Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes Racing Roundup

©2018 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) will take us across the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday where the European road to Derby glory continues with the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes at the all-weather, Kempton Park Racecourse in the Spelthorne district of Surrey, England.

A herd of seven runners will go to post with GRONKOWSKI and FORTUNE’S PEARL tabbed as the 5-2 Twinspires.com morning line co-favorites.

Of those two, I like Gronkowski the best. He comes into this race with a 2-1-0 record in four starts with an impressive six-length win in his last race. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

GRONKOWSKI made all, quickened clear over two furlongs out, very easily.

Lonhro, the sire of Gronkowski, was a champion racehorse in Australia that compiled a 26-3-2 record in 35 starts with $5,790,510 (AUS) in earnings.

Some more notable races won by Lonhro include 11 Group One races: the Australian Cup (2004), C F Orr Stakes (2004) George Ryder Stakes (2003, 2004), Caulfield Stakes (2002, 2003), George Main Stakes (2003), Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2003), Chipping Norton Stakes (2003), LKS MacKinnon Stakes (2002) and the Caulfield Guineas (2001).

Lonhro was selected as the 2002 Australian Champion, the 2004 Australian Middle Distance Champion, Australian Racehorse of the Year and World Champion Miler. In addition, Lonhro led the 2011 Australian Leading Sire List and in 2014 he was inducted in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

Gronkowski has a low D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® score but his Behavior Index could, potentially, make him competitive.

THREE WEEKS (5-1) comes into this race with a 2-0-0 record in three starts including a win last out going a mile over the all-weather at Newcastle Racecourse. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

THREE WEEKS tracked leaders, headway to press leader over two furlongs out, ridden to lead inside final furlong, ran on.

Tapit, the sire of Thee Weeks, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 3-0-0 record in six starts with $557,300 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Tapit was undefeated in two starts including a win in the Laurel Futurity (G3).  Tapit was troubled by a lung infection for much of his three year old season but he did win the nine-furlong Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to a ninth-place finish in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.

At stud, Tapit has been America’s leading sire for the past three years and he’s the sire of the Belmont Stakes (G1) winners Tonalist and Creator.

Three Weeks has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®. He’s the best bred colt in this race and has room to improve in his second start of the season.

COURT HOUSE (IRE) is the 4-1 Twinspires.com third choice and he comes into this race with a 2-1-0 record in four starts including a win last out going a mile over the all-weather at Lingfield Park. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

COURT HOUSE slowly away close up in fourth, headway to lead inside final furlong, quickened clear, comfortable.

Dawn Approach (IRE), the sire of Court House, was a multiple Group stakes winner that compiled an 8-1-0 record in 12 starts with $1,457,260 in career earnings.

Undefeated in six starts as a two-year-old, Dawn Approach won three stakes races: Coventry Stakes (Group 2), Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Group 1) and the Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (Group 1).

 As a three-year-old, Dawn Approach compiled a 2-1-0 record in six starts with wins in the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (Group 1) and the Saint James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1). His second-place finish was in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes (Group 1).

Court House has a B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he appears to be an improving colt. I look for him to run a good race.

*****

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).

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

          Currently, none of the horses on the European Leaderboard are nominated to the Triple Crown.