Horse Profile - Quip

Quip became the next long shot to win on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday at odds of 19-1. Quip made his mark on the Derby Trail with a stalk-and-pounce one-length victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 10. Flameaway finished 2nd, a neck in front of the front-running favorite World of Trouble. Quip’s winning time for the 1 1/16 mile Tampa Bay Derby was 1:44.72 following a moderate pace.

Quip won his third race in four starts and paid a handsome $40.20 on a $2 win wager, and he secured his spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby with 50 qualifying points. Following a 7th place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) in his last start in November, Quip was training very well at the Fair Grounds this year and then had a strong 4 furlong work at Tampa Bay Downs the week of the race. While the son of Distorted Humor was severely overlooked at the betting window, his trainer, Fair Grounds-based Rudolphe Brisset knew his horse was maturing and improving.

“The transition from 2 to 3 is very important for a Thoroughbred, and I could see by the way he acted that he had grown up. He matured a lot physically and carried more weight,” Brisset noted about his Derby hopeful when he returned to New Orleans in early January to resume training. Brisset picked up his first big-race win on his own after serving as assistant trainer for Bill Mott for 11 years.

Final preps that might fit Quip’s schedule include the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, both on April 7. The Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn is also a possibility on April 14.

Quip is the 60th graded winner for his sire Distorted Humor, who also sired 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide, who went on to win the Preakness Stakes by nearly 10 lengths before finishing 3rd in the Belmont Stakes. 

Learn more about Flameaway with these indepth stories:

SCULLY: Quip offers proper response in Tampa Bay Derby upset