Smarty Jones Stakes Racing Roundup

©2020 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us this Friday to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas where SILVER PROSPECTOR will go to the starting gate as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the 13^th running of the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes. Post time is 4:52 p.m. ET.

Silver Prospector comes into this race with a 2-0-2 record in six starts for trainer Steve Asmussen including a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) last out. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

SILVER PROSPECTOR SILVER PROSPECTOR was well placed early on, shifted into the four path in the far turn, bid three wide down the lane, was under long drive and edged clear in the final stages. FINNICK THE FIERCE raced back early on along the outside, was in the five path entering the lane, made a bid down the lane, was three wide late, got up for place but did not have enough to the winner.

Silver Prospector tracked the leaders to the far turn when he made a move in the stretch and gutted out a three-quarter length victory over Finnick the Fierce.

Kentucky-bred Declaration of War, the sire of Silver Prospector, was a multiple Group Stakes winner in England that compiled a 7-1-2 record in 13 starts with $1,847,489 in career earnings.

At the age of two, Declaration of War was undefeated in two starts.

At the age of three, he was 2-0-0 in three starts with a win in the Diamond Stakes (Group 3).

At four, Declaration of War was 3-1-2 in eight starts with wins in the Heritage Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) and Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1). He finished second in the Coral Eclipse Stakes (Group 1) and third in both the QIPCO Sussex Stakes (Group 1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G3).

Silver Prospector has an C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that makes him competitive in this race.

Since winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2), Silver Prospector has been training well at the Fair Grounds and I look for him to run a good race.

A long shot I like is SHARED SENSE (12-1) who comes into this race with  0-2-0 record in three starts for trainer Brad Cox including a second-place finish at Churchill Downs last November. Here’s the chart call:

SHARED SENSE chased the pace early, shifted into the four path in the far turn and was no match for the winner in the stretch run.

Shared Sense ran just off the leaders and made a move on the far turn to secure a second-place finish to Blackberry Wine who has since become somewhat of a buzz horse for the upcoming Risen Star Stakes (G2) at the Fair Grounds of February 15.

Street Sense, the sire of Shared Sense, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 6-4-2 record in 13 starts with $4,383,200 in career earnings.

As a two year old, Street Sense finished third in both the Arlington-Washington Breeders’ Cup Futurity (G3) and the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G1). He followed that with a win in the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) and was tabbed as the Eclipse Champion Two Year Old.

 Street Sense won his season debut as a three year old in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and finished second in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) en route to a 2¼ length win over Hard Spun in the 2007 Kentucky Derby.

Shared Sense has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s the best-bred horse in this herd of runners. He’s been training well at Oaklawn and a recent bullet work could have him ready to run a good race.

LYNN’S MAP (6-1) was scheduled to make his first start of the season in the LeComte Stakes (G3) last weekend but trainer Mark Casse scratched him from that race. Lynn’s Map comes into this race with a 2-0-1 record in three starts including a win last out. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

LYNN'S MAP was forced out badly at the start, went around the turn in the three path under tight restraint, tracked the pace on the outside, rounded the far turn in the four path, was asked outside the quarter-pole, chased the runner-up under a drive into the final sixteenth, gained determinedly on that foe late and got up under strong urging.

Lynn’s Map tracked the leaders on the outside to the far turn and then made a long drive in the stretch to run down Mr. Monomoy and win by a head at the wire.

Liam’s Map, the sire of Lynn’s Map, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 6-2-0 record in eight starts with $1,358,940 in career earnings.

Liam’s Map was unraced at the age of two.

At the age of three, he finished second in his maiden debut at Saratoga and then went on to win three races including the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes.

At the age of four, Liam’s Map compiled a 3-1-0 record in four starts with wins in the Woodward Stakes (G1) and Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). He finished second in the Whitney Stakes (G1).

Lynn’s Map has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index potentially makes him competitive in this race. Mr. Monomoy, who finished second to Lynn’s Map in his last race, recently finished third in the LeComte Stakes (G3).

SHOPLIFTED (3-1) is also trained by Asmussen. He comes into this race with a 2-1-0 record in 5 starts including a win in the Remington Springboard Mile. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

SHOPLIFTED allowed to settled while three wide on the backstretch, rallied four wide on the far turn then was in a log drive and dug in and proved best in the end.

Shoplifted tracked the leaders to the far turn and made his move in the stretch to win by a narrow head over Answer In.

Into Mischief, the sire of Audible, 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 17^th 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 18^th in the Derby. Vicar’s in Trouble won the Louisiana Derby and finished 19^th 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).

Shoplifted has a low H Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior Index potentially makes him competitive in this race. He’s been training well and has room to improve in his first start of the season.

Honorable mention goes to Lykan (20-1) and Gold Street (5-1). Lykan has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but he’s yet to live up to his breeding. However, a recent sharp work out could have him ready to take a big step forward in his first start of the season.

*****

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

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

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

5. Shoplifted, 10, Steve Asmussen, $336,000

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

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

8. Silver Prospector, 10, Steve Asmussen, $197,351

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20. Answer In, 4, Brad Cox, $80,000

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.

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