Granpollo Stable’s Grand Mo the First, who finished a distant third behind Fierceness in the Florida Derby (G1), may be able to make the main body of the field for this year's Kentucky Derby.
The Courier-Journal reported on Twitter Monday morning that trainer Christophe Clement is "unlikely" to enter G3 Gotham Stakes winner Deterministic in the Run for the Roses, following that colt's eighth-place finish in the G2 Wood Memorial. Deterministic was ranked 16th with the 50 points he earned in winning the Gotham.
The likely defection opens a spot in the top 20 for Grand Mo The First, whose 40 points earned had him ranked 21st until this news. The Uncle Mo colt is trained by Victor Barboza, who would be saddling his first starter in the Kentucky Derby.
Grand Mo the First raced evenly while chasing Fierceness throughout the 1 1/8 miles of the Florida Derby, finishing 16 lengths behind the 2023 juvenile champion, 2½ lengths behind runner-up Catalytic. Three weeks earlier, he missed winning the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) by a neck while finishing third behind victorious Domestic Product and runner-up No More Time.
Grand Mo the First launched his career with back-to-back victories over Gulfstream’s Tapeta course before finishing third in the Oct. 8 Zuma Beach (G3) on turf at Santa Anita. He kicked off his 3-year-old campaign with a troubled third-place finish in the Feb. 3 Swale before stretching out in the Tampa Bay Derby.
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