Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Money Moves
By US Racing Team
Money Moves is a neck from being unbeaten in his first three career races.
Unfortunately, he just lost in an $62,500 optional claimer, and he couldn’t be taking a bigger class jump. His speed figures are promising and he has a nice distance pedigree, but this looks like a classic case of too much, too soon.
He has the makings of a nice horse, and going 1 1/4 miles in a huge field could set him back.
Nonetheless, Todd Pletcher, who has sent out more Derby starters than anyone (54 heading into Derby 146 on Saturday), believes the colt deserves a chance in a most unusual year.
On Aug. 28, Money Moves worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.14 at Saratoga.
“The horse ran well last time and he’s been training sharply,’’ Pletcher said, referring to that runner-up finish in the optional claimer on July 25 at Saratoga. “I felt like this is an opportunity that you don’t get very often, so we’re taking a shot.”
Profiles will be updated with morning-line odds and post position after the field is drawn on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Odds: TBD
Post position: TBD
Horse Racing – Courtesy of Churchill Downs/Coady Photography.
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owners: Robert LaPenta, Bortolazzo Stable
Career record: 3-2-1-0
Career earnings: $67,400
Top Equibase speed figure: 109
Kentucky Derby points: 0
Pedigree: Candy Ride-Citizen Advocate, by Proud Citizen
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Notes: This will be the ninth Derby starter for co-owner Robert LaPenta and the first for partner Jerry Bortolazzo … LaPenta’s best Derby finish was with Ice Box, a late-closing second to Super Saver (trained by Pletcher) in 2010 … Money Moves was purchased for $975,000 from the OBS 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale last April … Pletcher is a two-time Derby winner, Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017 … Castellano is an unlucky 0-for-13 in the Derby, his best finish a third place aboard Audible in 2018.
(US Racing’s Kentucky Derby coverage will include profiles of the horses listed as probable for the race on Saturday, Sept. 5. Each day until the post-position draw on Tuesday, Sept. 1, US Racing will publish selected profiles of the contenders.)