Champagne Stakes Racing Roundup

©2018 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby presents two marquee races this Saturday beginning with the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity Stakes (G1) at Keeneland Racecourse and wrapping up with the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

Let’s look at the 146^th running of the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) where COMPLEXITY heads a herd of 10 runners as the 5-2 morning line favorite. Post time is 5:35 p.m. ET.

Complexity is stepping up in class and he comes into this race off a maiden debut win for trainer Chad Brown. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

 COMPLEXITY broke in and a step slow, moved up near the inside to take the lead, controlled the action in the two path near the turn, was asked approaching the quarter pole, extended the advantage under a strong hand ride in upper stretch, was put to a right-handed whip near the furlong marker, drew away under the whip into the final sixteenth then was placed under a hand ride to the wire while much the best.

Complexity looked good leading from gate to wire to win his maiden debut by an easy 4¼ lengths.

Maclean’s Music, the sire of Complexity, was an exceptionally fast colt that, in his one and only career start, recorded a 114 Beyer Speed Figure – “The highest debut Beyer since the advent of Beyer Speed Figures.” To see his debut race, click here.

Currently, Maclean’s Music stands stud for $25,000 at Hill ‘n Dale farm and he’s the sire of Classic Champion Thoroughbred Cloud Computing (2017 Preakness Stakes), California Music (G2W), Wicked Lick (G2PL), Rockshaw, Swing and Sway, and Made Me Shiver.

Complexity has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® ranking, but his Behavior Index could potentially make him competitive in this race.

AURELIUS MAXIMUS (6-1) is also trained by Chad Brown and he comes into this race with a 1-0-1 record in two starts including a nice maiden win last out at Belmont Park. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

AURELIUS MAXIMUS away forwardly placed, prompted the pacesetter two to three wide, whittled away at the deficit after stepping onto the turn, taking charge at the midway point, got cued up in the general of the three-sixteenths marker, scampered away before getting wrapped up in the final seventy yards.

Aurelius Maximus cruised to an easy 7¾ length victory over a sloppy track with jockey Joel Rosario effortlessly riding “High, Wide and Handsome” (Tex Ritter).

Pioneerof the Nile, the sire of Aurelius Maximus, was a pretty good middle-distance runner and multiple graded-stakes winner that compiled a 2-0-1 record as a two-year-old including a win in the CashCall Futurity (G1) and a third-place finish in the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G1).

As a three-year-old, Pioneerof the Nile was 3-0-1 in five starts with wins in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2), San Felipe Stakes (G2) and Santa Anita Derby (G1) in route to a second-place finish in the 2009 Kentucky Derby (G1).

As a stallion, his best runners to date on the Kentucky Derby Trail include Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, Classic Empire and Cairo Prince.

With an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, Aurelius Maximus is the best-bred colt in this herd and he was a yearling (Hip 415) we profiled at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Undefeated in two starts, CALL PAUL (4-1) comes into this race off a win in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) for trainer John Servis. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

CALL PAUL got bumped at the start by MEADE who broke inwards twice and in turn bumped very lightly with SPINOFF, vied inside a pair early on from the two path until taking sole command five furlongs from home, briefly held a safe advantage until TIGHT TEN latched on to the outside once more half a mile from home as SPINOFF backed away, came under light coaxing tucked inside through the turn, spun just off the inside for home roused for the stretch drive, got bumped off stride as TIGHT TEN lugged in at the three sixteenths, came under a near sided stick brushing with that rival a furlong from home, dug in gamely through to the finish coming very slightly outwards to brush his main danger a sixteenth from home and prevailed safely on the wire drifting very slightly being shown a near sided stick in the last jumps.

Call Paul showed a lot of grit in his stretch duel with Tight Ten to prevail by one length at the wire.

Friesan Fire, the sire of Call Paul, was a multiple graded-stakes winner that compiled a 5-1-3 record in 18 starts with $679,356 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Friesan Fire was 1-1-1 in four starts with a third-place finish in the 7-furlong Futurity Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park.

At the age of three, Friesan Fire set the Derby trail ablaze at the Fair Grounds with wins in the LeComte Stakes (G3), Risen Star Stakes (G3) and Louisiana Derby (G2) en route to an eighteenth-place finish in the Kentucky Deby (G1).

As a four-year-old, Friesan Fire won the Louisiana Handicap.

Call Paul has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and I look for him to run a good race.

TROPHY CHASER (10-1) ships in from Florida for trainer Juan Avila and he comes into this race with a with a 1-1-0 record in two starts. Here’s the video and chart call of his last:

TROPHY CHASER broke well, sat in tracking mode just off the leader, collared MONEY COME at the three eighths pole, steadily widened advantage then shook reins and opened up entering the stretch, hustled up and shown the whip, left the field behind, sharp time and powerful performance.

Trophy Chaser earned his spot in the winner’s circle, breaking his maiden in easy fashion, demolishing this herd by an impressive 15 lengths.

Twirling Candy, the sire of Trophy Chaser, was a multiple graded stakes winner that was competitive in sprint and route races up to nine furlongs. During his racing career, he compiled a 7-1-1 record in 11 starts with $944,900 in career earnings.

On November 29, 2009, Twirling Candy won his first and only start as a two-year-old in a seven-furlong sprint at Hollywood Park. As a three-year-old, he returned to racing in May and during that year he compiled a 4-0-0 record in five starts including wins in the Oceanside Stakes, Del Mar Derby (G2) and Malibu Stakes (G1).

At the age of four, Twirling Candy was 2-1-1 in five starts including wins in the Strub Stakes (G2) and Californian Stakes (G2).

Trophy Chaser has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, but his Behavior Index could potentially make him competitive in this race. A recent bullet workout could have him ready to run another good race.

Honorable mention goes to Code of Honor (6-1) and Endorsed (7-2). Code of Honor has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s the second-best bred colt in his race. However, he’ll need to take another step forward to earn graded stakes honors.

Endorsed has a B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’ll need to take another step forward.

*****

A total of 35 races comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby. In addition, there are seven races on the European road to the Kentucky Derby and there three races on the Japan road to Derby glory.

2018/2019 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

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

1. Game Winner, 10, Bob Baffert, $360,000

2. Cairo Cat, 10, Ken McPeek, $86,490

3. Tight Ten, 4, Steve Asmussen, $67,900

4. Gunmetal Gray, 4, Jerry Hollendorfer, $60,000

5. Rowayton, 2, Jerry Hollendorfer, $96,000

6. Pole Sitter, 2, Brad Cox, $17,950

7. Tobacco Road, 1, Steve Asmussen, $51,150

8. Jefe, 1, Keith Desormeaux, $18,000

EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer

1. Mohawk (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien

2. Japan, 10, Aidan O’Brien

3. Sydney Opera House (GB), 4, Aidan O’Brien

4. Mount Everest (IRE), 4, Aiden O’Brien

5. Cape of Good Hope (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien

6. Power of Now (IRE), 2, M. O’Callaghan

7. Sovereign (IRE), 1, Aiden O’Brien

8. Victory Command, (IRE), 1, Mark Johnston