Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) runner-up Square Eddie , who had been expected to train up to the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), instead will first run in the April 18 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland, if all goes well following a scheduled six-furlong workout April 11 at Hollywood Park.
“That’s the tentative game plan,” trainer Doug O’Neill said on April 10 from his Hollywood headquarters, where Square Eddie has been training forwardly after recovering from shin problems that sidelined him since early February.
In his lone start as a 3-year-old, the son of Smart Strike owned by J. Paul Reddam ran second to The Pamplemousse in the Na. 17 San Rafael (gr. III) at one mile.
“Square Eddie is really doing well,” O’Neill continued. “The thinking is it would be smarter to get a race into him before the Derby, rather than to train up to it.” Edgar Prado rides in the Lexington.
Square Eddie won the Lane's End Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I) on Keeneland’s Polytrack in his first start in the United States last Oct. 4 before running second to champion Midshipman in the Oct. 25 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Oak Tree. He made his 3-year-old debut in the San Rafael. The Canadian-bred colt has a 2-3-1 record from seven starts, with earnings of $787,366, of which $774,981 are graded.