Jon Court waited 31 years to ride in the Kentucky Derby for the first time, so waiting seven weeks isn’t a big deal.
Court, 52, will ride Will Take Charge in the $2 million Grade I Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Owned by Willis Horton of Marshall, Will Take Charge hasn’t started since Court guided the son of Unbridled’s Song to a head victory over stablemate Oxbow in the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes on March 16at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs.
Since detailed record keeping began in 1929, no horse has won the Kentucky Derby with more than six weeks between its last start.
“It’s been a concern for some, but with me it’s kind of a vote of confidence,” Court said. “The horse has proven he runs well fresh. I think that’s something to consider.”
Will Take Charge will represent the third Kentucky Derby mount for Court, Oaklawn’s leading rider in 2000.
Court finished 15th aboard Archarcharch in 2011 and 11th aboard Optimizer last year for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who also conditions Will Take Charge and Oxbow.
Archarcharch, Court said, was like a punch in the gut since the Arkansas Derby winner was owned by close friends Bob and Val Yagos of Jacksonville and trained by the jockey’s father-in-law, Jinks Fires of Hot Springs.
Support for Archarcharch began growing following his Arkansas Derby victory, but he drew the dreaded rail for the Kentucky Derby - there hasn’t been a winner from post 1 since Ferdinand in 1986 - and steadied early.
Court’s saddle slipped entering the backstretch, and Archarcharch was vanned off after pulling up lame with a career-ending leg injury.
Optimizer is a three-time stakes winner on grass but 0 for 11 on dirt in his 23-race career.
“I think this is certainly the best chance I’ve had out of the three that I’ve been fortunate to ride in,” said Court, a winner of more 3,700 races since he began riding in 1980.
Court has been enamored with the well-bred Will Take Charge since riding the colt for the first time in an Oct. 18 maiden victory at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
Purchased for $425,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Will Take Charge is a son of Unbridled’s Song, who finished fifth as the favorite in the 1996 Kentucky Derby.
Will Take Charge’s dam, Take Charge Lady, was a multiple Grade I winner of $2.4 million and produced 2012 Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy.
“Before I had ever swung a leg over Will Take Charge, I had heard about him,” Court said. “I won a stake on his momma, and we all know his daddy was phenomenal. I just had a lot of confidence in the horse.”
Following the maiden victory, Court’s agent, Steve Krajcir of Hot Springs, said the jockey was so impressed with Will Take Charge that he believed it was his Arkansas Derby horse.
“Naturally, I told Wayne what Jon had said, hoping to keep the mount because Jon felt that horse really had talent,” Krajcir said.
Will Take Charge, in his 3-year-old debut, won the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 21 at Oaklawn.
Before the Oaklawn meeting ended April 13, Krajcir said he reminded Lukas what Court had said roughly six months earlier, that Will Take Charge “was your Arkansas Derby winner.”
“I told Wayne that he never gave us a chance to run in it,” Krajcir said. “I said, ‘We’re going to win the Kentucky Derby for you.’ ”
Following the Rebel, Lukas decided to train Will Take Charge up to the Kentucky Derby because he wanted the colt to mature physically in the seven weeks following the Rebel.
Court said Will Take Charge has put on weight since the Rebel and trained well leading up to Saturday’s 11/4-mile race.
In other words, it was worth the wait.
“I feel as good as I could possibly feel about everything,” Court said.
Jon Court at a glance AGE 52 BIRTHPLACE Gainesville, Fla.
RESIDES Louisville, Ky.
PURSE EARNINGS $90,019,899 FIRST WINNER June 7, 1980 (Centennial Park) NOTEWORTHY Leading rider at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs in 2000. ... Won the 2010 Arkansas Derby on Line of David and the 2011 Arkansas Derby on Archarcharch.
NOTE All career statistics are through Wednesday.
Kentucky Derby WHEN Saturday POST TIME 5:24 p.m. Central WHERE Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky.
TV NBC
Sports, Pages 19 on 05/03/2013