Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Art Collector

Jul 13, 2020 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Bruce Lunsford’s homebred Art Collector picked up 100 points on the “2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby” challenge series following his 3 ½-length tally in the Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland. Ridden by Brian Hernandez, Jr., the winner clocked 1 ⅛ miles on the fast main surface in 1:48.11 to register his initial graded stakes victory.

Art Collector moved to a perfect three-for-three in 2020, while upping his lifetime mark to 8-4-1-0, $548,475. The Tom Drury trainee was a strong allowance winner in his first offering of the campaign when rolling past allowance foes at Churchill Downs, prior to leading throughout in another impressive tally beneath the Twin Spires in advance of the Blue Grass. His lone prior stakes attempt came in the 2019 Bourbon (G3) on the turf where he checked in an even seventh.

The son of Bernardini was bred in Kentucky and is the first stakes winner produced from the Distorted Humor mare Distorted Legacy, a stakes heroine who was runner-up in the 2011 Flower Bowl Invitational (G1). She counts herself as a half-sister Grade-2 winning millionaire and sire Vision and Verse, who finished second best in the 1999 Belmont (G1). This is the same female line as Canadian champion Ginger Brew.

Art Collector has returned an improved runner this campaign, posting BRIS Speed figures of 93-103-104 in his trio of outings as a sophomore. The bay colt continues to move forward as the distances increase, and his pedigree and running style both suggest that navigating 10 furlongs at Churchill Downs on September 5 will be well within his scope.

The colt currently checks a lot of boxes and has additional room for improvement. Art Collector has to be considered to be among the top 3-year-old prospects heading towards a potential start in the Kentucky Derby (G1).