WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 UNBEATEN CHAMPION HOT ROD CHARLIE DONS BLANKET HONORING JAKE PANUS ESSENTIAL QUALITY by Bill Finley Jake Panus will not be at his father=s side Saturday watching FAVORED FOR KY DERBY the GI Kentucky Derby. His life ended at an all-too-young 16 last August when he was a passenger in a car involved in a DUI accident on Block Island, just off the coast of Rhode Island. But his friends, his family and a Kentucky Derby trainer have made sure that he will not be forgotten this week at Churchill Downs. Derby contender and GII Louisiana Derby winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) has been equipped with a special blanket honoring Panus, whose father, Stephen, is the president of TJC Media, which produces the America=s Best Racing website and content. The blanket features a University of South Carolina logo and Jake Panus=s initials on one side and a bear logo on the other, a recreation of a necklace Panus wore. Cont. p4 IN TDN EUROPE TODAY Tuesday's Derby Draw | Horsephotos EARLY RETURN FOR STRADIVARIUS IN SAGARO by Steve Sherack Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) makes his 2021 bow in LOUISVILLE, KY - Unbeaten champion Essential Quality (Tapit) the G3 Longines Sagaro S. on Wednesday. Click or tap here to was assigned post 14 in a full field of 20 assembled for go straight to TDN Europe. Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby at Tuesday's post position draw held at Churchill Downs. The Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star,' tabbed as the 2-1 favorite on Mike Battaglia's morning line, made it a perfect five-for-five for trainer Brad Cox with a hard-fought, neck decision over Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in the GII Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 3. Luis Saez, disqualified from first aboard Maximum Security in 2019, has the call. Cox will also be represented by fellow 'Rising Star' and GII Risen Star S. winner Mandaloun (Into Mischief) (post seven). These will be the first Derby starters for the native of Louisville. "It got a little nerve wracking with both horses still to go and the rail still being out there," Cox said. [Essential Quality's] got good, tactical speed that he'll be able to get into a good position from there." Cox added, "He can adapt to no pace or there being pace in front of him. He's not a one-dimensional horse. He's able to adapt. I've always felt like he's a horse that the farther they go, the better he'll get. We're gonna get an extra eighth of a mile Saturday that he's never had before." Cont. p3 NOTHING LIKE CHASING A DREAM WITH A 3yo colt DU JOUR Next: $500,000 . American Turf-G2 Best wishes in Kentucky Derby 147. Klaravich Stables homebred HIGHLY MOTIVATED Juddmonte homebred MANDALOUN Live Oak homebred SOUP AND SANDWICH INTO MISCHIEF www.spendthriftfarm.com PUBLISHER & CEO Sue Morris Finley @suefinley [email protected] SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Gary King @garykingTDN [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Jessica Martini @JessMartiniTDN Senior Contributing Editor Wednesday, April 28, 2021 Alan Carasso @EquinealTDN Senior Editor Steve Sherack @SteveSherackTDN Racing Editor Brian DiDonato @BDiDonatoTDN Deputy Editor Christie DeBernardis @CDeBernardisTDN Associate Editors Christina Bossinakis @CBossTDN Joe Bianca @JBiancaTDN News and Features Editor In Memoriam: Ben Massam (1988-2019) ADVERTISING [email protected] Director of Advertising Alycia Borer Advertising Manager Lia Best Advertising Designer Amanda Crelin Advertising Project Manager Rachel McCaffrey Advertising Assistants Amie Newcomb Kristen Lomasson The connections of Hot Rod Charlie are all smiles following Tuesday's GI Kentucky Photographer/Photo Editor Derby post position draw at Churchill Downs. Hot Rod Charlie has been equipped with a Sarah K. Andrew @SarahKAndrew [email protected] special blanket honoring Jake Panus. | Coady Social Media Strategist Justina Severni EARLY IMPRESSIONS: KENTUCKY DERBY 147 7 Associate Producer TDN's Steve Sherack caught up with the connections of a pair of leading Katie Ritz contenders in Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Director of Customer Service Vicki Forbes HIDDEN STASH TAKES OLIVER, BBN TO FIRST DERBY 9 [email protected] Kentucky Derby contender Hidden Stash gives trainer Vicki Oliver and Marketing Manager BBN Racing's Brendan O'Brien and Brian Klatsky their first Derby starter. Alayna Cullen @AlaynaCullen Director of IT & Accounting Ray Villa TODAY’S GRADED STAKES [email protected] ET Race Click for TV [email protected] 9:45a Longines Sagaro S.-G3, ASC -------------- TVG 10:20a horseracinghof.com Pavilion S.-G3, ASC -------------- TVG WORLDWIDE INFORMATION International Editor Kelsey Riley @kelseynrileyTDN [email protected] European Editor Emma Berry [email protected] Associate International Editor Heather Anderson @HLAndersonTDN Newmarket Bureau, Cafe Racing Sean Cronin & Tom Frary [email protected] 60 Broad Street, Suite 100 Red Bank, NJ 07701 732-747-8060 | www.TheTDN.com TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 3 OF 15 • THETDN.COM WEDNESDAY • APRIL 28, 2021 Derby Draw cont. from p1 The connections of Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) let out a nice Unbeaten, front-running GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby roar in the Aristides Lounge after the GII Louisiana Derby winner winner Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) was made the drew post nine. The dark bay's ownership group of Roadrunner second choice on the morning line at 5-1. The $650,000 KEESEP Racing, Boat Racing, LLC and William Strauss includes Doug and yearling purchase exits from Dennis O'Neill's nephew Patrick. post 15 with Joel Rosario AWe got a great group of aboard and figures to be guys," two-time Kentucky Derby prominent early. Rosario winning-trainer Doug O'Neill piloted 2013 Derby winner said. "They were gonna be Orb. excited no matter what number "He has a good, high-cruising we got. These horses reflect our speed," trainer John Sadler energy, and win, lose or draw, said of the Hronis Racing and we're bringing great energy to Talla Racing colorbearer. AHe's 'Charlie' and he's giving it back fast and he can carry it a long to us. It's a great post, you're distance. I imagine he'll be right in the middle of the pack. forwardly placed. I can see him We've got so much confidence sitting second or third in Flavien Prat. He's such a great depending on what the pace is. rider. I think the nine is a great We have a great rider with spot for us. If the pace is slow, Rosario, he'll determine what Rock Your World | Coady and nobody else goes, at least the pace is and put the horse in the right spot, hopefully. We're we showed in the Louisiana Derby that we could go to the front. generally pretty happy with the post." I think Flavien is gonna go in with an open mind and just play the break." OSCAR PERFORMANCE RACING TALENT Why? G1 winner at 2, 3 and 4, World Record Turf Miler, NO LASIX PEDIGREE BLEND Suits most any mare, Inbred to Special SHAREHOLDERS Quality breeders providing outstanding foals , 118 mares in 2019 – 116 in 2020 TURF OPPORTUNITIES NYRA $5.2 5M Triple Turf Series , Churchill Downs $1 0M turf track AGING STALLIONS © s n i o Opportunity as G t t a M leading turf stallions age ® Fee: $15,000 LFSN Contact: Kim Poulin . 859.231.0606 . [email protected] TDN HEADLINE NEWS • PAGE 4 OF 15 • THETDN.COM WEDNESDAY • APRIL 28, 2021 Fellow two-time Kentucky Derby winning-trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle four--GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Known Agenda (Curlin) (post one), GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks second Sainthood (Mshawish) (post five), GII Wood Memorial S. second Dynamic One (Union Rags) (post 11); and Wood Memorial upsetter Bourbonic (Bernardini) (post 20). Pletcher also trains GI Kentucky Oaks morning-line favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin). AIt certainly wasn't the one we were hoping for," Pletcher said of Known Agenda's rail draw. "But I've often said sometimes you get bad trips from good posts and good trips from bad posts. I think, hopefully, with the new starting gate that will make a little bit of a difference. Pletcher continued, AI was kind of hoping for Sainthood and Bourbonic to draw inside and Dynamic One and Known Agenda to draw in the middle towards the outside. I thought we did OK with two of them. Nothing we could do about it. We'll focus on the things we can control.@ Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen brings the formidable pair of GI Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock (Dialed In) (post 18) and GIII Lecomte hero Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) (post 10) in search of his first Derby victory. "It's definitely on the bucket list," Asmussen said. "We've been given tremendous opportunities and the two horses this year are great examples of that." Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, currently tied with Ben Jones for most Kentucky Derby victories with six, will be represented by Santa Anita Derby runner-up Medina Spirit (Protonico) (post eight). Hot Rod Charlie dons blanket, cont. from p1 The South Carolina Gamecock logo is meant to spread awareness for The Jake Panus Walk-on Football Endowed Scholarship, which was set up by the Panus family to provide financial assistance annually for a player who walks on to the South Carolina football team. Entering his junior year in high school at the time of the accident, Panus dreamed of attending South Carolina, his father=s alma mater. AJake was raised a Gamecock, if you will,@ Stephen Panus said. AHe grew up watching their games with me, no matter the sport.