Before leading GI Kentucky Derby candidates Todd Pletcher and Bob Baffert saddle their respective charges in the “Run for the Roses,” they'll go head-to-head in the GIII Pat Day Mile, formerly the GIII Derby Trial S. when it was run a week earlier. Pletcher-trained 'TDN Rising Star' Competitive Edge (Super Saver)looks to keep his unbeaten record intact for Nancy Favreau, Kathy Psoinos and Michael Tabor. A jaw-dropping 10 1/4-length winner on debut at Saratoga last July, the $750,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida buy made similarly short work of the GI Hopeful S. Sept. 1. Forced to miss a fall campaign due to a hairline fracture, the bay returned better than ever in Gulfstream's seven-furlong Tamarac S. Mar. 27, defeating fellow 'Rising Star' Mr. Jordan (Kantharos) 8 1/4 lengths with a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure.
Baffert, whose eventual MGISW Bayern (Offlee Wild) was disqualified from the win in last year's Derby Trial, has a pair of chances for redemption in the form of Peachtree Stable's Lord Nelson (Pulpi) and Pegram, Watson and Weitman'sGimme Da Lute (Midnight Lute). The former kicked off his season with a win over GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile hero Texas Red (Afleet Alex) in Santa Anita's seven-furlong GI San Vicente S. Feb. 1, but settled for fourth behind stablemate Dortmund (Big Brown) when stretched to a two-turn mile and a sixteenth in the Mar. 7 GII San Felipe S. Cut back to seven eighths for Aqueduct's GIII Bay Shore S. Apr. 4, the chestnut almost overcame a nightmarish trip in which he nearly lost contact with the field along the turn, only to finish second by a half length.
Gimme Da Lute, meanwhile, was beaten a nose by last month's San Pedro S. winner Yiannis (Midshipman) on debut at Santa Anita Jan. 31. He earned his diploma when dropped into Cal-bred company Feb. 21, and took the restricted Echo Eddie S. over 6 1/2 furlongs in Arcadia Apr. 4 by 5 1/4 lengths with a field's best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
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