Taylor Made sales graduates will make up 25% of the field when the gates open for Kentucky Derby 136 (G1) on May 1. Backtalk, Conveyance, Devil May Care, Lookin At Lucky and Mission Impazible all were part of Taylor Made’s consignment to the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Backtalk sold for an even $250,000 to Gold Mark Farm LLC. Backtalk is out of the mare Apasionata Sonata, the dam of Bsharpsonata, winner of both the Davona Dale S. (G2) and Forward Gal S. (G2). Backtalk is the son of 2004 Derby winner Smarty Jones. He is trained by Tom Amoss, who guided him to three straight wins, including the Bashford Manor S. (G3) and Sanford S. (G2) to begin his career. In two starts this year, he won a listed stake at Delta Downs and was third in the Illinois Derby (G2).
Conveyance went for $240,000 at Keeneland, where he was purchased by Legends Racing, a consortium made up of trainers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas, and Nick Zito and their clients. Baffert wound up with the gray son of Indian Charlie. He sports an excellent 4-for-5 record, with one runner-up effort. The free-running colt has wins in the San Rafael S. (G3) and Southwest S. (G3) this year. His natural speed should put him near the lead right from the break, and drawing post 12 is a excellent spot to display his talents.
The filly Devil May Care is one of the Derby headlines after owner John Greathouse and trainer Todd Pletcher opted to skip the Kentucky Oaks (G1) in favor of the Derby. Greathouse bought his star filly at Keeneland for a final hammer price of $110,000. Devil May Care drew post 11 for the Derby, just inside Conveyance. She comes into the Derby with three wins in five starts; she won the Frizette S. (G1) as a juvenile, then in her most recent outing took Gulfstream’s Bonnie Miss S. (G2). She will attempt to become only the fourth filly in history to win the Derby; Winning Colors, in 1988, was the last distaffer to take the Roses.
Lookin At Lucky is another Baffert trainee and the 3-1 morning line Derby favorite. Last year’s juvenile champion is a five-time Graded stakes winner. He is owned by a three-man partnership that includes Mike Pegram, whom Baffert teamed up with to win the 1998 Derby with Real Quiet. Lookin At Lucky drew post 1 and will try to become the first winner from the rail since Ferdinand in 1986. Despite the drought, post position 1, along with No. 5, has had the most Derby winners, with 12 a piece.
The final Taylor Made sales graduate is another Todd Pletcher trainee, Mission Impazible, who is by Unbridled’s Song. The gray or roan colt sold at Keeneland for $200,000 to Steve Davison’s Twin Creeks Racing Stable LLC. The group is comprised of 10 individuals who are part owners of the colt. Mission Impazible into the Derby off a big win in the Louisiana Derby (G2), where he made up several lengths in the stretch to get his first graded stakes victory.
