Quip, second in the Arkansas Derby, will bypass the Kentucky Derby and point for the Preakness, according to Elliott Walden, the chief executive of WinStar Farm, which is a co-owner of the colt.

"We're not going to run him," Walden said from the 2-year-old sale in Ocala, Fla. "We wanted a little more time with him."

His defection guarantees that Combatant gets into the race, and with the defection of Gronkowski a strong possibility, that would get Instilled Regard into the race.

WinStar still has a potent line-up for the Derby, with ownership interests in Justify, Audible, and Noble Indy.