Tampa Bay Derby Winner Quip Will Not Run in Kentucky Derby

Quip, the winner of this year's Tampa Bay Derby, will not run in the Kentucky Derby on May 5.

Quip's owners made that decision on Monday, according to a news release from Churchill Downs. Information was not readily available on why the colt was withdrawn from consideration from the $2 million Kentucky Derby (Grade 1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Quip has 90 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and had been ninth on the points list for horses whose owners are planning to enter them in that classic 1 1/4 dirt stakes for 3-year-olds.

Quip, a son of Distorted Humor, earned 50 points by winning the Tampa Bay Derby (Grade 2) at Tampa Bay Downs on March 10.  He earned 40 points with a second place finish behind Magnum Moon in the 1 1/8 mile Arkansas Derby (Grade 1) at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., on April 14.

A maximum of 20 horses can run in the Kentucky Derby. Entries will be drawn at 11:00 a,m, Eastern on Wednesday May 2.

If the draw were held this afternoon, the field would have ten horses that have raced atTampa Bay Downs and/or at Gulfstream Park.

Those horses and their qualifying point totals are:
Magnum Moon (150), Good Magic (134), Audible (110), Noble Indy (110),Vino Rosso (107), Enticed (103), Flameaway (70), Promises Fulfilled (52), Free Drop Billy (44) and Hofburg (40). 

Magnum Moon, Audible, Noble Indy and Vino Rosso are all trained by Todd Pletcher.

In an article on Tuesday, we will examine the prep races that those horses won (in Florida and other states)  to make  the Kentucky Derby field.


If all ten horses listed above run in the Kentucky  Derby it would equal the number of 'Florida horses' that ran in the 2017 Kentucky Derby.


Last  year's Kentucky Derby winner was Always Dreaming. who won a non-stakes race at Tampa Bay and later won the Florida Derby (Grade 1)  at Gulfstream.

HorseRacingFLA's review of Equibase charts shows that during the 21st Century eleven is the highest number of horses that raced in Florida and went on to race in the Kentucky Derby.

There were eleven Florida horses in the Kentucky Derby in 2008 and in 2011.

The 2008 Kentucky  Derby  winner Big Brown and the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom had both raced at Gulfstream. Big Brown won the Florida Derby and Animal Kingdom won a turf allowance  at  Gulfstream.
--Jim Freer