Sam F. Davis Stakes Racing Roundup

©2018 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us to sunny Florida, Saturday where CATHOLIC BOY will go to the starting gate as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the 38^th running of the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. Post time is 4:52 ET.

Catholic Boy comes into this race with a 3-0-0 record in four starts for trainer Jonathan Thomas including a win in the With Anticipation Stakes (G3), a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and a win in the Remsen Stakes (G2). Here’s the video and chart call of his last race:

CATHOLIC BOY two to three wide through the first turn, settled four wide in mid pack, remained patiently handled advancing four wide through the far turn into contention with five sixteenths to go, spun three wide into upper stretch outside a pair roused for the stretch drive, took over command straightened away, drew clear under a drive kept busy to the finish.

In his debut on a dirt surface, Catholic Boy improved his win record with an easy 4¾ length victory.

More Than Ready, the sire of Catholic Boy, was a multiple graded-stakes winner that compiled a 7-4-1 record in 17 starts with $1,026,229 in earnings. He won the WHAS-11 Stakes, Flash Stakes, Tremont Stakes (G3), Sanford Stakes (G2), Hutcheson Stakes (G2) and finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in route to a fourth-place finish in the 2000 Kentucky Derby (G1).

At stud, More Than Ready made quite a mark with in Australia with his sons Phelan Ready and Sebring who were champion 2-year-colts with over $2 million in career earnings. Some of his best runners in America have been the turf-sprinter Regally Ready with over $1 million in career earnings and Pluck, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Stakes (G2) and Summer Stakes (G3) with $727,290 in career earnings, and Verrazano.

Catholic Boy has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index makes him competitive and I look for him to run a good race.

Undefeated in two starts, VINO ROSSO (3-1) comes into this race for trainer Todd Pletcher off an Allowance Optional Claiming race at Tampa Bay Downs on December 22. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

VINO ROSSO stalked comfortably outside, tracked two wide on the backside, bid two wide midway on the far turn, gained the lead on his own, was asked for run at the eighth pole, pulled away and was ridden out.

Vino Rosso continues to improve with each race and he pulled away in the stretch to easily win by 2½ lengths.

Curlin, the sire of Vino Rosso, was an outstanding racehorse that compiled an 11-2-2 record in 16 career starts with $10,501,800 in career earnings.

Curlin did not start as a two year old. But, at the age of three, Curlin was 6-1-2 in nine starts with $5,102,800 in earnings including wins in the Rebel Stakes (G3) and Arkansas Derby (G2) en route to a third-place finish in the 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1). He went on to win the Preakness Stakes (G1) and he finished second in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Other important stakes wins include the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), twice, Dubai World Cup (G1), Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), Woodward Stakes (G1), and the UAE Jaguar Trophy Handicap.

In his first five crops as a stallion, Curlin has sired the 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Palace Malice and the 2016 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Exaggerator. In addition, Curlin produced the classic-placed runners Ride On Curlin (second, 2014 Preakness), Keen Ice (third, 2015 Belmont) and Irish War Cry (second, 2017 Belmont).

Vino Rosso is a colt we profiled as a yearling (Hip 528) at the 2016 Keeneland September sale. With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he has the breeding to be competitive on the Derby trail.

In just his third start, Vino Rosso has room to improve, especially as the races get longer. Regular jockey John Velazquez retains the mount and I look for the pair to run a good race.

Owned by Albaugh Family Stables, LLC and trained by Dale Romans, HOLLYWOOD STAR (5-2) comes into this race with a 1-2-0 record in four starts including a second-place finish in both the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) and Iroquois Stakes (G3) and a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1). Here’s the video and chart call of the Juvenile:

HOLLYWOOD STAR angled in at once to save ground, came under a ride with three furlongs to run, angled out entering the stretch and improved position.

Hollywood Star is much better than what his performance in the Juvenile indicates. However, he’ll need to pick up the pace as three year old.

Malibu Moon, the sire of Hollywood Star, made only two starts as a two year old, compiling a 1-1-0 record, before a slab fracture ended his racing career.

At stud, Malibu Moon sired the 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb. In addition, he’s sired several horses that have been competitive on the Derby trail such as Gormley, Danzig Moon, Mr. Z and Stanford.

Other nice runners sired by Malibu Moon include Life At Ten, Devil May Care, Declan’s Moon, Ask the Moon, Prospective, Kauai Katie, Moon Catcher, Moonshine Memories, Ransom the Moon, and Malibu Mint.

Hollywood Star is also a colt we profiled as a yearling (Hip 395) at the 2016 Keeneland September sale. With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he has the breeding to be competitive and a recent bullet work out could have him ready to run a good race in his debut as a three year old.

Honorable mention goes to Flameaway (8-1) and Navy Armed Guard (15-1).

*****

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. Avery Island, 14, Kiaran McLaughlin, $320,000

8. Instilled Regard, 14, Jerry Hollendorfer, $180,000

9. Enticed, 13, Kiaran McLaughlin, $180,880

10. Greyvitos, 10, Adam Kitchingman, $300,000

11. Catholic Boy, 10, Jonathan Thomas, $290,000

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. Bravazo, 4, D. Wayne Lukas, $109,913

18. +Hollywood Star, 4, Dale Romans, $88,500

19. Ayacara (GB), 4, Keith Desormeaux, $63,345

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

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

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