©2020 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us to Florida, Saturday, where INDEPENDENCE HALL will go to the starting gate as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the 40th running of the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. Post time is 5:29 p.m. ET.
Undefeated in three starts, Independence Hall comes into this race off a win in the Jerome Stakes for trainer Michael Trombetta. Here’s the video and chart call:
INDEPENDENCE HALL away last after lunging at the start, was steered out towards the middle of the strip, powered his way into a forward position without need of encouragement, was about four wide departing the backstretch, took over, maintained interest during the run around the bend being lightly hand ridden by the pilot, arrived at the quarter pole with the pressure having intensified, settled in at the three-sixteenths pole and was switched over to a hand drive, responded instantly to open up, shied when shown the stick from the right side for the initial time a sixteenth down the road, saw the rider apply it intermittently beginning a few jumps later, drifted in yet managed to extend the margin nevertheless.
Independence Hall broke poorly and trailed but quickly made up ground to stalk the leader in second place. On the far turn, Independence Hall took the lead and widened the margin to win by four lengths at the finish.
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 were two years old in 2019 and his best runners on the Kentucky Derby Trail are Tiz the Law, Independence Hall, By Your Side and Gouverneur Morris.
Independence Hall has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® which, in addition to his Behavior Index, makes him competitive in this race.
A long shot I like is CHAPALU (8-1) who comes into this race with a 2-1-0 record for trainer Arnaud Delacour including a nice win in the Grey Stakes (3) at Woodbine. Here’s the video and chart call:
CHAPALU showed early speed, led into the first turn, set a reserved pace, quickened on the far turn, drifted out in the late stages but held under a hand ride.
Chapalu took the lead on the first turn and never trailed to win his debut in graded stakes competition.
Flatter, the sire of Chapalu, was a decent middle-distance horse who competed, mostly, in maiden and allowance races and in his only stakes start he finished third in the 8½-furlong Washington Park Handicap (G2). But in six starts, Flatter compiled a 4-0-1 record and was a winner from 7½-furlongs to 9-furlongs.
As a stallion, his leading runners include West Coast, Flat Out, Upstart, Kobe’s Back, Taris, Lucy’s Bob Boy, Tar Heel Mom and Apart to name a few.
Chapalu has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s a colt we profiled (Hip 7) at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select July Yearling Sale.
Since winning the Grey Stakes (G3), Chapalu has been training well at Tampa Bay Downs with mostly maintenance works. In January, Chapalu fired two bullet works and his work tab indicates that he could be ready to take a big step forward in his first start of the season.
ALBERT PARK (15-1) comes into this race with a 2-1-0 record in four starts for trainer Michael Stidham including a second-place finish last out in the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Here’s the video and chart call:
ALBERT PARK stalked just outside the first flight under light reserve in the opening quarter, was prompted to terms with the first flight three deep after a half, was carried out racing into upper stretch losing ground to the pacesetter but continued with a steady effort to edge a rival for the place honors.
Albert Park chased fast fractions set by the leaders and moved up on the far turn to secure second place but could not catch the winner Liam’s Lucky Charm.
Street Sense, the sire of Albert Park, 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.
Albert Park has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s the best-bred colt in this race. He has room to improve in his second start of the season and should like the stretch out in distance.
SOLE VOLANTE (8-1) comes into this race with a 2-0-1 record in three starts for trainer Patrick Biancone including a third-place finish last out in the Mucho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Here’s the video and chart call:
SOLE VOLANTE was unhurried and raced six to five wide down the backstretch, picked up the tempo leaving the backstretch, switched out wider midway through the turn, raced five wide under steady pressure in the final furlong, stayed on with response and cleared the rest.
Sole Volante ran toward the back of the herd and moved into third place on the far turn but was 2¼ lengths shy of victory at the finish. The final time of 1:35.53 is what I like to see young horses run on the Derby trail.
Karakontie, the sire of Sole Volante, is a Classic Champion Thoroughbred and durable runner that raced mostly in France for three seasons compiling a 5-2-1 record in 12 starts with $1,967,099 in career earnings.
As a two-year-old, Karakontie was 3-1-0 in four starts with victories in the Prix La Rochette (Group 3) and the Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardere-Grand Criterium (Group 1). He finished second in the Prix Francois Boutin Stakes.
At the age of three, Karakontie was 2-1-0 in five starts with wins in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains-French Two Thousand Guineas (Group 1) and the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). He finished second in the Prix de Fontainebleau (Group 3).
As a four-year-old, Karakontie was 0-0-1 in three stars with a third-place finish in the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Group 1).
Sole Volante has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he has the breeding to win this race.
Honorable mention goes to Premier Star (3-1) who’s undefeated in two starts.
*****
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. Tiz the Law, 22, Barclay Tagg, $456,000
3. Thousand Words, 20, Bob Baffert, $181,000
4. Shotski, 14, Jeremiah O’Dwyer, $193,466
5. +Enforceable, 13, Mark Casse, $264,550
6. Anneau d’Or, 12, Blaine Wright, $381,000
7. Shoplifted, 12, Steve Asmussen, $351,000
8. Silver Prospector, 11, Steve Asmussen, $204,851
9. Maxfield, 10, Brendan Walsh, $300,000
10. Eight Rings, 10, Bob Baffert, $200,351
11. Independence Hall, 10, Mike Trombetta, $165,000
12. Dennis’ Moment, 10, Dale Romans, $137,800
13. +Max Player, 10, Linda Rice, $137,500
14. Gold Street, 10, Steve Asmussen, $137,250
15. Authentic, 10, Bob Baffert, $60,000
16. +Scabbard, 6, Eddie Kenneally, $178,000
17. Wrecking Crew, 5, Peter Miller, $293,000
18. Ajaaweed, 5, Kiaran McLaughlin, $75,000
19. Finnick the Fierce, 5, Rey Hernandez, $66,200
20. Green Light Go, 4, Jimmy Jerkens, $210,000
29. +Azul Coast, 4, Bob Baffert, $20,000
+ = Enforceable (Hip 76), Max Player (Hip 929), 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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