©2016 Calvin L.
Carter. All rights reserved.
(Due to the Thanksgiving
Holiday, this will be an abbreviated edition of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes
(G2) blog.)
The
Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us takes us this
Saturday to the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs where McCraken will go to the starting gate as
the 7-2 morning line favorite in 90th running of the $200,000
Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2). Post time is 5:56 p.m. ET.
McCraken
comes into this race with a 2-0-0 record in two starts for trainer Ian Wilkes. Here’s
the video and chart
call of that race:
MCCRAKEN was unhurried early, fanned into the seven path entering
the lane, rallied down the lane, took over command and drew away late under a
brisk drive.
McCraken
is the worthy favorite in this spot and I look for him to be competitive in the
stretch out to 8½ furlongs.
Wild
Shot (4-1)
comes into this race for trainer George Arnold with a 1-1-1 record four starts.
He was one of my picks
in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity Stakes (G1) at Keeneland where he finished
third to Classic Empire.
Here’s the video and chart
call of that race:
WILD SHOT set the pace early from off the rail, stayed on the
inside entering the lane and faltered late in the stretch run.
Trappe
Shot, the sire
of Wild Shot, raced mostly in sprints from the age of two to four, compiling a
6-2-0 record in 12 starts with $703,884 in career earnings. However, he did
stretch out to route racing winning the 8 ½ furlong Long Branch Stakes and
finishing second in the nine furlong Izod Haskell Invitational (G1).
Trappe
Shot’s best runner to date on the Kentucky Derby Trail has been My Man Sam who
finished second in the nine furlong 2016 Toyota Blue Grass (G1) stakes.
I
look for Wild Shot to be competitive in this race.
Just
Move On (5-1)
comes into this race with a 2-1-1 record in five starts for trainer Patrick
Byrne. Here’s the video and chart
call of his last race:
JUST MOVE ON tracked the pace early, shifted into the four path
in the far turn, split horses at the top of the lane, took over command in the stretch
and drew clear in the final stages.
A
repeat of his last race performance will make Just Move On competitive in the
Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2).
*****
This
is the fifth consecutive year for Churchill Downs to use a Leaderboard points system to determine
eligibility to get into the Kentucky Derby starting gate. A total of 35 races
comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby and a significant change to the
schedule is that the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) will replace the Grey Stakes (G3)
as a qualifying race.
In
addition, Churchill Downs has partnered with the Japan Racing Association to
feature the Cattleya Sho Stakes and Hayacinth Stakes as two qualifying races in
the Japan Road to the Kentucky
Derby.
The
winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) will receive 10 points while the
second-place finisher will receive 4 points, the third-place finisher will
receive 2 points and 1 point will be awarded to the fourth-place finisher.
Here’s a look at the current leaders:
2016/2017 KENTUCKY DERBY
LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Classic
Empire, 30, Mark Casse, $1,459,520
2. Not This Time,
18, Dale Romans $430,210
3. Practical
Joke, 14, Chad Brown, $690,000
4. Gunnevera, 10,
Antonio Sano, $738,600
5. Lookin At Lee,
10, Steve Asmussen, $275,600
6. Gormley, 10,
John Sherriffs, $200,000
7. Klimt, 4, Bob
Baffert, $380,000
8. Hot Sean, 4,
Bob Baffert, $180,000
9. Syndergaard,
4, Todd Pletcher, $160,000
10. Dangerfield,
2, Doug O’Neill, $132,500
11. Straight
Fire, 2, Keith Desormeaux, $96,000
12. Favorable
Outcome, 2, Chad Brown, $50,345
13. Wild Shot, 2,
Rusty Arnold, II, $50,000
14. Recruiting
Ready, 2, Horacio DePaz, $43,750
15. Midnight
Pleasure, 1, Craig Dollase, $54,000
16. J Boys Echo,
1, Dale Romans, $50,000
17. Big Gray
Rocket, 1, Bob Baffert, $25,000
18. No Dozing, 1,
Arnaud Delacour, $25,000
19. Honor Thy
Father, 1, Kenny McPeek, $16,203
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