Sonneteer

SONNETEER (c, Midnight Lute—Ours, by Half Ours)

O/B-Calumet Farm (KY). T-Keith J. Desormeaux. Lifetime Record: GSP, 10-0-4-2, $284,445.

Last Start: 4th, GI Arkansas Derby, OP, Apr. 15

Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs

KY Derby Points: 30

Sonneteer is still a maiden after 10 lifetime tries, but only once has he finished worse than fourth. His style indicates that jockey Kent Desormeaux will drop far off the pace and attempt a closing move from well off the tailgate. That strategy was good enough to earn Sonneteer a second and a fourth in two graded Oaklawn preps, which in turn was enough to garner the required leaderboard points for Sonneteer to enter the Derby. Buchanan (1884), Sir Barton (1919), and Brokers Tip (1933) are the only previous maidens to win the Kentucky Derby. Since 1937 (records are incomplete before that date), maidens are a collective 0-for-10 in the Derby, with the best finish over those eight decades being an eighth-place try.

VIDEO PPS