Robert B. Lewis Stakes Racing Roundup

©2020 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 Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, THOUSAND WORDS will go to the starting gate as the 4-5 morning line favorite in the 83^rd running of the $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3). Post time is 6:00 p.m. ET.

Undefeated in two starts, Thousand Words comes into this race for trainer Bob Baffert off a win in the Los Alamitos Futurity Stakes (G2). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

THOUSAND WORDS stalked outside a rival then bid alongside the pacesetter to duel for the lead, took a short advantage in upper stretch, fought back between horses a furlong out, was briefly headed by the runner-up nearing the sixteenth pole and gamely prevailed under urging.

Chasing fast fractions, Thousand Words tracked the leader to the far turn then took the lead and held on at the wire to win by a neck over Anneau d’Or. The time of 1:36.37 is what I like to see young colts run a mile on the Derby trail.

Pioneerof the Nile, the sire of Thousand Words, 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.

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

A long shot I like in this race is ENCODER (8-1). He comes into the Lewis for trainer John Sadler with a 3-0-0 record in six starts including a win last out in the Eddie Logan Stakes. Here’s the video and chart call:

ENCODER between horses early, stalked a bit off the rail, bid three deep into the stretch to gain the lead, inched clear and drifted in from the whip, kicked away and held under some urging and strong handling.

Running in third place, Encoder stalked the leaders to the far turn then made a three wide move to take the lead and win at the wire in the final time of 1:34.14.

English Channel, the sire of Encoder, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 13-4-1 record in 23 starts with $5,319,028 in career earnings.

English Channel won his only start as a two year old in August of 2004 and made his debut as a three year old in March of 2005 finishing fourth in an Allowance race at Gulfstream Park.

During the rest of the season, English Channel compiled a 4-2-0 record in eight starts with stakes wins in the Woodlawn Stakes, Colonial Turf Club Stakes and the Virginia Derby (G3). He finished second in both the Secretariat Stakes (G1) and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1).

As a four year old, English Channel made seven starts and compiled a 4-0-1 record with stakes wins in the Canadian Turf Handiap, Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (G1), United Nations Stakes (G1) and the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1).

English Channel made seven starts as a five year old and went 4-2-0 with stakes wins in the United Nations Stakes (G1), Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1) and the John Deer Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). He finished second in the Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (G1).

Encoder is a colt we profiled (Hip 1011) at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall 2018 Yearling Sale and he has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®.

I like it that Sadler has been running Encoder mostly in mile races as that has given him a good foundation. Encoder has been training well at Santa Anita and he has room to take another step forward in is first start of the season.

HIGH VELOCITY (3-1) is also trained by Bob Baffert and he comes into this race off a third-place finish in the Los Alamitos Futurity Stakes (G2). Here’s the video and chart call:

HIGH VELOCITY tugged to the early lead and angled in, set the pace inside, dueled along the rail on the backstretch and second turn, fought back inside in the stretch and weakened late.

High Velocity set fast fractions to the far turn and gave way in the stretch to finish third to the victor, Thousand Words.

Quality Road, the sire of High Velocity, easily won his maiden debut, and only race as a two year old, in November of 2008. In his debut as a three year old, he finished second in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in January. He followed that in February with a 4¼ length win in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and in March, Quality Road ran to a 1¾ length win over Dunkirk in the Florida Derby (G1).

In late April, Quality Road developed a quarter crack on his right front foot and that prevented him from running in the Kentucky Derby. After a three month break, Quality Road returned to racing to win the Amsterdam Stakes (G2).

Quality Road completed his racing career with wins in the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3), Donn Handicap (G1), Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Woodward Stakes (G1). He finished third in the Travers Stakes (G1) and second in both the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) and Whitney Handiciap (G1).

High Velocity has D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that makes him competitive in this small herd of runners.

Honorable mention goes to Royal Act (15-1) who finished fifth last out in the Eddie Logan Stakes.

*****

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.

2020 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

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

1. Storm the Court, 22, Peter Eurton, $1,136,351

2. +Enforceable, 13, Mark Casse, $264,550

3. Anneau d’Or, 12, Blaine Wright, $381,000

4. Shoplifted, 12, Steve Asmussen, $351,000

5. Tiz the Law, 12, Barclay Tagg, $304,100

6. Silver Prospector, 11, Steve Asmussen, $204,851

7. Maxfield, 10, Brendan Walsh, $300,000

8. Eight Rings, 10, Bob Baffert, $200,351

9. Independence Hall, 10, Mike Trombetta, $165,000

10. Shotski, 10, Jeremiah O’Dwyer, $143,466

11. Dennis’ Moment, 10, Dale Romans, $137,800

12. Gold Street, 10, Steve Asmussen, $137,250

13. Thousand Words, 10, Bob Baffert, $121,000

14. Authentic, 10, Bob Baffert, $60,000

15. +Scabbard, 6, Eddie Kenneally, $178,000

16. Wrecking Crew, 5, Peter Miller, $293,000

17. Ajaaweed, 5, Kiaran McLaughlin, $75,000

18. Finnick the Fierce, 5, Rey Hernandez, $66,200

19. Green Light Go, 4, Jimmy Jerkens, $210,000

20. Gouverneur Morris, 4, Todd Pletcher, $100,000

23. +Azul Coast, 4, Bob Baffert, $20,000

          + = Enforceable (Hip 76), Scabbard (Hip 802) and Azul Coast (Hip 1177) were colts we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Unlike other companies that provide automatic computer-generated pedigree analysis of yearlings at auction, Classic Champion Thoroughbreds LLC personally handpicks from the sales catalog all yearlings to be profiled at auction based upon their breeding.

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. Vacation (JPN), 20, Kenichi Takatsuki, $499,874

2. Dieu du Vin (JPN), 10, Yukihiro Kato, $159,609

3. Iolite (JPN), 8, Yoshinori Muto, $246,008

4. T’s Dunk (JPN), 4, Takashi Mizuno, $143,414

5. Shonan Mario (JPN), 4, Shizuya Kato, $96,526

6. Meisho Tensui (JPN), 2, Katsumi Miani, $255,394

7. Daimei Corrida (JPN), 2, Naoyuki Morita, $107,736

8. Aurora Tesoro, 1, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $99,395