Practical Move

Practical Move (April 30, 2020 – October 31, 2023) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grade I Santa Anita Derby and Grade II San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park in 2023 as a three-year-old.

Background
Practical Move was a bay colt that was bred in Kentucky by Chad C. Brown & Head of Plains Partners. He was sired by Practical Joke, winner of the 2016 Grade I Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. Trainer Chad Brown also trained Practical Joke. Out of the Afleet Alex mare Ack Naughty, Practical Move was a $90,000 (Reserve Not Attained) at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale before Eisaman Equine consigned him at Ocala Breeders' Sale. Pierre Jean & Leslie A. Amestoy bought Practical Move for $230,000 at the 2022 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of two-year-olds in Training.

Practical Joke stands at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky for $25,000 in 2023. Through 2023 Practical Joke is the sire of 20 black-type stakes winners.

Practical Move was trained by Tim Yakteen.

2022: two-year-old season
Practical Move ran five times in 2022 for two wins including the GII Los Alamitos Futurity at Los Alamitos Race Course.

2023: three-year-old season
Practical Move has run twice for two victories and easily qualified for the 2023 Kentucky Derby winning major qualification events on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Grade II San Felipe Stakes and then the Grade I Santa Anita Derby by a nose.

Practical Move was drawn in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, but two days before the race trainer Tim Yakteen scratched the horse after he spiked a temperature. This allowed the Dale Romans-trained Cyclone Mischief to draw in from the also-eligible list.

Death
Practical Move collapsed and died at Santa Anita Park in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on October 31, 2023. He was three years old. The horse's preliminary cause of death is a heart attack.

Statistics
Notes: An (*) asterisk after the odds means Practical Move was the post-time favorite.