©2020
Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.
The
Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us to Florida, Saturday,
where DENNIS’ MOMENT
will go to the starting gate as the 2-1 morning-line morning favorite in the 74TH
running of the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at
Gulfstream Park. Post time is 6:04 p.m. ET.
Dennis’
Moment comes into this race with a 2-0-0 record for trainer Dale Romans
including an eighth-place finish last out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes
(G1). He stumbled badly at the start (video) and never recovered, running
dead last the entire race.
A
win last fall in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs put Dennis’ Moment
on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard where he is currently ranked 19th
with 10 Derby points. Here’s the video and chart
call of the Iroquois Stakes (G3).
DENNIS'
MOMENT stalked the pace early from the outside of foes, ranged up three wide
nearing the lane, took over command once in the stretch, drew clear near the
eighth pole while ridden out and was in hand during the final sixteenths.
Dennis’
Moment stalked the leaders to the far turn when he took command and pulled away
to win by 1¾ lengths.
Tiznow, the sire of Dennis’ Moment, was
a multiple graded-stakes winner and an outstanding router who compiled an 8-4-2
record in 15 starts with $6,427,830 in career earnings.
Tiznow
did not race until he was three years old, making nine starts and compiling
5-3-0 record with $3,445,950 in earnings. His stakes wins include the Affirmed
Handicap (G3), Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2), the Super Derby (G1) by
six lengths and he finished the season with a win in the most 2000 Breeders’
Cup Classic (G1) where he defeated the European champion Giant’s Causeway by a neck.
As
a four-year-old, Tiznow was 3-1-2 in six starts and $2,981,880 in earnings with
stakes wins in the San Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G2), the Santa Anita
Handicap (G1) and he successfully defended his title of champion in Breeders’
Cup Classic when he defeated the European invader and formidable winner of the
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Sakhee, by a nose.
As
a stallion, his leading lifetime runners include: Well
Armed, Tourist, Colonel John, Tizway, Morning Line, Tiz
Miz Sue, Folklore, Bullsbay, Tough Tiz’s Sis, Gemologist, Da’
Tara and Strong Mandate.
Dennis’
Moment has an F Classic
Champion Thoroughbred Profile® but his Behavior
Index makes him competitive in this race.
AS SEEN ON TV (9-2) comes into this race with
a 2-2-0 record for trainer Kelly Breen including a second-place finish in the
Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
AS
SEEN ON TV raced in tracking mode off the clear leader in early stages,
continued racing in the path outside of CHANCE It going by the half mile
marker, roused forward three wide leaving the five sixteenths pole and began to
match strides with CHANCE IT, battled back along the outside of rival and held
a head in front at the furlong marker, kept on gamely with sharp response,
refused to give up but got edged out in final strides.
As
See On Tv looked good in his first start of the season and just missed victory
by a head and the wire.
Lookin at
Lucky, the sire of As Seen On Tv, was
a multiple graded-stakes winner that compiled a 9-1-1 record in 13 starts with
$3,307,278 in career earnings.
Undefeated in four starts, Lookin
at Lucky scored impressive stakes victories as a two year old in the Best Pal
Stakes (G2), Del Mar Futurity (G1) and Norfolk Stakes (G1), before suffering
his first loss
by a neck to Vale
of York in the 2009 Grey Goose Breeders’
Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1). He came back from that loss to close the season with
a win in the CashCall Futurity Stakes (G1).
As a three year old, Lookin at
Lucky won the Rebel Stakes (G2) and he finished third in the Santa Anita Derby
(G1) en route to a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1). Lookin at
Lucky went on to earn Classic Champion Thoroughbred honors with a three-quarter
length victory in the Preakness Stakes (G1).
As
Seen On Tv has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s the best-bred
colt in this herd. He should appreciate the stretch out in distance and I look
for him to run a good race.
A
long shot I like is the Turfway Park shipper, THE FALCON (50-1). He
comes into this race with an 0-1-1 in two starts for trainer Anthony Quartarolo
including second-place finish last out on January 16. Here’s the chart
call:
THE
FALCON raced back early on, fanned into the five path entering the lane, was
bumped nearing the eighth pole, made a bid three wide under a long drive, was
up for place late but not enough to the winner.
The
Falcon ran toward the back of the herd early. He gradually made up a ton of
ground to duel it out in the stretch with Bird in the Hat but
came up three-quarters of a length shy of victory.
Union
Rags, the sire
of The Falcon, was a competitive colt on the trail to the 2012 Kentucky Derby
(G1), compiling an overall 5-1-1 record in eight career starts with $1,798,800
in earnings.
As
a two-year-old, he won the Three Chimneys Saratoga Special (G2) and Champagne
(G1) stakes and finished second in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1)
stakes.
At
the age of three, Union Rags won the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) stakes
and finished third in the Florida Derby (G1) en route to a seventh-place finish
in the Kentucky Derby (G1). He finished his career with a narrow win by a neck
over Paynter in the Belmont (G1) stakes.
As
a stallion, Union Rags’ leading lifetime runners with career earnings over
$500,000 include: Paradise Woods, Free Drop Billy (a yearling we profiled at the 2016 Keeneland
September Sale), Union Strike, Dancing Rags, Tequilita, Catalina Cruiser, and No
Dozing.
The
Falcon has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s the second-best
bred colt in this race. The Falcon is stepping way up in class but he’s an
improving colt with he breeding to finish in the exotics or, perhaps, upset at
a nice price.
CHANCE IT (7-2) comes into this race with
a 4-2-0 record in six starts for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. including a win in
the Mucho Macho Man Stakes. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
CHANCE
IT bumped with foe at the start the took the inside position and rated off the
clear leader while racing in range of the second flight, continued in hand and
advanced up the inside leaving the five sixteenths pole, matched AS SEEN ON TV
for the lead turning for home, battled back gamely from the inside position
through the lane, rival held a slight edge at the furlong marker but kept on
tenaciously, put a nose in front nearing the wire and refused to give in
Chance
It showed a lot of determination and grit in his stretch duel with As Seen On
Tv to narrowly win by a head.
Currency Swap, the sire of Chance It, was multiple
graded stakes winner that compiled a 4-2-1 record in 10 starts with $459,300 in
career earnings.
As a two-year-old, Currency Swap
was undefeated in two starts with a win in the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes
(G1).
At the age of three, Currency
Swap compiled a 2-2-0 record in seven starts with wins in the You and I Stakes
and Amsterdam Stakes (G2). He finished second in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G2).
In his only start as a four-year-old,
Currency Swap finished third in an Allowance Optional Claiming race at
Saratoga.
Chance
It has been training well at Gulfstream Park and he has room to improve in his
second 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.
2020 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Mr. Monomoy, 52, Brad Cox, $260,00
2. Modernist, 50,
Bill Mott, $240,000
3. +Enforceable, 33, Mark
Casse, $344,550
4. Storm the Court, 22, Peter Eurton, $1,136,351
5. Tiz the Law, 22,
Barclay Tagg, $456,000
6. Silver Prospector, 21, Steve Asmussen, $654,851
7. Thousand Words, 20, Bob Baffert, $181,000
8. Major Fed, 20, Greg Foley, $80,000
9. Independence Hall, 14, Mike Trombetta, $205,000
10. Shotski, 14, Jeremiah O’Dwyer, $193,466
11. Silver State, 14, Steve Asmussen, $80,000
12. +Azul Coast, 14, Bob Baffert, $80,000
13. Shoplifted, 13,
Steve Asmussen, $388,500
14. Anneau d’Or, 12, Blaine Wright, $385,000
15. Maxfield, 10, Brendan Walsh, $300,000
16. Eight Rings, 10, Bob Baffert, $200,35
17. Sole Volante, 10, Patrick Biancone, $173,510
18. Gold Street, 10, Steve Asmussen, $141,000
19. Dennis’ Moment, 10, Dale Romans, $137,800
20. +Max Player, 10, Linda Rice, $137,500
24. +Scabbard, 6, Eddie Kenneally, $178,000
31. +Wells Bayou, 4, Brad Cox, $150,000
+ = Enforceable (Hip 76), Azul Coast (Hip
1177),
Max Player (Hip
929),
Scabbard (Hip
802)
and Wells Bayou (Hip 3281)
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.
Café Pharoah, 30, Noriyuki Hori, $234,290
2.
Vacation (JPN), 20, Kenichi Takatsuki, $499,874
3.
Tango Beauty (JPN), 12, Masato Nishizono, $329,346
4.
Dieu du Vin (JPN), 10, Yukihiro Kato, $159,609
5.
Yaugau (JPN), 6, Naosuke Sugai, $182,385
6.
Longonot (JPN), 3, Mizuki Takayanagi, $158,202
7.
Daimei Corrida (JPN), 2, Naoyuki Morita, $107,736
