With the Kentucky Derby now less than two weeks away, there were a couple of field developments on Monday morning.
Tampa Bay Derby winner Quip will not run in the May 5 race, reports Jay Privman of the Daily Racing Form. WinStar Farm chief executive Elliott Walden said Quip instead will be pointed to the Preakness on May 19.
The son of Distorted Humor won the Tampa Bay Derby on March 10. He was originally slated to the run in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 7, but scratched to run in the Arkansas Derby on April 14 instead. There, he finished second to Magnum Moon in the Grade 1 race at Oaklawn Park.
Owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club International and SF Racing. Quip was bred by WinStar, which owned 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. Quip is trained by Rodolphe Brissett.
Meanwhile, European star Gronkowski might not make the trip to Louisville, after all, according to the Racing Post.
Gronkowsi's trainer Jeremy Noseda told the publication on Monday, "We've had a minor setback and we'll know where we are in the next 24 hours."
Gronkowski has won four straight races in England and qualified for the Kentucky Derby with a win in the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle last month.
He is named for New England Patriots' star tight end Rob Gronkowski, who recently purchased a minority stake in the 3-year-old.
