Muth and Imagination - a work for Preakness; Derby is up to courts

Muth and Imagination worked with trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita. Baffert confirmed via text message that they were targeted for the May 18 Preakness Stakes, though their next starts are still to be chosen.

However, He did not address whether they would still have plans to run in the Kentucky Derby if a court decision overturned the suspension preventing them from entering Churchill Downs.

In his second training after winning the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 30, Muth covered five furlongs in 1:00.2. Imagination's half-mile speed of 48.0 seconds was his best since placing second in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 6.

Muth's owner, Zedan Racing Stables, lost a lower court battle to put Muth into the Derby, but on Friday, it filed an emergency motion with the Kentucky Court of Appeals. The SF Racing-led partnership, which owns Imagination, is keeping an eye on the action. Should Zedan win in favour of Muth, Imagination might theoretically be permitted to compete in the May 4 classic.

The Churchill Downs Inc. legal team, who placed Baffert and his horses on suspension, has until Wednesday to respond to the motion. The contractual terms set this winter by the track management require Derby contenders to be in the Churchill Downs stables by Saturday.

After Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone after placing first in the 2021 run for the roses, CDI suspended Baffert. Their most recent results would have qualified Muth and Imagination for the Kentucky Derby. The two-year suspension was initially in place, but in June, CDI extended it to last until the end of 2024.

In this complaint, stable owner Amr Zedan claims to have paid $10.8 million for Muth and five other horses with the knowledge that Baffert's initial suspension would expire this past summer. Baffert is not a plaintiff in this case.

The CDI, which maintained it never explicitly stated the ban would expire last summer and that it was within its rights to extend it since it believed Baffert had not shown remorse, was granted a circuit judge's consent on Thursday in Jefferson County regarding that statement.