©2015 Calvin L.
Carter. All rights reserved.
The
“Road to the Kentucky Derby” takes us to Keeneland Race
Course Saturday where, in what appears to be a wide-open horse race, Exaggerator heads a herd of 12 young
Thoroughbreds as the luke-warm, 7-2 morning-line favorite in the 102nd
running of the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity Stakes (G1).
Exaggerator
comes into this race for trainer Keith Desormeaux off of two back-to-back wins
in sprint races including a three-quarter length win in the Saratoga Special
Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course on August 16. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:
EXAGGERATOR leaned in and brushed
the inside of the gate at the start, was urged along near the rail, advanced
alongside HAMMERS VISION coming to the five-sixteenths, waited off heels at
that point while the aforementioned rival was able to keep advancing, turned
into the stretch in the two path, waited again while directly behind SARATOGA
MISCHIEF and full of run at the three-sixteenths, dropped in a touch and
replaced the tiring JOHN Q. PUBLIC near the rail, chased into the final furlong
under a right-handed whip, switched to left-handed whip while drawing even with
the runner-up at the sixteenth-pole and proved best under strong handling.
Exaggerator
is stepping up in class and he’s stretching out to 8½ furlongs for the first
time. However, his breeding indicates that should not be a problem.
Curlin, the sire of Exaggerator, was undefeated
in three starts as a 3-year-old, including a win in the Rebel Stakes (G3) and
Arkansas Derby (G2), in route to a third-place finish in the 2007 Kentucky
Derby (G1).
Curlin
went on to win the Preakness Stakes (G1) by a head and he lost the Belmont
Stakes (G1) by a head. He won numerous Eclipse awards, compiled an 11-2-2
record in 16 career starts and earned over $10.5 million dollars.
Brody’s
Cause (6-1)
comes into this race for trainer Dale Romans off of a maiden win at Churchill
Downs on September 11. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:
BRODY'S CAUSE was unhurried into
stride, wheeled out seven wide entering the stretch, swamped the leaders inside
the sixteenth pole and shook clear. CONQUEST BIG E broke in the air, pulled to
contention five wide, forged command inside the furlong marker, kept on well
but was unable to resist the winner.
Giant’s Causeway, the sire of Brody’s Cause, was undefeated in three starts as a two
year old (all at 7-furlongs), winning the Group 3 Futurity Stakes and the Group
One Prix de la Salamandre Stakes. As a 3-year-old, Giant’s Causeway was 6-4-0
in 10 starts, winning from 7- to 10-furlongs and he was selected as the 2000
Cartier Racing Awards European Horse of the Year.
A
long shot I like in this race is Wild
Man (15-1) who
comes into this race with two third-place finishes for trainer Steve Asmussen.
In his last race, Wild Man lost by a narrow neck to Sail
Ahoy who is a
long shot that I like in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. Here’s the video and chart call of his last race:
WILD MAN took up the chase from
the three path, drafting behind TOUGHEST 'OMBRE, got tipped out one wider
approaching the five-sixteenth pole and was given his cue, spun into the stretch
locked up in a battle as the widest of a trio, lugged in and bumped into the
last-named opponent near the eighth pole, fought stubbornly to the end in route
for show honors.
Wild
Man has yet to break his maiden but he has the breeding to be competitive in
this race.
Pulpit, the sire of Wild Man, was a
competitive colt on the 1997 Kentucky Derby trail, winning the Fountain of
Youth Stakes (G2) and the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in route to a
fourth-place finish in the Derby.
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