Quote:
Originally Posted by Aerocraft67
What happened to the favorite? We were all vaguely disinterested, but no one was really guns-a-blazin' against him. Unfortunately I was more accommodating of him than the other chalk defensively, and got beat by  just like I warned myself might happen. |
The fate of Instant Coffee is another example of the limitations of both the super trainer takeover of the Triple Crown and the ill-advised Derby points system.
For some reason, Instant Coffee passed on the Risen Star after winning the Le Comte. With an off-the-board finish in the LA Derby, he is now on the fence to have enough points to get a spot in the KY Derby.
In 2021, the well-meant Mandaloun ran a similarly ho-hum race in the LA Derby for Cox, but it didn't affect his KY Derby status, as he had run well in both the Le Comte and the Risen Star. He then went on to finish a close second in the KY Derby (and eventually moved up to winner on a DQ).
With Cox playing musical preps with too many Derby prospects this year and the inflexibility of the Derby points system, Instant Coffee may not get the chance to rebound at Churchill.
