Road to 2023 Kentucky Derby: Angel Emerges in Risen Star for Albaugh Family

Tom Pedulla is interviewing distinguished homeowners, trainers and jockeys as they journey the Street to the 149th Kentucky Derby offered by Woodford Reserve on Could 6 at Churchill Downs.

The Street to the Kentucky Derby Championship Sequence started on Feb. 18 with the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes offered by Lamarque Lincoln and Lamarque Crescent Metropolis Ford at Honest Grounds. The 1 1/8-mile contest produced a stunning winner in longshot Angel of Empire, a Pennsylvania-bred bought by Albaugh Household Stables for a comparatively modest $70,000 at Keeneland’s 2021 September yearling sale.

The victory, mixed with Angel of Empire’s runner-up effort in his earlier begin within the one-mile Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park, vaulted the Brad Cox trainee to the highest of the Street to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 54 factors.

The emergence of the son of Traditional Empire, the 2016 champion 2-year-old male, considerably strengthens the Albaugh household’s pre-Derby hand. Albaugh Household Stables additionally has a monetary stake in two different Derby prospects, Jace’s Street and Cyclone Mischief. Jace’s Street stands twelfth on the Derby leaderboard with 15 factors. They’re hoping for a giant effort from Cyclone Mischief within the March 4 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

Pedulla performed a question-and-answer session with Jason Loutsch, racing supervisor for Albaugh Household Stables, on behalf of America’s Greatest Racing:

PEDULLA: What led you to purchase Angel of Empire?

LOUTSCH: Once we went to the Keeneland sale in 2021, we had been hoping to choose up one or two colts within the later books. It’s a numbers sport, proper? So, we had been simply attempting to amass just a few extra colts that, no matter the place they’re from or how they’re bred, we thought might get the basic distance. We thought he had the issues we’re on the lookout for and we thought it was a good worth. We search the later books to see if there’s something that meets our standards and he stuffed all of the packing containers.

PEDULLA: What had been your expectations while you purchased him?

LOUTSCH: Like I mentioned, it’s a numbers sport, so you actually don’t know. There have been every kind of priced horses that gained the Kentucky Derby. Our purpose is to seek out horses that may get the basic distance and probably win the Kentucky Derby.

PEDULLA: I see he broke his maiden final August at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

LOUTSCH: We despatched him to Brad [Cox] and we despatched him to Indiana not understanding precisely what we had but. He simply continues to get higher and higher. He’s a giant, tall, rangy colt, the farther the higher. He’s nonetheless maturing. He’s an April foal (born April 9, 2020). We hope he can hold progressing and making the required enhancements to get to Could.

PEDULLA: Why did you resolve to maintain him at Horseshoe Indianapolis for 2 of his three begins as a 2-year-old? He additionally gained an allowance race there.

LOUTSCH: It’s not the place they begin. It’s the place they end. We don’t actually care about the place we break our maiden. We identical to to get them expertise after which we go from there.

PEDULLA: So, you don’t thoughts beginning your 2-year-olds off the crushed path?

LOUTSCH: We don’t care the place we break our maiden. It’s about gaining that preliminary expertise. In the event that they win, we are able to advance to run in opposition to the larger boys.

PEDULLA: In taking a look at his previous performances, his solely dangerous race was the second begin of his profession, an allowance race at Kentucky Downs by which he ran sixth. What occurred that day?

LOUTSCH: Brad mentioned, “Let’s run him on the turf and see if he likes it.” He had little interest in working on the turf.

PEDULLA: Why did you select the Smarty Jones to open his 3-year-old marketing campaign?

LOUTSCH: He had been coaching very well and Brad needed to offer him a shot within the Smarty Jones. We needed to see the place we stood, to be sincere with you. I assumed he ran an incredible race within the Smarty Jones off a layoff. We had been actually comfortable. After that race we talked and we thought that lengthy stretch on the Honest Grounds could be actually good for him.

PEDULLA: You had been proper.

LOUTSCH: I assumed Luis Saez did an amazing job of getting him in place. He’s not a quick horse sprinting-wise, so I used to be fearful about him getting shuffled again too far. However Luis acquired him out of the gate and acquired him to the rail and sat behind the velocity and did a fabulous job of getting him into place to succeed.

PEDULLA: What number of horses does Albaugh have?

LOUTSCH: Underneath the racing umbrella, we’ve got about 30. Then we’ve got 10 broodmares [at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky] with our stallion Not This Time and 20 weanlings and yearlings. We have now been doing enterprise with Taylor Made endlessly. Nice individuals. They’ve finished an amazing job for us.

PEDULLA: You undoubtedly have sufficient qualifying factors to go to the Derby with Angel of Empire. Is {that a} aid?

LOUTSCH: Preserving him wholesome is the largest factor. I believe he’ll have yet another race. Brad does an amazing job of spacing the races out. I believe we’ll take a look at yet another race, the Louisiana Derby, the Blue Grass [Stakes] or the Arkansas Derby after which go proper into the Kentucky Derby.

PEDULLA: Brad emphasised after the Risen Star that this can be a colt that wishes distance. Will the mile and 1 / 4 within the Derby not be a problem?

LOUTSCH: I don’t assume so. I don’t assume any horse in America is admittedly bred to go a mile and 1 / 4. However he’s definitely bred to run a mile and an eighth, and he was nonetheless working on the wire [in the Risen Star]. So, we’ve got confidence he’ll get the mile and 1 / 4.

PEDULLA: Albaugh has been to the Derby quite a few occasions. You’re nonetheless in search of that first win. Do you ever really feel you’re closing in on it?

LOUTSCH: No. This sport is so arduous. You concentrate on how a lot luck is concerned with submit place and journey. Our first purpose is to get to the Derby. You may’t win except you’re within the race. You need to have a sound horse. After that, it’s a must to go away it as much as the horse and the racing gods.