This
Saturday, from coast-to-coast, the Road to the Kentucky Derby enters the stretch drive with
three marquee races on tap at New York, Kentucky and California. Winners of
those races will each receive 100 qualifying points and a guaranteed spot in the
Derby starting gate on the first Saturday in May.
At
Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky, VEKOMA has been
tabbed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the 95th running of the $1
million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2). Post Time is 6:23 p.m. ET.
Vekoma
comes into this race with a 2-0-1 record in three starts for trainer George
Weaver including a third-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).
Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
VEKOMA rated off
the clear trio through early stages then picked up the pace at half mile marker,
quickly advance on three wide run in final turn then drifted in upper stretch,
switched out when urged left handed, appeared all out but continued to try and
lasted for a share.
Vekoma
is a talented colt and he finished a respectable third in his first start of
the season.
Candy Ride, the sire of Vekoma, was bred in Argentina and during
his racing career he was undefeated in six starts.
In his maiden debut as a three year old, Candy Ride
won the Premio El Quimico, a six furlong sprint, by 12 lengths. He went on to
finish the season with a win in the one mile Gran Premio San Isidro (G1) by
eight lengths and another win by eight lengths in the one mile Joaquin S de Anchorena
(G1).
As a four year old, Candy Ride was shipped to America
where won his U.S. debut in an 8 ½ furlong Allowance Optional Claiming race at
Hollywood Park on June 7, 2003. A month later, he ran on the turf winning the 9
furlong American Handicap (G2) and in August, Candy Ride was able to carry his
speed to a 3¼-length victory in the 10 furlong Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) in a
record time of 1:59.11.
As a stallion, Candy Ride’s top ten lifetime
performers include Gun Runner, Shared Belief, Game Winner, Misremembered, Sidney’s Candy, Leofric, Twirling Candy, Ascend and Capt. Candyman Can.
Vekoma has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index indicates that he could potentially be competitive in
this race. However, he was all out in his last race and the stretch out to nine
furlongs may not be to his liking.
A
long shot I like is SO ALIVE (15-1). He’s a colt we profiled as a yearling
(Hip
543) at the 2017 Keeneland September
Yearling Sale and he comes into this race with a 2-0-1 record in four starts
for trainer Todd Pletcher including a third-place finish in the Same F. Davis
Stakes (G3). Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
SO ALIVE was off a
bit slow and bumped at the start, outrun early, advanced midway on the far
turn, swung wide for the drive, rallied outside and was along for the show spot.
So
Alive came from the back of the herd and made up a lot of ground in the stretch
to get up for a respectable third-place finish in his second start of the season.
Super
Saver, the sire
of So Alive, was a multiple graded stakes winner and Classic Champion
Thoroughbred that compiled a 3-2-1 record in 10 starts with $1,889,766 in
career earnings. In addition, he was my pick to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby.
As
a two year old, Super Saver was 2-1-0 in four starts and finished his racing
season with a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) making him, along
with Street Sense and Nyquist, among a select group of two year olds to win a major
end-of-year prep race that went on to victory in the Derby.
As
a three year old, Super Saver compiled a 1-1-1 record in six starts with a
third-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and a gutsy second-place finish
to Line of David in the Arkansas Derby (G1) in route to victory in the Kentucky
Derby (G1).
As
a stallion, Super Saver’s top-five, leading runners include Runhappy, Inside Straight, Competitive Edge, Embellish the Lace and Hedge
Fund.
So
Alive has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s a half-brother
to Vino Rosso who we also profiled at the 2016 Keeneland September
Yearling Sale as a young horse (Hip 528) with stakes potential.
So
Alive has been training well and a recent bullet work out could have him ready
to take another step forward in his third start of the season.
AQUADINI (30-1) is another long shot I
like, and he comes into this race with a 1-1-0 record in four starts for
trainer Dallas Steward including a second-place finish last out. Here’s the
video and chart
call of that race:
AQUADINI set the
clear pace in the two path, was asked near the five-sixteenths, came under a
drive in upper stretch, led until the sixteenth pole but was overtaken while
well clear for the place.
Aquadini
led from the start but he could not hold off a fast-closing Courtyard to finish
just three quarters of a length shy of victory.
Bernardini did not race as a 2-year-old but
at the age of three, he was a fast colt that won races from a mile to
10-furlongs.
He
broke his maiden on his second start running a mile at Gulfstream Park in
1:35.57. That’s the kind of time I like to see a young colt run in a mile.
Bernardini went on to become a Classic Champion Thoroughbred, compiling a 6-1-0
record in eight starts with $3,060,480 in career earnings.
Notable
races won by Bernardini in route to becoming the 2006 Eclipse Champion
Three-Year-Old Male include: Withers Stakes (G3, 8-furlongs), Preakness Stakes
(G1, 9½-furlongs), Jim Dandy Stakes (G2, 8½ furlongs), Travers Stakes (G1, 10
furlongs), Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1, 10 furlongs) and he finished
second, a length behind Invasor, winner of the 2006 Breeders’
Cup Classic (G1, 10 furlongs).
As
a stallion, Bernardini’s top ten lifetime performers include Boban (AUS), Cavorting, Stay Thirsty, Alpha, To Honor and Serve,
Dame Dorothy, Rachel’s Valentina, Capezzano, Ruud Awakening (AUS)
and Angela Renee.
Aquadini
did not race as a two-year-old until December but with an A+ Classic Champion
Thoroughbred Profile® he’s the best-bred colt in this race. He’s been training
well at Churchill Downs and, in his short racing span, he appears to be an improving
colt with the potential to upset at a nice price.
SOMELIKEITHOTBROWN (10-1) come into this race with
a 3-2-1 record in seven starts for trainer Michael Maker including a win in the
Jeff Ruby Stakes (G3). Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
SOMELIKEITHOTBROWN vied
for the lead early on, took over command, was on the inside to the lane then
drew clear in the stretch while drifting in and out but was geared down in the
final stages.
Somelikeithotbrown
soon took the lead and pulled away at the end to win his second graded-stakes
race by 3¼ lengths.
Big Brown, the sire of Somelikeithotbrown,
was a multiple graded-stakes winner and a dual classic winner of the Kentucky
Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) that compiled a 7-0-0 record in eight
starts with $3,614,500 in career earnings.
As a three year old, Big Brown
won the Florida Derby (G1) by an impressive five lengths en route to a 4¾-length
win in the Kentucky Derby (G1). He followed that victory with a 5¾ length win
in the Preakness Stakes (G1) but did not finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1),
ending his contention as a Triple Crown winner.
Big Brown finished the season
with wins in the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) and Monmouth Stakes.
In addition to Somelikeithotbrown,
other leading top performers of Big Brown include Dortmund, Kiss to
Remember,
Coach
Inge
and Send
It In.
Somelikeithotbrown has a B Classic Champion
Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index makes him potentially competitive
in this race. Since his off-the-board finish as a two year old, Somelikeithotbrown
has never finished worse than third and I look for him to run a good race.
Honorable
mention goes to Win Win
Win (7-2), Sir
Winston (15-1) and Market
King (20-1).
*****
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. Plus Que Parfait, 104, Brendan Walsh, $1,540,400
2. By My Standards,
100, Bret Calhoun, $600,000
3. Maximum Security, 100, Jason
Servis, $582,800
4. Code of
Honor, 74, Shug McGaughey, $432,070
5.
War of Will, 60,
Mark Casse, $440,840
6. Long Range Toddy, 53.5, Steve Asmussen, $830,000
7. Cutting Humor, $50, Todd Pletcher, $462,467
8. Haikal, 50, Kiaran McLaughlin, $247,500
9. Tacitus, 50, Bill Mott, $210,000
10. Game Winner, 43, Bob Baffert, $1,610,000
11. Gray Magician, 41, Peter Miller, $526,000
12. Spinoff, 40, Todd Pletcher, $224,000
13. Bodexpress, 40, Gustavo Delgado, $188,000
14. Omaha Beach, 37.5, Richard Mandella, $450,000
15. Bourbon War,
31, Mark Henning, $137,200
16. Anothertwistafate, 30, Blaine Wright, $228,960
17. ++Country House, 30, Bill Mott,
$120,000
18. Sueno, 28, Keith Desormeaux, $265,000
19. Improbable, 25,
Bob Baffert, $389,520
20. Mucho Gusto, 24, Bob Baffert, $286,800
++
= Profiled as a B
yearling at the 2017 Keeneland September sale.
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
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