what we feel in our gut is the best for the horse,” said Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ president and founder Aron Wellman. “His form as the races have gotten longer throughout the season has tapered off a little bit. He isn’t acting as though the classic distance is what he wants right now at this stage in his career. We’re gonna cut him back to a one-turn mile, which we think can really be right within his wheelhouse and see how he performs.”
Built recorded his final breeze ahead of Derby day April 24, working a bullet five furlongs in :59 2/5. Wellman said they had been leaning in the direction of the Pat Day Mile since the March 22 Louisiana Derby, but that the strong workout did make the decision harder.
“We bided our time (on making a decision). The fact that he performed so well yesterday actually made it more difficult to huddle up with Wayne this morning,” said Wellman. “But at the end of the day, Wayne and I really had a heart-to-heart and we felt in our hearts and our guts that this was the right move.”
Wellman believes that Thursday’s five-furlong move sets the colt up well for the Pat Day Mile, which is likely to have a very contentious field. Should he run well, it could open several doors for his next race. Wellman mentioned they would consider the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course May 17, but also mentioned several one-turn targets such as the June 7 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners is also a co-owner of the Derby favorite, Journalism. However, Wellman said that most of the partners involved in the two horses are not the same.
“We have to treat each horse as an individual. There’s no overlap in ownership between Built and Journalism, so there’s no impact,” Wellman said when asked if Journalism’s presence had any impact on the decision. “Thankfully, we have wonderful partners in Built who are sophisticated and buy into the notion of always putting the horse first. It’s heartbreaking not to get a guy like Wayne Catalano to the Kentucky Derby because we want it so badly for him, and of course it’s a dream come true for our partners. It’s a huge honor to qualify for the race. Wayne did his job, he got him in there, but we’re going to try our best to stay true to the notion that we’re going to do what’s best for the horse.”
Photo: Linda Doane Photo
Trainer Wayne Catalano accompanies Built to the track at Churchill Downs
As the weeks passed without an official decision, speculation grew that Eclipse might run Built in the Derby for the sole purpose of benefiting Journalism, either by taking the spot away from a horse on the outside looking in or by being part of the pace to ensure it was quick. Wellman debunked that theory.
“It probably would’ve been in (Journalism’s) best interest to run Built in the Kentucky Derby,” Wellman admitted. “But at the end of the day, that’s not the way Eclipse plays the game. If there are owners on the outside looking in that do believe that their horse deserves a shot to get into that gate, then we’re not going to prevent them from doing that.”