Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, who was aboard Oxbow in his fifth-place finish in the April 13 Arkansas Derby (gr. I), will ride the son of Awesome Again in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), trainer D. Wayne Lukas said April 16.
Lukas said he believes Oxbow was too far off the pace in the Arkansas Derby after breaking from the outside post 10 and taken back to last instead of going on and getting a position into the first turn, which has been his normal style of running.
"I'm going to put Gary back up on Oxbow and leave Jon Court on Will Take Charge," Lukas said. "I've been changing these riders so often I'm kind of shooting myself in the foot. Every time they step off Oxbow they say, 'Boy, if I knew then what I know now I would have won by a block. So I want to give Gary a chance to ride him back now that's he's gotten to know him.
"As for Will Take Charge, Jon Court hasn't done anything wrong on him and I don't want some new jock experimenting on him in the Derby."
Oxbow is owned by Calumet Farm, and Will Take Charge is owned by Willis D. Horton.
