©2018 Calvin L.
Carter. All rights reserved.
After
the running of the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at the Fair Grounds Saturday the Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us to California where CHOO CHOO has been
tabbed as the 9-5 morning line favorite in $200,000 El Camino Real Derby at
Golden Gate Fields. Post time is 6:54 p.m. ET.
Trained
by Jerry Hollendorfer, Choo Choo comes into this race with a 2-0-2 record in
six starts including a win in the California Derby. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
CHOO CHOO was well
placed to the second turn, rallied four wide to the stretch, got to terms mid-stretch
then pushed clear driving.
Choo
Choo took the lead in the stretch and pulled away to win his first stakes race
by 1¾ lengths.
English Channel, the
sire of Choo Choo, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 13-4-1
record in 23 starts with $5,319,028 in career earnings.
English Channel
won his only start as a two year old in August of 2004 and made his debut as a
three year old in March of 2005 finishing fourth in an Allowance race at
Gulfstream Park.
During the rest
of the season, English Channel compiled a 4-2-0 record in eight starts with
stakes wins in the Woodlawn Stakes, Colonial Turf Club Stakes and the Virginia
Derby (G3). He finished second in both the Secretariat Stakes (G1) and Joe
Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1).
As a four year
old, English Channel made seven starts and compiled a 4-0-1 record with stakes
wins in the Canadian Turf Handiap, Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (G1), United
Nations Stakes (G1) and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1).
English Channel
made seven starts as a five year old and went 4-2-0 with stakes wins in the United
Nations Stakes (G1), Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1) and the
John Deer Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). He finished second in the Sword Dancer
Invitational Stakes (G1).
PAVED (2-1) is stepping up in class
and with a 1-0-2 record in three starts, she comes into this race off a maiden
win on the turf for trainer Michael McCarthy. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
PAVED stalked the
pace inside, came out on the second turn, bid three deep into the stretch to
take the lead, kicked clear under left handed urging and drifted in and proved
best.
Paved
made a “smart rally” on the far turn and pulled away in the stretch to win by
an impressive 5½ lengths. The split for the mile of 1:36.10 and final time of
1:47.78 for the nine furlongs is what I like to see in horses on the Derby
trail.
Quality
Road, the sire
of Frank Conversation, easily won his maiden debut, and only race as a two year
old, in November of 2008. In his debut as a three year old, he finished second
in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in January. He followed that in
February with a 4¼ length win in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and in
March, Quality Road ran to a 1¾ length win over Dunkirk in the Florida Derby (G1).
In
late April, Quality Road developed a quarter crack on his right front foot and that
prevented him from running in the Kentucky Derby. After a three month break,
Quality Road returned to racing to win the Amsterdam Stakes (G2).
Quality
Road completed his racing career with wins in the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3), Donn
Handicap (G1), Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Woodward Stakes (G1). He finished
third in the Travers Stakes (G1) and second in both the Jockey Club Gold Cup
Stakes (G1) and Whitney Handiciap (G1).
Paved
has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and she repeats the form of her
maiden win she could be tough to beat in the El Camino Real Derby.
In
his last race, MUGARITZ (10-1) finished
second to Choo Choo in the California Derby and he comes into this race with a
2-1-0 record in five starts for trainer Jonathan Wong. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
MUGARITZ was rated
to the second turn, bid three wide then eased in into the stretch, rallied when
set down and was best of the rest.
Mugaritz
ran behind the pace and could not close the gap between him and the victor but finished
a respectable second in his stakes debut.
Dialed
In, the sire of Mugaritz,
won a 6½-furlong maiden special weight by a half a length at Churchill Downs in
his only start as a two year old.
As a three year old, Dialed In won the one
mile Holy Bull Stakes, finished second in a 9-furlong Allowance Optional
Claiming race at Gulfstream Park, and won the Florida Derby (G1) by a head over
Shackleford en route to an eighth place-finish in
the Kentucky Derby (G1).
On
the Derby Trail, Dialed In’s best runner to date is Gunnevera who won the Saratoga Special Stakes
(G2), Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (G3), Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2)
and the Tangelo Stakes. In addition, Gunnevera finished second in the Lambholm
South Holy Bull Stakes (G2), third in the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) and
second in the Travers Stakes (G1).
Mugaritz
has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index potentially
makes him competitive in the stretch out to nine furlongs.
CITY PLAN (15-1) comes into this race with
2-0-0 record in five starts for trainer Eoin Harty including a fifth-place finish
last out in the one mile Sham Stakes (G3). Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
CITY PLAN pulled
and angled in outside a rival then stalked a bit off the rail to the stretch
and weakened.
City
Plan was only two or three lengths off the leaders entering the stretch but
could not keep up. The mile distance may have been too short for him and he may
benefit in the stretch out to nine furlongs in the El Camino.
Street
Sense, the sire
of City Plan, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 6-4-2 record
in 13 starts with $4,383,200 in career earnings.
As
a two year old, Street Sense finished third in both the Arlington-Washington
Breeders’ Cup Futurity (G3) and the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G1). He
followed that with a win in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) and was
tabbed as the Eclipse Champion Two Year Old.
Street Sense won his season debut as a three
year old in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and finished second in the Blue Grass
Stakes (G1) en route to a 2¼ length win over Hard Spun in the 2007 Kentucky
Derby.
With
an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® City Plan is the best-bred colt in
this race, however, he’s yet to fully live up to his breeding.
Honorable
mention goes to Epical
(10-1) who is stepping up in class and comes into this race off a maiden debut
win. His Behavior Index could potentially make him competitive.
*****
This
is the sixth consecutive year for Churchill Downs to use a point system to
determine eligibility to get into the Kentucky Derby starting gate. A total of
36 races comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby and a significant change to
the schedule is the addition of the Springboard Mile at Remington Park on
December 17.
In
addition to the Japan road to the Derby which features
the Cattleya Sho Stakes (November 25), Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushan Stakes (December
13) and Hayacinth Stakes (February 2018), Churchill Downs has added a European road to Derby glory consisting
of seven races: Juddmonte Beresford (September 24), Juddmonte Royal Lodge
(September 30), Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (October 1), Racing Post Trophy
(October 28, Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes (March 1), Patton
(March 2) and the Burradon (March 30).
2018 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. +Good
Magic, 24, Chad Brown, $1,200,000
2. Firenze Fire, 24, Jason Servis, $567,500
3. McKinzie, 20,
Bob Baffert, $240,000
4. Bolt d’Oro, 14, Mick Ruis, $540,000
5. +Free
Drop Billy, 14, Dale Romans, $467,200
6. +Solomini, 14, Bob Baffert, $436,000
7. Catholic
Boy, 14, Jonathan Thomas, $330,000
8. Avery
Island, 14, Kiaran McLaughlin, $320,000
9. Instilled Regard, 14, Jerry Hollendorfer, $180,000
10. Enticed, 13, Kiaran McLaughlin, $180,880
11. Greyvitos, 10,
Adam Kitchingman, $300,000
12. Audible, 10,
Todd Pletcher, $208,320
13. Mourinho, 10,
Bob Baffert, $124,360
14. Lombo, 10, Mike
Pender, $90,000
15. Combatant, 8,
Steve Asmussen, $110,000
16. Tiz Mischief, 6, Dale Romans, $70,400
17. +Hollywood
Star, 5, Dale Romans, $98,500
18. Ayacara (GB), 5, Keith Desormeaux, $63,345
19. Bravazo, 4, D.
Wayne Lukas, $109,913
20. Principe Guilherme, 4, Steve Asmussen, $40,000
+ = Horses we picked
as yearlings at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Good
Magic = Eclipse Champion Two
Year Old Male.
EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
1.
Saxon Warrior (JPN), 20, Aidan O’Brien, $245,017
2. Roaring Lion
(USA), 14, John Gosden, $136,807
3.
f-Happily (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $543,648
4.
Olmedo (FR), 4, Jean-Claude Rouget, $113,505
5.
Nelson (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $99,826
6.
Delano Roosevelt (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $38,074
7.
Masar (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $101,264
8.
The Pentagon (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $71.981
9.
Mildenberger (ENG), 2, Mark Johnston, $64,634
10.
Warm the Voice (IRE), 2, Brendan Duke, $12,904
11.
Verbal Dexterity (IRE), 1, Jim Bolger, $280,269
12.
Kew Gardens (IRE), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $28,605
13.
Woodmax (GER), 1, Nicolas Clement, $23,610
14.
Petrus (IRE), 1, Brian Meehan, $7,182
JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.
Le Vent Se Leve (JPN), 10, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, $464,985
2.
Ruggero (JPN), 10, Yuichi Shikato, $178,045
3.
Don Fortis (JPN), 4, Mitsunori Makiura, $437,283
4. Mic Ben Hur
(JPN), 4, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $106,766
5. Haseno Pyro
(JPN), Kenki Sato, $264,191
6. Meiner
Yukitsubaki (JPN) 2, Noboru Takagi, $99,210
7. Dark Repulser
(JPN), 1, Takashi Kanari, $184,087
8. Bronze Kay
(JPN), 1, Koichi Tsunoda, $75,979
