Horse racing newsletter: Kentucky Derby will not have full field

WASPIRANT scrambled leaving the gate, raced three wide in range, applied pressure past the five-eighths, went three deep into and around the far turn, came four wide into the stretch, closed outside AMBIVALENT and got up late under a drive. AMBIVALENT stalked the pace in the two path then outside the leader, bid between at the three-eighths, drifted out a bit into the stretch while taking the lead, met the challenge from WASPIRANT and fought back from the inside but yielded to the winner late. ANTIGRAVITY stalked from the inside then moved into the two path, angled out out with a furlong to go and gained ground on the top pair late. BOLU stumbled at the start but recovered quickly to clear the field, showed the way up the backstretch, vied inside through the final turn and weakened in the final furlong.l. SCARY LARRY raced four wide around the first turn, tracked outside a rival and floated out a bit on the backstretch, steered into the three path entering the far turn and lacked a rally. MAN FRIDAY stumbled in the beginning, settled off the pace, angled four wide around the far turn and never threatened.

SECRET TOUCH stalked outside a rival, took aim four wide into the stretch, quickly cleared at top of the drive under mild urging then widened and was ridden out to the wire. WILSHIRE DUDE entered the first turn three wide, bid three deep approaching the half-mile marker, vied three deep to the far turn, dueled with WINNING ELEMENT around the bend, overtaken by the winner in upper stretch and stayed on to hold the place. WINNING ELEMENT prompted the pace early from outside, vied between to the far turn then dueled with WILSHIRE DUDE, proved no match for the winner in the drive and lost the battle for the place. KYLEMORE stalked the pace near the fence, moved off the inside and came three wide into the stretch and came up empty when asked. KING EDDIE set the pace early with company to the outside, vied with a pair of rivals past the half-mile marker, dropped back around the far turn and tired in the late stages. NOWHERE MAN stumbled leaving the gate, went four then three wide around the first turn, stayed off the rail to the second bend, went three to four wide around that turn and was never a factor.

SOOTHING away quickly and went to the front, controlled the pace to the stretch, urged right-handed through the lane and remained clear. STAR OF AFRICA angled to the rail, settled off the pace, moved a bit off the rail then angled in on the second turn, rallied up the inside and got up late for the place. GOODTINGSCOMINPINK raced three then two wide on the first turn, mid-pack up the backstretch then moved up three deep around the far turn, came four wide into the stretch and lost the place. FREEDOM LASS stumbled leaving the gate then pulled early from the inside, steadied off heels at the five-sixteenths, kept along the fence into the drive and finished evenly. MELA JONES traveled a bit off the rail then moved inside, saved ground into the stretch and never rallied. ZUCCHERA went three wide into the first turn, tracked off the rail then moved in a bit on the far turn, angled out in the stretch and proved no menace. HELLO BUBBLES up close a bit off the rail then outside a rival, traveled between foes at the quarter pole then weakened in the lane. HAND TIMED.

CAJUN TREASURE well placed behind the leader, bid outside around the far turn then vied between, took over into the stretch, kicked clear in the lane and drew away under right-handed urging and strong handling late. DR. TROUTMAN bumped at the start, sped to the front and angled in on the first turn, pressured at the three-eighths then fought with a pair of rivals into the lane, yielded to the winner and held on for the place. POLAR WIND off a bit slow to begin, settled early, angled four wide leaving the turn and missed second. THE STIFF chased three deep, went four wide into the far turn, challenged three deep leaving the turn but weakened in the lane. BLAME IT ON KITTY raced two wide then off the inside, angled five wide leaving the second turn and lacked further response. HOWBEIT broke out and bumped rival at the start, stalked off the rail, went outside a rival then between foes on the backstretch, lost ground around the far turn and faded out of contention.

LE TUB broke out and bumped at the start, chased the pace along the inside through the turn, shifted out and bumped rival twice past the eighth pole, surged and got up late. TRANSPORTER settled off the rail, raced three wide into the stretch, came out and closed widest but could not get by the winner. FIERCE FOR SUL pressed the pace outside then vied between, took a short lead at the eighth pole and got caught in the closing moments. SHES'A PERFECTLADY lacked early speed and angled to the inside, tipped out into the stretch and summoned a mild late bid between foes to earn a minor award. HER LEGACY chased outside a rival, two wide into the stretch, bumped by inside rival twice past the eighth pole and finished willingly. LILYPOP up close outside the top pair, bid three deep around the turn and vied for command in the drive but flattened late. CHERRY CITY set the pace under pressure then vied vied inside into and down the stretch and also flattened out late. PREDICTABLE TULLY (IRE) stumbled and bumped leaving the gate, impeded and clipped heels past the eighth pole and could not regain momentum. I'LL DO IT FOR YOU chased near the inside, steadied at the three-eighths pole, stayed inside to the lane, showed a mild response but lacked room and steadied late. CHITU ME TOO settled off the rail, went four wide around the bend, angled out in the stretch and weakened. FOLLOWING A STEWARDS' INQUIRY, LE TUB WAS DISQUALIFIED FROM FIRST AND PLACED EIGHTH FOR SHIFTING OUT AND BUMPING HER LEGACY INTO THE PATH OF PREDICTABLE TULLY, CAUSING PREDICTABLE TULLY TO CLIP HEELS AND COSTING BOTH RUNNERS A CHANCE AT A BETTER PLACING. HAND TIMED.

VITTORIO stalked outside the pacesetter, closed in nearing the quarter pole, gained control in upper stretch, kicked clear under a few left-handed reminders and drew away. BELMONT BILL set the pace in the two path, pressured around the turn, yielded to the winner but kept on and proved second best. PETRUCHIO away quickly then dropped back off the pace, raced two around the turn, drifted out past the eighth pole under left-handed urging and finished willingly for the show. DRIVEHAPPY tracked off the rail, went three deep into the turn, came out into the stretch and passed tired foes. GO ON had early speed from the inside then chased off the rail, came four wide into the stretch and weakened. HONORARY DEGREE off a bit slow to begin, hustled up the backstretch, chased near the inside through the turn and was done early.

CROUGHAVOUKE (IRE) settled early then stalked outside a rival, went three wide around the far turn, rallied five to six wide to the front in the lane and prevailed under urging. GOING TO VEGAS showed early speed from the inside then dropped back a bit to stalk the pace, chased a bit off the rail into the lane, closed near the inside and proved second best. AVENUE DE FRANCE (FR) unhurried in the beginning, moved out on the backstretch, angled in on the second turn, came out into the stretch and finished well for the show. OVER ATTRACTED chased two wide then moved up to press near the nine-sixteenths pole, dueled around the far turn then vied between at the quarter pole, battled through the lane but got outkicked. BEGUILED chased inside, steered out on the backstretch, challenged three deep and faltered in the final sixteenth. BIG SWEEP sped to the front then cleared inside rival, gained company on the backstretch, dueled around the far turn and vied inside into the lane, fought back in the lane then weakened in the late stages. HAND TIMED.

MICRORITHMS dueled from the inside to the stretch, put away LITTLE JUANITO at the eighth pole then met the challenge from DESERT LAW, turned that foe away and drew clear. DESERT LAW bumped from the inside at the start, tracked four wide into the lane, headed rival at the eighth pole but lacked the needed final kick. SURFING STAR raced off the pace, took the turn four to five wide and was along for the show. FIGHT ON settled a bit off the rail, angled four wide entering the stretch and improved position. TIGER DAD knocked into rival leaving the gate, well placed behind the top pair, went three wide into the stretch, drifted out in the lane and never produced a bid. LITTLE JUANITO broke out and bumped rival at the start, dueled for command to the stretch, could not keep up nearing the eighth pole and weakened in the final furlong. CHAMPAGNEONME bobbled leaving the gate to come away a bit slowly, trailed along the inside into the turn, moved out into the two path around the bend and was never a factor.

GREGORIAN CHANT (GB) shifted out at the start, stalked inside, angled out upper stretch, rallied to the front nearing the sixteenth pole and held under a drive. BRANDOTHEBARTENDER settled off the pace, traveled a bit off the rail then moved inside, saved ground into the stretch, steered out and split foes in the lane, rallied but was too late. MAESTRO DEARTE unhurried in the early going, raced a bit off the inside, two to three wide into the stretch, angled out in the lane, rallied but got outclosed by the top pair. ONE BAD BOY checked between rivals leaving the chute, chased outside a rival, four wide into the lane, angled out and summoned a mild rally to earn a minor award. UNTAMED DOMAIN settled early off the inside, advanced four wide around the first turn, bid alongside the leader at the nine-sixteenths pole, dueled into and around the far turn, battled in the drive but was outfinished in the late stages. ORDER AND LAW sped to the front and angled to the inside, cleared around the first turn, received pressure on the backstretch, dueled into and around the far turn, fought back in the lane but got outkicked. BORDER TOWN traveled near the back of the field and angled in, checked around the first turn then angled out off the rail, entered the stretch two wide then came out in the lane and showed a mild response in the final furlong. KAZAN (IRE) steered to the inside, saved ground into the stretch, came off the rail then dove back to the inside and gained ground in deep stretch. LINCOLN CITY contested the pace from the outside then stalked the leader a bit off the rail, exited the second turn three to four wide and weakened. KING OF SPEED raced off the rail, three wide then four wide into the stretch and never threatened. ROUTE SIX SIX tracked off the inside throughout and tired in the lane. HAND TIMED.

C Z ROCKET stalked the leader outside a rival, bid three deep or four wide, vied outside through the drive and got up late. FLAGSTAFF stalked outside LAW ABIDIN CITIZEN, closed in alongside rival and challenged at the quarter pole, vied between rivals in the lane, took a short lead with a furlong to go, finished gamely to the wire but could not hold the winner at bay. LAW ABIDIN CITIZEN bumped leaving the gate, sped to the front from the inside, met challenges around the bend and fought back gamely through the final furlong and yielded stubbornly. BLAMEITONTHELAW tracked outside a rival on the backstretch, moved into the three path entering the turn, came back out and exited the bend five wide, angled in just past the eighth pole and bested rest. GIANT EXPECTATIONS tracked off the inside, went four to five wide around the turn and weakened. MANHATTAN UP went two wide into turn, angled four wide leaving the bend and never responded to urging. P R RADIO STAR broke in and bumped rival at the start, stalked from the inside then a bit off the rail into the stretch and weakened.

FACTS MATTER forwardly placed outside a pair of rivals, vied three deep into the stretch, dueled with BLACKOUT inside the furlong grounds and proved best late. BLACKOUT (FR) bumped at the start, pressed the pace outside the leader, vied for command and took the lead leaving the turn, dueled with the winner in the final furlong, yielded late and lasted for second. CALL YOU TOMORROW chased from the inside then two wide into the lane, summoned a late bid and missed the place honors. COMBAT ZONE settled off the pace, went two wide into the turn, three wide into stretch, angled out in upper stretch and rallied late. PURE COMEDY steered to the inside early, steadied at the five-sixteenths pole, kept inside to the stretch then moved a bit off the rail and finished well. TRUTH SEEKER bumped in the beginning, chased in the two path around the turn and showed late effort to close the gap. RESTORING DREAMS broke out and bumped rival, set the pace inside a trio of rivals, vied for command to the eighth pole then weakened in the final furlong. JAN'S RESERVE tracked three wide into the turn, angled five wide leaving the bend and made no impact. ALLEVA up close four deep early, lost ground around the turn while four wide and tired. HAND TIMED.