Sunland Derby Stakes Racing Roundup

©2018 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby rolls southwest Sunday to Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino where ALL OUT BLITZ will go to the starting gate as the 4-1 morning line favorite in the 16^th running of the $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3). Post time is 7:15 p.m. ET.

Despite the favoritism for All Out Blitz, there are others I like better in the Sunland Derby (G3).

Owned by Albaugh Family Stables, LLC, HOLLYWOOD STAR (6-1) comes into this race for trainer Dale Romans with a 1-2-0 record in five starts including a fourth-place finish in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

HOLLYWOOD STAR trailed to far turn, rallied outside to move up no threat.

In his debut as a three-year-old, Hollywood Star finished a disappointing fourth, nine and three-quarter lengths behind the victory, Flameaway.

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 has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s a colt we profiled as a yearling (Hip 395) at the 2016 Keeneland September sale. He’s the best-bred colt in this race and his breeding indicates that he has the potential to be competitive.

In his first three starts as a two-year-old, with jockey Robby Albarado in the irons, Hollywood Star never finished worse than second and he was off to a promising start with second-place finishes in both the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) and Iroquois Stakes (G3). However, in his last two races with a different jockey, Hollywood Star has not lived up to his breeding and he’s finished out of the money.

When horses like Hollywood Star fail to run close to their profile score, then the issue[s] preventing them from reaching their full potential needs to be investigated. And there can be many contributing factors for a horse not running to his profile – Effinex is a good example of that. So, the switch back to Albarado could, potentially, be a positive decision on the part of Romans.

It remains to be seen if Hollywood Star can step up to earn graded stakes honors. However, a recent bullet work could have him ready to run a good race and I look for him to make a move forward in his second start of the season.

DARK VADER (15-1) comes into this race with a 1-1-1 record in five starts for trainer Peter Eurton including a third-place finish in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

DARK VADER stalked inside then bid between horses on the backstretch, continued a bit off the rail on the second turn and into the stretch and bested the others.

In his debut as a three-year-old, Dark Vader finished a respectable third just 4¼ lengths behind the victor, Lombo.

Tale of Ekati, the sire of Dark Vader, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 5-1-0 record in 15 starts with $1,182,992 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Tale of Ekati was 2-1-0 in three stars with a win in the Futurity Stakes (G2) and a second-place finish in the Sanford Stakes (G2).

As a three-year-old, Tale of Ekati was 3-0-0 in eight starts with a win in the 9-furlong Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to a fourth-place finish in the 2008 Kentucky Derby. His other stakes wins include the one-mile Jerome Handicap (G2) and the Hill ‘N’ Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (G1).

Tale of Ekati made three starts as a four-year-old but did not finish in the money.

Dark Vader has a B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that makes him competitive in this race.

Jockey Stewart Elliott retains the mount on Dark Vader who’s been training well since his last race. He has room to improve in his second start of the season and a recent bullet work could have him ready to make another move forward.

RUNAWAY GHOST (8-1) comes into this race with a 3-2-0 record in six starts with a win in the Riley Allison Stakes and a second-place finish in the Mine That Bird Stakes for new trainer Todd Fincher. Here’s the video and chart call of his last race:

RUNAWAY GHOST set the pace off the rail facing pressure from an outside rival and then the eventual winner inside, dueled with that one to late stretch but yielded.

Runaway Ghost took the early lead and set the pace going into the stretch when the eventual winner, Reride, took the lead and pulled away to win by 2 ½ lengths.

Ghostzapper, a 2012 Hall of Fame inductee and the sire of Runaway Ghost, was an incredibly talented, multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 9-0-1 record in 11 starts with $3,466,120 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Ghostzapper won his maiden special weight debut by nine lengths and was 1-0-0 in two starts. At the age of three, Ghostzapper won the Vosburgh Stakes (G1) and finished third in the King’s Bishop (G1), compiling a 3-0-1 record in four starts.

As a four-year-old, Ghostzapper was undefeated in four starts winning the Tom Fool Handicap (G2), Philip H. Iselin Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G3), Woodward Stakes (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1). In addition, Ghostzapper was selected as the 2004 Eclipse Horse of the Year and Eclipse Champion Older Horse.

In his only start as a five-year-old, Ghostzapper was a 6¼ length winner of the one-mile Metropolitan Handicap (G1).

Runaway Ghost has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but, despite his low ranking, his Behavior Index potentially makes him competitive and I look for him to run a good race.

NEW YORK CENTRAL (9-2) comes into this race with a 2-1-1 record in four starts for trainer Steve Asmussen including a win last out in an Allowance Optional Claiming race at Oaklawn Park. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

NEW YORK CENTRAL vied inside, then dueled down the stretch and lasted under steady urging.

New York Central matched strides with Transgress throughout the race and prevailed at the wire to win by a narrow neck.

Tapit, the sire of New York Central, 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.

In his four previous starts, New York Central has never finished worse than third and his C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® potentially makes him competitive in this race.

Honorable mention goes to the favorite, All Out Blitz, and Choo Choo (8-1).

*****

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. Bolt d’Oro, 64, Mick Ruis, $780,000

2. Enticed, 63, Kiaran McLaughlin, $360,880

3. Bravazo, 54, D. Wayne Lukas, $349,913

4. Promises Fulfilled, 52, Dale Romans, $256,480

5. Magnum Moon, 50, Todd Pletcher $$540,000

6. Quip, 50, Rodolphe Brisset, $212,000

7. McKinzie, 40, Bob Baffert, $320,000

8. +Good Magic, 34, Chad Brown, $1,200,000

9. +Solomini, 34, Bob Baffert, $616,000

10. Flameaway, 30, Mark Casse, $472,260

11. Firenze Fire, 29, Jason Servis, $582,500

12. +Free Drop Billy, 24, Dale Romans, $497,200

13. Combatant, 22, Steve Asmussen, $300,000

14. Snapper Sinclair, 22, Steve Asmussen, $301,810

00. *Blended Citizen, 22, Doug O’Neill, $129,644

15. Strike Power, 20, Mark Hennig, $199,560

16. Old Time Revival, 20, Kenneth Decker, $80,000

17. Instilled Regard, 19, Jerry Hollendorfer, $196,000

18. Catholic Boy, 14, Jonathan Thomas, $330,000

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

20. My Boy Jack, 12, Keith Desormeaux, $402,000

+ = Horses we picked as yearlings at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Good Magic = Eclipse Champion Two Year Old Male. *Blended Citizen is not nominated for the Triple Crown.

EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

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

1. *MENDELSSOHN, 20, Aidan O’Brien, $747,307

2. Saxon Warrior (JPN), 20, Aidan O’Brien, $245,017

3. *GRONKOWSKI, 20, Jeremy Noseda, $0

4. Roaring Lion (USA), 14, John Gosden, $136,807

5. f-Happily (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $543,648

6. *THREEANDFOURPENCE, 8, Aiden O’Brien, $54,076

7. Court House (IRE), 8, John Gosden, $0

8. *SEAHENGE, 4, Aiden O’Brien, $145,630

9. Olmedo (FR), 4, Jean-Claude Rouget, $113,505

10. Nelson (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $99,826

11. Delano Roosevelt (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $38,074

12. Fortune’s Pearl (IRE), 4, Andrew Balding, $1,800

13. Masar (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $101,264

14. The Pentagon (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $71.981

15. Mildenberger (ENG), 2, Mark Johnston, $64,634

16. Warm the Voice (IRE), 2, Brendan Duke, $12,904

17. f-Blackgold Fairy, 2, Michael Halford, $4,618

18. Ventura Knight (IRE), 2, Mark Johnston, $0

19. Verbal Dexterity (IRE), 1, Jim Bolger, $280,269

20. Kew Gardens (IRE), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $28,605

21. Woodmax (GER), 1, Nicolas Clement, $23,610

22. Petrus (IRE), 1, Brian Meehan, $7,182

          *Mendelssohn, Gronkowski, Threeandfourpence and Seahenge are only horses nominated for Triple Crown. Here’s the video of Mendelssohn’s win in the Patton Stakes. Here’s the video of Gronkowski’s win in the Conditions Stakes.

JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

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

1. Sumahama (JPN), 30, Ryo Takahashi, $291,287

2. *RUGGERO (JPN), 16, Yuichi Shikato, $220,861

3. Taiki Ferveur, 12, Mitsunori Makiura, $299,689

4. Le Vent Se Leve (JPN), 10, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, $463,935

5. Don Fortis (JPN), 4, Mitsunori Makiura, $436,916

6. Mic Ben Hur (JPN), 4, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $122,696

7. Great Time (JPN), 3, Hideaki Fujiwara, $186,586

8. Haseno Pyro (JPN), 2, Kenki Sato, $263,981

9. Meiner Yukitsubaki (JPN) 2, Noboru Takagi, $151,796

10. Dark Repulser (JPN), 1, Takashi Kanari, $200,920

11. Bronze Kay (JPN), 1, Koichi Tsunoda, $75,979

*Ruggero is the only horse nominated for Triple Crown. Here’s the video of his last race, Hyacinth Stakes.