Uncertain plans for Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and others leave questions for Preakness

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The second jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown could be missing 150th Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and other co-stars, quashing hopes for a rematch after the thrilling three-wide photo finish in the milestone race.

Trainer Kenny McPeek and the horse's ownership wouldn't commit to whether the colt would race in the Preakness on May 18 in Baltimore, which requires a two-week turnaround. Mystik Dan will travel to Saratoga, New York, before they decide whether to enter him in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness.

“We’re not committed to the Preakness, not yet,” McPeek said Sunday morning outside his barn at Churchill Downs. "I ran him back once in two weeks and it completely backfired on me. ... So, we’ll just watch him over the next week. It’ll be one of those (situations) where we’ll probably take it up to the last minute.

“We’ll let him tell us.”

Trainer Bob Baffert has told Pimlico officials that he is sending Muth and Imagination to Baltimore for the Preakness.

Muth won the Arkansas Derby on March 30, when Mystik Dan finished third. Imagination was second behind Stronghold in the Santa Anita Derby on April 6.

Baffert has won the Preakness eight times, including last year with National Treasure.

Saratoga in upstate New York will host the Triple Crown's final race for the next two years while Belmont Park is being reconstructed. The Belmont also has been shortened to 1 1/4 miles, matching the Derby distance that Mystik Dan won by a nose over Sierra Leone and Japan-bred Forever Young in the closest three-way finish since 1947.

The five-week gap follows a more normal race schedule for many horses and some trainers might opt to head to Saratoga to acclimate horses sooner.

Chad Brown said Sierra Leone will skip the Preakness and leave on Monday to train at Saratoga and run in the Belmont.

“He’s a real laidback horse, but when we brought him out, was a little more tired than he normally is after his races,” Brown said. “I think giving him the five weeks to the Belmont is definitely the right thing to do.”

Trainer Brad Cox is watching Catching Freedom (fourth) and Just A Touch (20th) before deciding their next steps. Forever Young and fellow Japan-bred T O Password (fifth) are headed home on Tuesday.

That could leave the Preakness without some Derby star power at first glance, though it won't lack for plotlines, with a number of well-rested horses expected to compete at Pimlico.

As McPeek and the owners ponder a decision, he and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. basked in a wash of congratulations for a Derby victory that put them in exclusive company.

Saturday's win helped both claim rare weekend sweeps of the Derby and Kentucky Oaks for fillies. McPeek is just the third trainer to do that and the first since Ben Jones (who did it twice) in 1952, while Hernandez is the eighth rider to achieve the feat and first since fellow Louisiana native and Hall of Famer Calvin Borel in 2009.

Meanwhile, Mystik Dan stood calm and unfazed as a cluster of onlookers took photos and selfies while workers bathed him outside the barn. He was draped with the winner's blanket signifying his Derby win before being led back to his stall with a WWE-style title belt laying on an outer wall. Oaks-winning filly Thorpedo Anna also made a brief appearance and soaked in the attention.

Hernandez is preparing for his own life-changing spotlight and title after claiming the sport's marquee race. He dined with his family after the Derby but didn't sleep much, a routine that figures to go on for the next few days amid a flood of interview requests. At some point he hopes to get his mind around all that has happened, but he already has a response ready.

“When somebody asks what my profession is, I’m able to tell them I’m a professional jockey. And then the first question they normally ask is, ‘Have you ever won the Kentucky Derby?’ I can say that now.”

This story has been corrected to show that Saratoga will host the Belmont Stakes for the next two, not three, years.

AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing

Trainer Kenneth McPeek celebrates with his family after riding Mystik, with jockey Dan Brian Hernandez Jr. won the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Brian Hernandez Jr. rides Mystik Dan, right, to the finish line to win the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

CORRECTS TO REMOVE REFERENCE TO FINISH LINE TO WIN - Brian Hernandez Jr. rides Mystik Dan, right, as horses near the first turn during the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. Mystic Dan went on to win the race. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Brian Hernandez Jr. rides Mystik Dan across the finish line to win the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Trainer Kenneth McPeek, right, hand off the trophy to jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. as Hernandez celebrates in the winner's circle after riding Mystik Dan to win the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Brian Hernandez Jr. rides Mystik Dan, top right, to the finish line to win the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler’s arrest and prompt release from a Louisville jail Friday that let him play in a high-profile tournament after being booked on charges including felony assault has sparked questions over whether he was given preferential treatment because of his fame.

Some social media users raised the issue of malfeasance by the Louisville police department, which a national report last year found has used excessive force and invalid search warrants.

Police are continuing their investigation, but here's a look at the incident and policing in Louisville:

Officers were redirecting traffic after a fatal accident near the Valhalla Golf Club when Scheffler allegedly disobeyed an officer's command. His car accelerated forward and dragged the officer to the ground, according to a police report, and the officer suffered injuries to his wrist and was taken to the hospital.

The 27-year-old Scheffler, who lives in Texas, was arrested outside the club just after 6 a.m., taken to jail, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and had his mug shot taken. The Louisville Metro Police Department said he was booked on four charges, including second-degree assault of a police officer.

But by 10:08 a.m., he was on the other side of the city and teeing off at the PGA Championship. Scheffler had been released on his own recognizance, without posting bond, after agreeing that he would make all his court dates in Louisville.

Scheffler and his attorney have said he didn't intentionally do anything wrong, and he misunderstood police commands and simply was trying to get to the course. His lawyer previously represented the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot by police in 2020, in a civil suit against the city a few years ago.

Scheffler was greeted with cheers by fans when he arrived at the golf course, but some in Louisville with memories of a turbulent past took a dim view of the incident.

“A man drags a cop with his vehicle and hospitalizes him. He’s arrested ... charged with a felony ... and then immediately released so he can make his tee time? Did I get that right?” said Ricky L. Jones, a University of Louisville professor of pan-African studies, on the social platform X.

Bill Miller, a local golf fan who was at the course Friday, said it cast Louisville and the police in a negative light.

“It’s just another bad look for the city,” Miller said. “I’d want to understand what the cop was trying to do. But it’s sad.”

A spokesperson for Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Saturday there is no police body camera video of the initial encounter between Scheffler and the officer. The officer was directing traffic at the time, and the department’s officers typically don’t record video with their body cameras while directing traffic, Kevin Trager, the mayor’s press secretary, wrote in a text message to an Associated Press reporter.

Elsewhere, the incident drew reaction from an Atlanta-area pastor who hosted a funeral for Roger Fortson, a young Black senior airman who was shot by a Florida sheriff’s deputy at his home this month.

“Something is wrong in America,” said Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. “You have respect for a golfer, but you don’t have respect for (Fortson) and for a person who has given their life to this nation. You cannot remain silent in the face of injustice.”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear took heat on X for a post encouraging people to welcome golf tournament fans “with the kindness and hospitality we’re known for.” One commenter replied with Scheffler's mug shot and observed that Beshear's post had not aged well.

The department has attracted negative national attention in recent years after the fatal shooting of Taylor in 2020 and a federal investigation into its policing practices. It has also been the subject of protests over its policing.

A Department of Justice report released last year said Louisville officers use excessive force and conduct searches based on invalid warrants. It also said Black motorists in the city were more likely to be searched during traffic stops, and officers used neck restraints, police dogs and stun guns against people who posed no imminent threat.

Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was shot by officers who came to her apartment with a warrant that federal officials later said was falsified.

The police department was lauded, however, for its response to a mass shooting at a bank in 2023, when the shooter armed with an AR-15 was quickly killed before he could hurt more people. One officer who had just joined the force was struck in the head by a bullet, sustaining a brain injury.

Last year the department hired as its new police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, the first Black woman to hold the position. The city continues to negotiate a consent decree with federal officials that will stipulate what policing reforms should take place.

Associated Press Writers Aaron Morrison in New York and Eddie Pells in Louisville contributed to this report.

In this still image made from video provided by ESPN, Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is put into a police car after being handcuffed near Valhalla Golf Club, site of the PGA Championship golf tournament, early Friday, May 17, 2024. (ESPN via AP)

In this mug shot provided by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections Friday, May 17, 2024, Scott Scheffler is shown. Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. (Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections via AP)

Scottie Scheffler walks to the tee on the 11th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Scottie Scheffler celebrates after a birdie on the 12th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)