©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
Aqueduct Racetrack in New York, New York, SHOTSKI will go to the
starting gate as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the 140th running
of the $250,000 Withers Stakes (G3). Post time is 4:25 p.m. ET.
Shotski
comes into this race with a 2-0-0 record in four starts for trainer Jeremiah
O’Dwyer including a win in the Remsen Stakes last December. Here’s the video
and chart call:
SHOTSKI
off to a sharp beginning, made it into the two path prior to arriving at the
end of the homestretch, was held in reserve disputing the pace with CHASE
TRACKER, cleared that foe and got guided onto the inside route midpoint on the
backstretch, showed the way with PRINCE JAMES having assumed the role of
primary pursuer from the outside, staved that foe off, was in the final stages
of the run around the far turn when called upon for more, responded, enough so
as to start the final furlong in possession of his largest lead, saw the runner
up whittle away at the deficit in the last eighth, held on well enough long
enough to stay in the clear.
Shotski
took the lead on the first turn and never trailed to win by a half length over Ajaaweed at the wire.
Blame, the sire of Shotski, was a
multiple graded stakes winner that never finished out of the money in 13
starts, compiling a 9-2-2 record with $4,368,214 in career earnings.
At the age of two, Blame was
1-0-1 in two starts in maiden special weight competition.
In June of his season debut as a three-year-old,
Blame finished third in an allowance race at Churchill Downs and went on to compile
a 4-1-1 record in six starts with wins in the Curlin Stakes, Fayette Stakes
(G2) and Clark Handicap (G2). He finished second in the Super Derby (G2).
As a four-year-old, Blame was
4-1-0 in five starts with wins in the William Donald Schaefer Stakes (G3),
Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), Whitney Handicap (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic Stakes
(G1) where he upset favored Zenyatta by head. Blame finished second
in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1).
Shotski
has a C Classic Champion
Thoroughbred Profile® and his Behavior
Index makes him competitive in this race.
MAX PLAYER (9-2)
comes into this race with a 1-1-0 record in two starts for trainer Linda Rice including
a maiden win last out at Parx. Here’s the video
and chart call:
MAX
PLAYER raced off the pace inside, moved off the rail on the backside, made a
strong four wide bid on the far turn, dueled briefly, took over and drew clear
under urging.
Max
Player ran toward the back of the herd to the far turn then made a three-wide
move to take the lead and pull away to win by 4¼ lengths.
Honor Code, the sire of Max Player, was a multiple
graded stakes winner that compiled a 6-2-2 record in 11 starts with $2,518,260
in career earnings.
As a two-year-old, Honor Code was
2-1-0 in three starts with wins in the Foxwoods Champagne Stakes (G1) and
Remsen Stakes (G2).
Honor Code finished third in his
season debut as a three-year-old, but an injury knocked him off the Kentucky
Derby Trail.
At the age of four, Honor Code
was 3-0-2 in six starts with wins in the Gulfstream Park Handicap (G2), NYRA.com
Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Whitney Stakes (G1). He finished third in the Kelso
Handicap (G2) and Breeders’ Cup Classic Stakes (G1).
Max
Player is a colt we profiled (Hip 929) at the
2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and he has an A Classic Champion
Thoroughbred Profile®. Max Player has the breeding to win this race and time
will tell if he can step up in class to earn graded stakes honors.
MONDAY MORNING QB (4-1) comes into this race for
trainer Robert Reid, Jr. off a win in the Heft Stakes. Here’s the video
and chart call:
MONDAY
MORNING QB, rated four deep leaving the backstretch, circled horses on the
turn, moved in to the three path approaching the stretch, gained command near
the three sixteenths pole, remained on his left lead and prevailed under stout
encouragement.
Monday
Morning QB tracked the leaders to the far turn where he took the lead and held
on to win by three quarters of a length at the wire over New Commission.
Imagining, the sire of
Monday Morning QB, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 9-5-2
record in 26 starts with $1,177,394 in career earnings.
Imagining
did not race as a two-year-old but proved to be a durable runner that raced until
the age of seven.
In
July of his season debut as three-year-old, he finished second in a maiden
special weight race and went on to compile a 1-3-0 record in five starts with a
second-place finish in the Hollywood Derby (G1).
As
a four-year-old, Imagining made three starts with two wins in allowance competition
and an off-the-board finish in the Nijinsky Stakes (G2).
At
the age of five, Imagining was 4-0-0 in six starts with wins in the Idle Rich
Stakes, Bowling Game Stakes and Red Smith Handicap (G3).
As
a six-year-old, Imagining was 1-2-1 in five starts with a win in the Man o’ War
Stakes (G1). He finished second in both the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1)
and Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (G1). And, he finished third in the Joe
Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1).
At
the age of seven, Imagining was 1-0-1 in six starts with a win in the Pan
American Stakes (G3) and a third-place finish in the Bowling Green Handicap
(G2).
Monday
Morning QB has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and time will tell
if he can step up in class to earn graded stakes honors.
A
long shot I like is MR. SHORTANDSIMPLE (30-1) who comes into this race
with a 2-0-0 record in four starts for trainer Rudy Rodriquez. Here’s the chart call of his last race:
MR.
SHORTANDSIMPLE six paths off the inside in pursuit from in range of the duel
down the backstretch, tucked four to five wide through the turn, came under
coaxing at the five-sixteenths, swung four wide into upper stretch, dug in
under a drive closing well steadily outside to issue a challenge through the
final sixteenth and was just up in the very last jump to the finish.
Mr.
Shortandsimple stepped up over a sloppy track to improve his record to two
wins.
Pioneerof the
Nile, the sire of Mr. Shortandsimple,
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.
Mr.
Shortandsimple is a colt we profiled (Hip 1083) at the
2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and he has an B Classic Champion
Thoroughbred Profile®. However, he’ll need to improve his game to earn graded
stakes honors.
Honorable
mention goes to Portos
(3-1).
*****
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.
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
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