Concert Tour is out of the Kentucky Derby. Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert sent a message to Churchill Downs media Saturday informing them his colt would not make a Run for the Roses.
Concert Tour finished third as the heavy favorite in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 10. He pressed the pacesetter Caddo River, who finished second, and was outkicked to the finish by the winner, Super Saver.
Concert Tour won his first three stars this year, including the Rebel Stakes easily in a wire-to-wire win over favored Caddo River and Super Saver, who both finished out of the money.
Baffert was not happy with Concert Tour’s performance in the Arkansas Derby.
“He struggled. We’ll point to the Preakness. Three weeks is not enough time to get him ready. Don’t want to run until he’s really ready,” he said.
So there is no apparent injury to Concert Tour, and it looks like he’ll run in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 15.
Concert Tour s leading favorites sidelined for Kentucky Derby
Concert Tour was one of the leading favorites to win the 2021 Kentucky Derby. The son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, Concert Tour had closing odds of +550 in the Twinspires final Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5 that closed March 28.
Concert Tour’s stablemate Life Is Good was also ruled out of the Kentucky Derby last month for Bob Baffert. He had surgery at the end of March for a left hind ankle injury. Life Is Good was the +200 favorite in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4 in early March after winning the San Felipe Stakes as the prohibitive favorite. He has won all three of his starts but is out of racing until at least June.
Also missing the Derby is another leading contender, Greatest Honour, who won the Known Agenda. Trainer Shug McGaughey said his horse will also be off for 60 days after being diagnosed with bone bruising in both of his front ankles. Look for Greatest Honour to be ready to race again in June.
With Concert Tour out of the Kentucky Derby, O Besos moves into the top 20 on the Twinspires Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
