©2019 Calvin L.
Carter. All rights reserved.
The
first race of 2020 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby
takes us to the Empire
State Wednesday where INDEPENDENCE HALL will go the starting gate as the
1-5 morning-line favorite in the $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Post time is 3:55 p.m. ET.
Undefeated
in two starts, Independence Hall comes into this race off a blowout win in the
Nashua Stakes (G3). Here’s the video
and chart call of that race:
INDEPENDENCE
HALL away in good order, was a contender for the top in short order, going
about the task in the two path, picked in interest when let out a notch in the
form of some hand encouragement to begin to edge away from the competition in
the final stages of the run around the bend, settled in upper stretch and got
called upon more, took charge, came in one path from one right side shot
leaving the eighth pole, ducked out two to three paths a few strides later
after the pilot switched the whip to the opposite, saw the rider resort to a
hand drive, became professional and drew even farther away from the others,
most impressively.
Independence
Hall looked good tracking the leader Chase Tracker to the far turn when he took command and pulled
away in the stretch to win by an impressive 12 lengths. The final time of
1:34.66 is racehorse time and what I like to see in young colts on the Derby
trail.
Constitution,
the sire of Independence Hall, didn’t race until he was three years old but was
a competitive runner that compiled a 4 -0-1 record in eight starts with
$1,031,596 in career earnings.
Despite the late start,
Constitution showed promise and was undefeated in three starts including a win
the Florida Derby (G1). But a hairline fracture
kept him out of the 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1). He came back eight months later
to close the season with a third-place finish in the Clark Handicap (G1).
At the age of four, Constitution
was 1-0-0 in three starts with a win in the Donn Handicap (G1).
As a stallion, Constitution’s
first runners are two years old in 2019 and some other runners of his on the
Derby trail are Tiz the Law, By Your Side
and Gouverneur
Morris.
Independence
Hall has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred
Profile® and
that makes him competitive in this race. He looms large as the horse to beat.
CELTIC STRIKER (12-1) comes into this race with
a 1-1-0 record in two starts for trainer Raymond Handal including a nice maiden
win at Monmouth Park on October 27. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
CELTIC
STRIKER dueled inside for the lead, shook free on the turn, responded when
roused and held well under urging in the stretch.
Celtic
Striker led from the start and looked good breaking his maiden with a 1½ length
victory.
Congrats, a full brother to Flatter and the sire of Celtic Striker,
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.
Celtic
Striker has a B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and I look for him to
take another step forward.
A
long shot I like is POLAR
BEAR PETE (30-1) who comes into this race with a 1-0-1 record in two
starts for trainer Edward Barker including a third-place finish last out at
Aqueduct. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
POLAR
BEAR PETE sat forwardly placed three wide, was put to a ride stepping into the
lane, went at it with HIM SHE KISSES for second, came up the vanquished one.
Polar
Bear Pete ran in third place just off the leaders and fought valiantly in the
stretch for second place honors but missed the place by a nose.
Broken
Vow, the sire of
Polar Bear Pete, did not race as a 2-year-old but he was a good middle-distance
runner that only finished out of the money once in 14 starts and in 12 route
starts he compiled an 8-2-2 record.
At
the age of three, Broken Vow was undefeated in four starts including the Sir Barton
Stakes. As a 4-year-old, Broken Vow won the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G2), Ben
Ali Stakes (G3), R.R.M. Carpenter Jr. Memorial Stakes and the Skip Away Stakes.
At
stud, Broken Vow sired
the outstanding middle-distance runner Unbridled Belle
who had over $1.9 million in career earnings. And his best runners to date on the
Derby trail have been Interactif, Private
Vow and Done
Talking.
Polar
Bear Pete has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that makes him
competitive in this race.
Honorable
mention goes to Bourbon
Bay (5-1) and Prince
of Pharoahs (8-1).
*****
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.
2019/2020 KENTUCKY DERBY
LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Storm the Court, 22, Peter Eurton, $1,136,351
2. Anneau d’Or, 12, Blaine Wright, $381,000
3. Tiz the Law, 12, Barclay Tagg,
$304,100
4. Shoplifted, 10, Steve
Asmussen, $336,000
5. Maxfield, 10, Brendan Walsh, $300,000
6. Eight Rings, 10, Bob Baffert, $200,351
7. Silver Prospector, 10, Steve Asmussen, $197,351
8. Shotski, 10, Jeremiah O’Dwyer, $143,466
9. Dennis’ Moment, 10, Dale Romans, $137,800
10. Thousand Words, 10, Bob Baffert, $121,000
11. +Scabbard, 6, Eddie Kenneally, $178,000
12. Wrecking Crew, 5, Peter Miller, $293,000
13. Ajaaweed, 5, Kiaran McLaughlin, $75,000
14. Green Light Go, 4, Jimmy Jerkens, $210,000
15. Gouverneur Morris, 4, Todd Pletcher, $100,000
16. Answer In, 4, Brad Cox, $80,000
17. American Theorem, 4, George Papaprodromou, $60,000
18. Finnick the Fierce, 4, Rey Hernandez, $58,200
19. +Enforceable, 3, Mark
Casse, $64,500
20. Embolden, 2, Mike Stidham, $164,000
+ = Scabbard
(Hip
802) and Enforceable (Hip 76) were colts we profiled at the 2018
Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
EUROPEAN
ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking,
total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.
Kameko, 14, Andrew Balding, $192,894
2.
Innisfree (IRE), 14, Aidan O’Brien, $127,856
3.
Victor Ludorum, 10, Andre Fabre, $250,958
4.
Royal Donarch (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $115,813
5.
Alson (GER), 4, J.P. Carvalho, $135,572
6.
Shekhem (IRE), 4, Dermot Weld, $24,068
7.
Year of the Tiger (IRE), 3, Aidan O’Brien $36,086
8.
Armory (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $258,793
9.
Iberia (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $25,389
10.
Gold Maze (GB), 2, Jessica Harrington, $12,034
11.
Mogul (GB), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $111,879
12.
Ecrivain (FR), 1, Carlos Laffon-Parias, $69,202
13.
Camorra (IRE), 1, Ger Lyons, $3,610
JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.
Dieu du Vin (JPN), 10, Yukihiro Kato, $159,609
2.
Shonan Mario (JPN), 4, Shizuya Kato, $96,526
3.
Daimei Corrida (JPN), 2, Naoyuki Morita, $107,736
4.
Aurora Tesoro, 1, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $99,395
