On the day when Paladin was removed from Kentucky Derby (G1) consideration, it seemed only fitting that a few hours later the only horse to finish in front of him jumped into the fray.
Robert and Lawana Low and Repole Stable's Renegade wrapped up his spot in the Run for the Roses by rallying strongly in the stretch and powering to a 4-length victory over Silent Tactic in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds March 28 before a record crowd of 73,000 at Oaklawn Park.
"This is so special," said co-owner Mike Repole, who draped Renegade's garland of gardenias around his shoulders during the trophy presentation. "I'm partners with Rob and Lawana Low and this is their home track. They love this track. We ran here (because) I want to be a great partner. I bought the horse 50-50 with them. They bred the horse. They deserve all the credit.
"This is the best start of his life and the next one is the big one."
The next one will indeed be the Kentucky Derby, the legendary May 2 opening leg of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs.
Heading into Saturday, the Arkansas Derby and the Florida Derby (G1) figured to shake up the leaderboard for Run for the Roses qualifying points. But prior to those races, there was a seismic quake when the Daily Racing Form announced that the undefeated Paladin, a consensus favorite for the Kentucky Derby, was injured and would miss the race.
At the time, Renegade, who edged Paladin in an Oct. 17 maiden race at Aqueduct Racetrack only to be disqualified and placed second, was on the outside looking in as far as the Run for the Roses goes. He had just 25 points for trainer Todd Pletcher, placing him below the virtually safe threshold of 50.
But with the mile-and-an-eighth Arkansas Derby offering points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale to the top five finishers, the victory by the son of the champion stallion Into Mischief (who also sired Florida Derby winner Commandment) cemented a trip to Louisville, Ky., on the first Saturday in May.
"I'm super pleased. I loved the way he finished," said Pletcher, who registered a record sixth Arkansas Derby win and broke a tie at five with Bob Baffert. "I'm very happy for the Lows and Repoles."
Aside from the points, the victory followed a 3 3/4-length victory in the Sam F. Davis Stakes and confirmed the Lows' homebred's status as one of the top contenders in the 1 1/4-mile opening jewel in the Triple Crown.
"He's getting better and better and Todd has always liked him," said Repole, who spent the early part of the day in Louisville at the Birmingham Stallions-Louisville Kings UFL game.
Renegade and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. were eighth and last after the opening half-mile as longshot Redland Rebels carved out fractions of :23.25 and :47.80.
As the early leaders tired, John C. Oxley's Silent Tactic and Cristian Torres got the jump on the even-money favorite ($4).
The 7-2 second choice rallied three wide on the final turn and forged to the front in midstretch. But the Tacitus colt trained by Mark Casse could not fend off Renegade, who drifted to the middle of the track in the stretch but still reached the front leaving the eighth pole.
Final time was 1:49.70.
The rest of the order of finish had no significant impact on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Silent Tactic entered the race safe with 50 points and now has 100.
Two lengths behind him, Winchell Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables' Taptastic was third in his second career start and his 25 points leave him well below the expected cutoff for the field.
Ditto for Bricklin who was fourth and now has 21 points.
Blackout Time, runner-up in last year's Breeders' Futurity (G1), was fifth and now has 25 points.
Litmus Test, who entered with 34 points, was seventh and seems unlikely to stay on the Kentucky Derby trail.
Renegade, a son of the Curlin mare Spice Is Nice, was bought for $975,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
He is her first foal.
Grade 3 winner Spice Is Nice has also produced a 2-year-old Uncle Mo filly, a yearling Justify filly, and a 2026 Not This Time colt.
