The
“Road To The Kentucky Derby” travels to Keeneland today where 11 horses will go
to the starting gate in the 32nd running of the $200,000 Lexington
Coolmore Stakes (G3). A win in today’s race is worth 20 points and that could,
perhaps, qualify the winner to enter the Kentucky Derby (G1) starting gate. Currently,
Charming Kitten is ranked 20th with 20 Derby points and $206,000 in
stakes earnings.
Trainer
Ken McPeek will send the filly Pure
Fun to the starting gate as the tepid 7-2 morning-line favorite. Pure Fun
comes into the race with a 3-1-2 record in nine starts. In her debut as a
3-year-old in March, Pure Fun finished third in the Fathead Bourbonette Oaks at
Turfway Park, earning a 95 Brisnet Speed Figure for that effort.
Pure
Fun has room to improve in her second start of the season and another move
forward will make her competitive in today’s race.
After
finishing in eighth-place in the Louisiana Derby (G2), Sunbean (4-1) will start for
the barn trainer Michael Maker and veteran Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens
will be in the irons. I didn’t like Sunbean for the win in that race, but, I
thought he would run better. Here’s the chart call:
SUNBEAN settled well back in
the field, moved closer with a half-mile to run, advanced inside on the far
turn, steadied while blocked at the quarter pole, continued blocked in upper
stretch, steadied again nearing the furlong marker, altered course to the
outside and also lost any chance.
Prior
to that race, Sunbean had compiled a 3-1-0 record in four starts including an
impressive 4¾-length victory in the Gentilly Stakes. A return to that form and
a recent sharp four-furlong workout at Churchill Downs could have Sunbean ready
to run a good race.
An
interesting long shot in this race is Wings of Fortune
(15-1) who is also trained by Maker. Wins of Fortune did not race as a
2-year-old. He finished fourth in his maiden debut last January, and since then
he’s compiled a 1-1-0 record in three career starts.
Wings
of Fortune has an interesting pedigree with Fusaichi Pegasus as
his sire and Lear Fan as
the damsire. The tail-female family of Wings of Fortune traces back to the
Reine-de-Course mare Gay
Hostess who was the dam of Classic Champion Thoroughbreds Majestic Prince and the
third-dam of Real Quiet.
This
is the time of year 3-year-old colts can make a lot of improvement and a recent
bullet workout could have Wings of Fortune ready to run a good race.
Where’s Dominic, at 20-1
morning-line odds, is another interesting long shot trained by Michael
Trombetta. In his last race, he finished fourth in the 9-furlong Private Terms
stakes and the drop back to 8½-furlongs in today’s race could be more to his
liking.
Prior to his last race, Where’s Dominic
compiled a 2-1-1 record in four starts and a return to that form could make him
competitive in the Lexington Coolmore Stakes (G3).
Honorable
mention goes to General
Election who I profiled in my 2013
Kentucky Derby Outlook.
He has the breeding to be competitive in today’s race. But, so far on the Derby
trail, he’s not lived up to my expectations.
*****
The
winner of the Lexington Coolmore Stakes (G3) will receive 20 points while
second-place will yield eight points, the third-place finisher will receive four
points, and the fourth-place finisher will receive two points. Here’s a look at
the current top 20 list:
Kentucky
Derby 2013 Leaderboard
(Updated
April 20, 2013)
Individual Leaders ranking,
total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1
= Orb, 150, Shug McGaughey III, $840,000
2
= Verrazano, 150, Todd Pletcher, $810,000
3
= Goldencents, 129, Doug O’Neill, $1,208,000
4
= Java’s War, 122, Ken McMcPeek, $651,772
5
= Overanalyze, 110, Todd Pletcher, $908,381
6
= Revolutionary, 110, Todd Pletcher, $720,000
7
= Lines of Battle, 100, Aidan O’Brien, $1,261,089
8
= Vyjack, 70, Rudy Rodriguez, $405,000
9
= Will Take Charge, 60, D. Wayne Lukas, $512,971
10
= Itsmyluckyday, 50, Eddie Plesa, Jr., $593,600
11
= Govenor Charlie, 50, Bob Baffert, $400,000
12
= Black Onyx, 50, Kelly Breen, $317,130
13
= Palace Malice, 50, Todd Pletcher, $200,000
14
= Normandy Invasion, 44, Chad Brown, $258,000
15
= Frac Daddy, 44, Ken McPeek, $240,596
16
= Mylute, 42, Tom Amoss, $363,365
17
= Oxbow, 36, D. Wayne Lukas, $316,000
18
= Super Ninety Nine, 30, Bob Baffert, $308,000
19
= Falling Sky, 20, John Terranova II, $157,500
20
= Charming Kitten, 20, Todd Pletcher, $206,000
Calvin, I like your perspective and agree with your overall analysis of race. I do think that General Election will improve to your expectations. That last race at Turfway (Spiral) had strange kickback (see replay of first turn cloud of dry track surface dustcloud?)that GE may not have enjoyed. Previous race perf (Battaglia Stakes) puts him right there..IMHO. Another reason I like him, I had him @ 13-1 in Battaglia thanks to you....he owes me nothing ...but may get me more. Thanks. JBALL
ReplyDeleteJBall,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your perspective on the Lexington Coolmore Stakes and General Election.
With the scratch of Where's Dominic, I'll play General Election with Sunbean and Wings of Fortune in the exacta and trifecta.
Calvin, thank you again --- General Election did us proud.....fast closing second at lonnnnggggg odds.
DeleteA hole closed on the turn or perhaps he could have won. I had him across the board which paid handsomely since 3 top favs ran out. Thank you for the breeding insight, I would not have followed this horse otherwise. JBALL
Thanks JBall,
ReplyDeleteGeneral Election rallied nicely off of his dismal finish in his last race. I'll be looking forward to see if he continues to move forward for the rest of his 3-year-old season.
Thanks for you input and thanks for following my blog.