The TDN has polled some of the top riders in the history of the sport and asked them to answer this simple question: If given a choice of any of the 20 starters in the GI Kentucky Derby who would you choose to ride? Today, we ask Chris McCarron, whose original choice was Omaha Beach (War Front).
“I'd take Tacitus (Tapit). He got mugged big-time in the (GII) Wood Memorial and he showed a lot of determination and courage overcoming all the trouble he had going into the first turn. That will bode well for him in the (GI) Kentucky Derby because, as everyone knows, the Derby can be a very roughly run race. It's one box you can check off with him. You don't have to worry about him being intimidated and not performing if he does get mugged again. I've ridden horses in the Derby before that, up until before the race, they've always had clean trips, and then things change when they get into the race. One that comes to mind is Stephen Got Even. He got roughed up pretty good in the Derby and he didn't run his race. I'm not sure if he was good enough to win anyway. I realize the Wood Memorial might not have been as tough a race as, say, the (GI) Santa Anita Derby. That's a factor. That's why you'd have to seriously consider any one of the Baffert horses. They've all been running extremely well in tough races. But I'd still take Tacitus.
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