Derby hopefuls Practical Move, Reincarnate leave for Kentucky

Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move and stablemate Reincarnate left Santa Anita for Churchill Downs at about 3:30 a.m Saturday morning, trainer Tim Yakteen’s top assistant John Applegarth confirmed. Both are slated to run in next Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

Practical Move and Reincarnate, who is exiting a third in the GI Arkansas Derby April 1, each had their final Kentucky Derby works Friday at Santa Anita. Practical Move drilled five furlongs in 59.60 seconds, which was the second-fastest of 33 moves at the distance, while Reincarnate worked a bullet four furlongs in 46.40 seconds. It was the fastest of 30 works at the distance.

Yakteen will be seeking his first Kentucky Derby win with the two colts in the 1 ¼-mile classic. Practical Move will be ridden by regular rider Ramon Vazquez, whose only previous Kentucky Derby ride came with longshot Mr. Z in 2015. They finished 13th behind winner American Pharoah. Reincarnate will have Hall of Famer John Velazquez back in the irons. Velazquez’s three Kentucky Derby wins came aboard Animal Kingdom in 2011, Always Dreaming in 2017 and Authentic in 2020. He also crossed the wire first aboard Medina Spirit in 2021, but that colt was later disqualified due to a medication overage.