Trainer Bob Baffert has confirmed Super Ninety Nine and Den's Legacy are no longer under consideration for the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) May 4 at Churchill Downs.
"After speaking with my owners, we've decided not to run Super Ninety Nine and Den's Legacy in the Kentucky Derby," Baffert said in a release. "Based on their recent form, we just didn't feel they'd be competitive enough to win. They're both good horses, but we'll look for something else down the road.
"We realize there are some other horses on the 'bubble' with the hope of running and we wanted to get this information out as soon as possible to make sure they'd have every opportunity to run and prepare for a start in the Derby."
Super Ninety Nine, owned by Susan Chu's Tanma Corporation, was ranked No. 18 with 30 points on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by TwinSpires.com" leaderboard that determines which 20 horses would have preference for the Run for the Roses. After winning Oaklawn Park's Southwest Stakes (gr. III) by 11 1/4 lengths in February, Super Ninety Nine returned to finish fifth in the March 16 Rebel Stakes (gr. II) and a distant third in the April 6 Santa Anita Derby (gr. I).
Den's Legacy, a runner-up in the Jan. 5 Sham Stakes (gr. III) and Feb. 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) and third in the 2012 CashCall Futurity (gr. I) and Rebel Stakes (gr. II), finished sixth in the Arkansas Derby (gr. I) for Scott and Joe Ford's Westrock Stable. He had 20 points and was ranked No. 20 on the leaderboard.
Baffert, a three-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer, still has runaway Sunland Derby (gr. III) winner Govenor Charlie on target for the Derby and possibly Code West and Power Broker (Nos. 21 and 24 on the leaderboard).
"As for Code West and Power Broker, we haven't made any decisions yet about their Derby status," Baffert said. "I'll be in (Louisville) Saturday (April 27) and I want to watch them train over the track and see what happens. They'll work again Sunday (April 28) or Monday (April 29), but I won't make final decisions about those two until I have to."
