Silent Tactic's Foot Woes Behind Him as Derby Looms
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After covering the Kentucky Derby beat for decades, I’ve learned that the story behind a disappointing performance often matters more than the result itself. Mark Casse’s revelation about Silent Tactic’s bruised foot between the Rebel and Arkansas Derby puts that four-length defeat to Renegade in proper perspective.
“I feel like maybe that wasn’t his best performance and there’s better there,” Casse explained Thursday morning at Churchill Downs. “We dealt with a bruised foot for a period of time.”
The Hall of Fame trainer’s optimism stems from more than wishful thinking. Silent Tactic’s final Derby work—a half-mile in :48.30 with a five-furlong gallop-out in 1:01.74, according to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch—suggested a horse moving comfortably again.
“That’s him. If I wanted him to go fast, I’d have to give him company,” Casse noted, displaying the confidence of a horseman who knows his charge inside out.
The son of Tacitus worked during the 7:30 a.m. window reserved for Oaks and Derby horses, two hours after Casse sent out his Kentucky Oaks fillies Search Party and Counting Stars. The contrast in post-work demeanor spoke volumes.
“For Silent Tactic, it was like nothing,” Casse observed, while his fillies “had a little blow afterward.”
Silent Tactic’s Oaklawn campaign reads like a hard-luck story: winner of the Grade 3 Southwest, then three consecutive seconds in Derby preps, including that nose defeat to Class President in the Grade 2 Rebel. The Arkansas Derby effort, compromised by the foot issue, might have been his only subpar performance of the winter.
Casse’s tactical assessment reveals a trainer who’s thought deeply about Saturday’s puzzle. “The last couple of races there hasn’t been a whole lot of pace,” he explained. “I think Cristian knows if we’re going to win the Kentucky Derby that this horse has about a five-sixteenths of a mile run in him. So, we need some pace and I can see where Cristian is going to sit tight on him and come with that run.”
Jockey Cristian Torres adjusted Silent Tactic’s position in recent starts, moving him closer to the pace when the fractions demanded it. Come Derby Day, with 20 horses ensuring honest splits, Silent Tactic might find the setup he needs.
Meanwhile, at Palm Beach Downs, Arkansas Derby winner Renegade completed his final serious move with typical efficiency—a half-mile in :50.94 outside the maiden Powershift.
“We saw a very consistent breeze from Renegade, pretty much what we’re accustomed to seeing,” Todd Pletcher reported. “He was traveling well throughout, thought he galloped out nicely. It wasn’t a real fast work, but that’s not his style. But I thought he moved very well, thought he caught his air quickly afterwards. He’s a fit, happy horse.”
Pletcher’s decision to keep Renegade in South Florida for Derby preparation looks prescient with rain threatening Louisville’s Saturday forecast. “First time I can remember not being awake at night worrying about if it was going to rain or not for workouts,” the seven-time Eclipse Award winner admitted.
The Pletcher contingent—Renegade plus Oaks fillies Zany and She Be Smooth—was scheduled to depart Florida at 8 a.m. Friday, targeting a 3 a.m. Saturday arrival, well ahead of the 11 a.m. deadline for Derby and Oaks horses.
The Derby field crystallized further Thursday when Michael McCarthy confirmed Stark Contrast would bypass the Run for the Roses for the Grade 1 American Turf. That decision officially moved Intrepido into the body of the field, leaving Litmus Test, Great White, Occelli, and Robusta on the also-eligible list pending a decision from Chip Honcho’s connections.
Bob Baffert’s Litmus Test made his case with a sharp five-furlong gate work in :59.36 under Martin Garcia. The colt wore blinkers, equipment he’d used previously but not in his seventh-place Arkansas Derby finish.
“If you would have asked me yesterday, do you think I’d run him in the race, I would have been on the fence,” Baffert acknowledged. “After today’s work I wouldn’t hesitate running that horse. He had to do something like that today to convince me and he did.”
The Hall of Famer didn’t rule out Garcia staying aboard if Litmus Test draws in, adding pragmatically, “We got to get in first.”
With entries looming Saturday and post positions to follow, the 152nd Kentucky Derby picture continues evolving. For Silent Tactic, healthy again and working like the horse who dominated the Southwest Stakes, the timing couldn’t be better. In a race where luck often trumps talent, sometimes the best fortune is simply arriving at the starting gate sound and ready to run.
