©2019 Calvin L.
Carter. All rights reserved.
The
Road
to the Kentucky Derby takes us coast to coast Saturday with prep
races in New York, California and Florida.
At
Gulfstream Park in Hallendale, Florida, MAXIMUS MISCHIEF will
go to the starting gate as the even-money, morning-line favorite in the 29th
running of the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull Stakes (G2). Post time is 5:13
ET.
Undefeated
in three starts, Maximus Mischief comes into this race for trainer Robert Reid
off a win in the Remsen Stakes (G2) last out. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
MAXIMUS MISCHIEF
away without apparent mishap, attained a prominent position shortly thereafter,
was in path two disputing the pace, and would continue at it until the conclusion
of the backstretch, slide over into the right border of the inside route after
the pace disputed morphed into a one on one contest at the half mile pole, was
put to a drive being challenged in earnest by TAX as the frontrunners stepped
into the stretch, responded to put away the challenger and edged away,
continued onward with willingness to preserve the decision.
Maximus
Mischief looked good stepping up to win his first stakes race by 2¼ lengths.
Into Mischief, the sire of Maximus Mischief, was a precocious
colt and multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 3-3-0 record in six
starts with $597,080 in career earnings.
As
a two-year-old, Into Mischief easily won his maiden debut by 2½ lengths at
Santa Anita Park on October 21, 2007. He went on to finish second in the
Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3) and followed that with a win in the 8½-furlong
CashCall Futurity (G1). His finish time of 1:40.82 was just a few ticks off of
the record time of 1:40.74 set by Afternoon Deelites
and the second fastest time of 1:40.78 set by Valiant Nature.
In
his debut as a three-year-old in February 2008, Into Mischief finished second
to Georgie
Boy in the San Vicente Stakes (G2). He came out of that race with an
injury
to his right-hind foot and he was taken off the Triple Crown Trail.
After
an extended break, Into Mischief returned to racing in October winning the
Damascus Stakes by two lengths. In December, Into Mischief finished his racing
season with a second-place finish in the Malibu Stakes (G1).
Into
Mischief’s best runners on the Kentucky Derby Trail have been Audible,
Goldencents,
Practical
Joke, Vyjack and Vicar’s
in Trouble. Audible won the Holy Bull Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby
(G1) en route to a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Goldencents
won the Santa Anita Derby and finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby
(G1). Practical Joke finished second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and
fifth in the Derby. Vyjack finished third in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) and
18th in the Derby. Vicar’s in Trouble won the Louisiana Derby and
finished 19th in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Harlan’s Holiday, the grandsire of Audible, won
the Florida Derby (G1), Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and finished seventh in
the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Maximus
Mischief has a low H Classic
Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior
Index makes him, potentially, competitive in this race.
A
long shot I like is HARVEY WALLLBANGER
(15-1). He’s never finished worse than second in four starts and comes into
this race off a maiden win last November at Churchill Downs. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
HARVEY WALLLBANGER was
unhurried early on, fanned into the five path in the far turn, was under a
drive down the lane and inched away in the final stages.
Harvey
Wallbanger tracked the leaders to the far turn, took the lead at the top of the
stretch and prevailed to win by a half length.
Congrats,
a full brother to Flatter
and the sire of Harvey Wallbanger, did his best running at 8½ furlongs and
farther. His most notable stakes wins were the 7½ furlong Ack Ack Handicap, the
Alysheba Stakes and San Pasqual Handicap (G2), both at the 8½ furlongs, and he
won 9 furlong San Antonio Handicap (G2). In addition, Congrats finished second
in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and third in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), both
at 10 furlongs.
As a stallion, Congrat’s best
runners include Turbulent
Descent,
Jupiter
Gold
(AUS), Haveyougoneaway, Polar River, Pat On the
Back,
I’m
Steppin’ It Up,
Toasting, Bravo
Watchman
(AUS) and Top
Decile
to name a few.
Harvey
Wallbanger has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he was a
yearling (Hip
176) we profiled
at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July Sale.
A
recent bullet workout could have Harvey Wallbanger ready for his debut as a
three year old. I look for him to run a good race and, perhaps, upset at nice
price.
Undefeated
in two starts, FEDERAL CASE (6-1)
comes into this race for new trainer Todd Pletcher off an Allowance Optional
Claming Race. Here’s the video
and chart
call:
FEDERAL CASE slightly
hopped at start then quickly moved up and applied pace pressure to FROSTED
GRACE, continued to force the issue through backstretch racing in two path,
readily moved up to race on equal terms with rival midway through turn, could
not get by firm holding FROSTED GRACE, kept after rival into stretch, set down
under left handed drive and wore down game foe in final strides.
I
like the way Federal Case ran with Frosted Grace from the start and dug in in
the final strides to prevail by a neck. The final time of 136.42 is what I like
to see young colts run on the Kentucky Derby Trail.
Gemologist, the sire of Federal Case, was a
multiple graded stakes winner who compiled a 5-0-0 record in seven starts with
$794,855 in career earnings.
Undefeated
in his first five starts, Gemologist won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2)
as a two year old and the Resorts World Casino New York City Wood Memorial
Stakes (G1) at the age of three en route to a 16th place finish in
the 2012 Kentucky Derby (G1).
A
leading first-crop sire in 2016, Gemologist’s best stakes runners to date
include Golden Diamond, Mind
Reader, Rose to Fame, Xerxes
Avenue, Yellow Agate and Theory.
Federal
Case has an E Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index potentially
makes him competitive in this race.
Another
long shot I like is COME ON GERRY (20-1)
who comes into this race for trainer Dale Romans off a maiden win last out. Here’s
the video
and chart
call of that race:
COME ON GERRY cleared
to the lead moving inward from the four path around the first turn, showed the
way up the backstretch, turned back a challenge from IDENTIFIER around the far
turn and into the stretch, and was kept to task.
Come
On Gerry led from the start, setting easy fractions, and pulled away in the
stretch to win by 2¼ lengths full of run.
Elusive
Quality,
the sire of Come On Gerry, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 9-3-2
record in 20 starts with $413,284 in career earnings.
Elusive Quality did not race
until his season as a three year old when he was 4-3-0 in eight starts with a second-place
finish in the King’s Bishop Stakes (G2).
As a four year old, Elusive
Quality was 1-0-2 in five starts with a third-place in the Tom Fool Handicap.
At the age of five, Elusive
Quality was 4-0-0 in seven starts with wins in the Jaipur Handicap (G3) and
Poker Handicap (G3).
Elusive Quality was euthanized in
2018. As a stallion he sired numerous graded stakes winners including Sepoy (AUS), Raven’s Pass, Quality Road, California
Heart,
Mr.
Big
and Maryfield as well as Smarty Jones, winner of the 2004 Kentucky
Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1).
Come
On Gerry has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index
makes him potentially competitive.
Honorable
mention goes to Mihos (5-2)
who comes into this race off a win in the Mucho Man Stakes.
*****
A
total of 35 prep races comprise the USA Road to the Kentucky Derby. In
addition, there are seven races on the European road and four races on the
Japan road to Derby glory.
2019 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Game Winner, 30, Bob Baffert, $1,460,000
2. Knicks Go, 18,
Ben Colebrook, $656,085
3. Signalman, 18, Ken McPeek, $392,840
4. Long Range Toddy, 14, Steve Asmussen, $330,000
5. Gunmetal Gray, 14, Jerry Hollendorfer, $180,000
6. Mind Control, 10, George Sacco, $295,000
7. Complexity, 10,
Chad Brown, $275,000
8. Improbable, 10,
Bob Baffert, $239,520
9. War of Will, 10,
Mark Casse, $200,840
10. Maximus
Mischief, 10, “Butch” Reid, Jr., $137,500
11. Gray Attempt, 10, Jinks Fires, $135,000
12. Mucho Gusto, 4, Bob Baffert, $120,000
13. Our Braintrust, 4, Cathal Lynch, $117,000
14. Code of Honor, 4, Shug McGaughey, $100,000
15. Network Effect, 4, Chad Brown, $90,000
16. Bankit, 4, Steve Asmussen, $80,000
17. Tight Ten, 4, Steve Asmussen, $67,900
18. Sueno, 4, Keith Desormeaux, $65,000
19. Hog Creek Hustle, 4, Vickie Foley, $49,000
20. Plus Que Parfait, 4, Brendan Walsh, $40,000
EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.
Royal Marine (IRE), 10, Saeed bin Suroor, $264,968
2. Magna Grecia
(IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $185,000
3. Mohawk (IRE),
10, Aidan O’Brien, $128,702
4.
Japan (GB), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $75,316
5.
Phoenix of Spain (IRE), 4, Charlie Hill, $157,944
6.
Broome (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $140,871
7.
Sydney Opera House (GB), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $40,956
8.
Mount Everest (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $24,254
9.
Anodor (FR), 2, Freddie Head, $99,215
10.
Western Australian (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $43,084
11.
Cape of Good Hope (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $41,515
12.
Power of Now (IRE), 2, Michael O’Callaghan, $11,489
13.
Boitron (FR), 1, Richard Hannon, $44,917
14.
Victory Command, (IRE), 1, Mark Johnston, $35,108
15.
Circus Maximus (IRE), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $24,368
16.
Sovereign (IRE), 1, Aiden O’Brien, $5,106
JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Earnings
1.
Nova Lenda (JPN), 20, Takashi Saito, $446,285
2.
f-Make Happy, 12, Koichi Shinkai, $184,181
3.
Derma Louvre (JPN), 8, Hirofumi Toda, $447,672
4.
Gal Vihara, 4, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, $216,271
2.
Kingen (JPN), 4, Kunihide Matsuda, $97,867
3.
Johaan (JPN), 2, Yasuyuki Takahashi, $72,900
4.
Romantico (JPN), 1, Kazuo Fujisawa, $91,245
