Friday, March 31, 2017

Florida Derby Stakes Racing Roundup

©2017 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby will take us to Gulfstream Park, Saturday, where Gunnevera will go the starting gate as the 9-5 morning line favorite in 66th running of the $1 million, Xpressbet.com Florida Derby (G1). Post time is 6:40 ET.
Gunnevera comes into the race for trainer Antonio Sano with a 4-2-0 record in eight starts including a commanding win in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) in his last outing. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

GUNNEVERA bumped lightly with HURACAN AMERICO toward the rear heading to the first turn, moved up outside down the backstretch, began picking up rivals more rapidly four wide around the far turn, caught THREE RULES and PRACTICAL JOKE from the outside turning for home and drew off under steady pressure.

The time for the mile of 1:37.85 and final time of 1:44.25 were slower than what I like to see colts run on the Derby trail. However, with a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® ranking, Gunnevera continues to show that he is a consistent competitor on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail.
Dialed In, the sire of Gunnevera, won his only start as a two year old – a 6½ furlong maiden special weight by a half a length at Churchill Downs in November 2010. As a three year old, Dialed In won the one mile Holy Bull Stakes, finished second in a 9-furlong Allowance Optional Claiming race at Gulfstream Park, and won the Florida Derby (G1) by a head over Shackleford en route to an eighth place-finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
 Gunnevera has been training well and he has room to improve in his third start of the season and I look for him to run another good race.
A long shot I like in this race is State of Honor (8-1) who comes into the Florida Derby (G1) with a 1-3-2 record in nine starts for trainer Mark Casse including a third-place finish in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) and a second-place finish to Tapwrit in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

STATE OF HONOR raced four wide early, pulled his way to the front, set the pace racing near the inside, responded when asked, was no match for the winner but continued gamely for place honors.

Tapwrit’s final time of 1:42.36 was a new stakes and track record and State of Honor was about a second slower, 4½ lengths back. If State of Honor runs close to that time it makes him very competitive in the Florida Derby (G1).
To Honor and Serve, the sire of State of Honor, was a young colt I liked, along with my top pick Animal Kingdom, on the 2011 Kentucky Derby Trail.
In three racing seasons, To Honor and Serve was a multiple graded-stakes winner who compiled an 8-1-3 record in 17 starts with $1,798,840 in career earnings.
To Honor and Serve compiled a 3-1-0 record in four starts as a two year old with wins in the Nashua Stakes (G2) and Remsen Stakes (G2).
As a three year old, he was 3-0-2 in seven starts with a win in the Pennsylvania Derby and (G2) and the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1).
At the age of four, To Honor and Serve won the Westchester Stakes (G3) and Woodward Stakes (G1).
With an B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® ranking, State of Honor has the breeding to win this race and time will tell if he can step to earn graded-stakes honores.
Always Dreaming (4-1) comes into this race with 2-1-1 record in four starts for trainer Todd Pletcher including a win at Gulfstream Park on March 4. Here’s the video and chart call of his last race:

ALWAYS DREAMING was quickly in front, set a leisurely pace along the inside, and remained unchallenged and unasked to mid-stretch before coming under mild hand urging the last 70 yards.

Always Dreaming led from gate to wire and was never called on by jockey John Velazquez who gave him a hand ride around the track setting pitiful fractions and a final time of 1:53.44 for the nine furlongs.
Bodemeister, the sire of Always Dreaming, did not race until the age of three when he made six starts for Hall of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert, compiling a 2-4-0 record in six starts with $1,304,800 in career earnings.
He raced twice in the maiden ranks before finishing second in his third start, the San Felipe Stakes (G2). In his fourth start, Baffert shipped Bodemeister to Oaklawn Park where he was my pick to win the Arkansas Derby (G1). Bodemeister trounced the field, winning by an outstanding 9½ lengths. He then went on to finish second in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1).
Always Dreaming has shown good speed in his first two races and he’ll need to pick up the pace in the Florida Derby (G1) in order to secure the win.
Three Rules (8-1) is a talented colt and he comes into this race with a 5-1-1- record in eight starts for trainer Jose Pinchin including a third-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

THREE RULES broke alertly to set the pace outside IRISH WAR CRY         early, shook off that one after six furlongs and was confronted first by PRACTICAL JOKE, then by GUNNEVERA as well, fought along the rail inside PRACTICAL JOKE to the wire and yielded second grudgingly.

I like how Three Rules showed his competitive spirit in the stretch duel with Practical Joke.
Gone Astray, the sire of Three Rules, was a multiple graded-stakes winner that compiled a 5-5-4 record in 21 starts with $1,125,162 in career earnings.
Gone Astray did not run in any stakes races as a two year old and he was 1-0-1 in four starts.
As a three year old, Gone Astray was 3-3-2 in nine starts with wins in both the Ohio Derby (G2) and Pennsylvania Derby (G2). As a four year old, he compiled a 1-2-1 record in seven starts with wins in the Discovery Handicap (G3) and Withers Stakes (G3).
Gone Astray only made one start as a five year old and he finished out of the money.
In eight starts, Three Rules has only finished out of the money in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) last November. However, nine furlongs may be beyond his optimum competitive distance.
Honorable mention goes to Battalion Runner (3-1) and Talk Logistics (30-1) who could potentially be a factor in the exotics.
Battalion Runner is the morning line second choice and he comes into this race with 2-1-0 record in three starts for trainer Todd Pletcher. However, according to a Gulfstream Park news release, Battalion Runner may skip the Florida Derby (G1). Here’s the video of his last race.
Talk Logistics comes into the Florida Derby (G1) off of a distant fourth-place finish to Gunnevera in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).


*****

Under the points system implemented by Churchill Downs to determine which horses will qualify to enter the Kentucky Derby starting gate, the winner of the Florida Derby (G1) will receive 100 points, the second-place finisher will receive 40 points, the third-place finisher will receive 20 points and the fourth-place finisher will receive 10 points.
Here’s a look at the current top twenty Derby qualifiers:

2017 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Thunder Snow, 100, Saeed bin Suroor, $1,621,063
2. Gunnevera, 64, Antonio Sano, $1,042,800
3. Tapwrit, 54, Todd Pletcher, $295,570
4. J Boys Echo, 53, Dale Romans, $255,000
5. Hence, 50, Steve Asmussen, $$481,129
6. Malagacy, 50, Todd Pletcher, $540,000
7. **Fast and Accurate, 50, $320,712
8. Girvin, 50, Joe Sharp, $249,800
9. Practical Joke, 34, Chad Brown, $766,000
10. Untrapped, 34, Steve Asmussen, $210,000
11. Classic Empire, 32, Mark Casse, $1,493,820
12. El Areeb, 30, Cathal Lynch, $330,000
13. Gormley, 20, John Sherriffs, $284,000
14. State of Honor, 22, Mark Casse, $119,564
15. McCraken, 20, Ian Wilkes, $285,048
16. Master Plan, 20, Todd Pletcher, $214,700
17. Iliad, 20, Doug O’Neill, $200,000
18. Sonneteer, 20, Keith Desormeaux, $186,000
19. Blueridge Traveler, 20, $95,000
20. Cloud Computing, 20, Chad Brown, $60,000
**Owner Kendall Hansen has indicated that the late supplemental nomination fee of $200,000 will be paid. Not This Time, retired to stud at Taylor Made Farm. Mastery is off the trail with a condylar fracture. El Areeb is off the trail with an injury to his right knee.

In addition to the current top 20, Churchill Downs has partnered with the Japan Racing Association to feature the Cattleya Sho Stakes and Hayacinth Stakes as two qualifying races in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. The horse with the most points from those races will receive an invitation to compete in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. Here’s the video of the Cattleya Sho Stakes. Here’s the video of the Hayacinth Stakes.


2017 JAPAN ROAD TO KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Epicharis (JPN), 50, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, $450,374
2. Mont Saint Legame (JPN), 40, Koji Maki, $90,154
3. Adirato (JPN), 20, Naosuke Sugai, $154,951
4. Caucus (JPN), 16, Hideaki Fujiwara, $35,850
5. Foggy Night (JPN), 5, Noriyuki Hori, $23,801

      The connections of Epicharis have stated that they will skip the Kentucky Derby (G1) and may go to the Preakness (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1).

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Louisiana Derby Stakes Racing Roundup

©2017 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

This Saturday, the Road to the Kentucky Derby will take us to the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana where Girvin heads a field of nine young Thoroughbreds as the 8-5 morning line favorite in the 104th running of the $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). Post time is 6:21 p.m. ET.
Girvin comes into this race for trainer Joe Sharp with a 2-1-0 record in three starts including a win in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) in his last outing. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

GIRVIN brushed the inside of the gate at the start, saved ground on the first turn, settled off the pace, was asked at the half mile pole, rounded the far turn in the two path, was roused inside the three-eighths, rallied under a left handed whip in upper stretch, made a bid while switched to a right-handed whip at the furlong marker, swapped leads back and forth while moving clear to the sixteenth-pole and proved best under strong urging.

Girvin is a proven competitor on the Kentucky Derby Trail and with a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® ranking his Behavior Index makes him competitive in Louisiana Derby (G2).
Tale of Ekati, the sire of Girvin, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 5-1-0 record in 15 starts with $1,182,992 in career earnings.
As a two year old, Tale of Ekati was 2-1-0 in three stars with a win in the Futurity Stakes (G2) and a second-place finish in the Sanford Stakes (G2).
As a three year old, Tale of Ekati was 3-0-0 in eight starts with a win in the 9-furlong Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to a fourth-place finish in the 2008 Kentucky Derby. His other stakes wins include the one mile Jerome Handicap (G2) and the Hill ‘N’ Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (G1).
Tale of Ekati made three starts as a four year old but did not finish in the money.
Girvin has never finished worse than second in his three previous starts and I look for him to run good on Saturday. However, nine furlongs may be at his limit and I’ll be interested to see how well he handles the stretch out in distance.
A mild long shot I like is the lightly-raced Patch (9-2) who’s compiled a 1-1-0 record in two starts for trainer Todd Pletcher and he comes into this race off of a maiden win at Gulfstream Park on February 18. Here’s the video and chart call of his last race:

PATCH was close up early toward the inside, came out three wide nearing the stretch to go after the leaders, caught MEANTIME in deep stretch and drove clear.

Patch looked good breaking his maiden in just his second start and he has room to improve in his third start of the season.
Union Rags, the sire of Patch, 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.
With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® ranking, Patch has the breeding to win the Louisiana Derby (G2). However, it remains to be seen if he can make the step up in class in just his third start to win graded stakes honors.
Guest Suite (4-1) comes into this race for trainer Neil Howard with a 3-0-2 record in six starts including a fourth-place finish in the Risen Star Stakes (G2). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

GUEST SUITE went three then two wide on the first turn, settled towards the rear of the field, was ridden along while three wide on the far turn, came four wide into the stretch, angled out near the three-sixteenths and improved position to just miss the show.

Guest Suite was only beaten by 4½ lengths and narrowly missed finishing third by a neck.
Quality Road, the sire of Frank Conversation, easily won his maiden debut, and only race as a two year old, in November of 2008. In his debut as a three year old, he finished second in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park in January. He followed that in February with a 4¼ length win in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and in March, Quality Road ran to a 1¾ length win over Dunkirk in the Florida Derby (G1).
In late April, Quality Road developed a quarter crack on his right front foot and that prevented him from running in the Kentucky Derby. After a three month break, Quality Road returned to racing to win the Amsterdam Stakes (G2).
Quality Road completed his racing career with wins in the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3), Donn Handicap (G1), Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Woodward Stakes (G1). He finished third in the Travers Stakes (G1) and second in both the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) and Whitney Handiciap (G1).
With a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® grade rating Guest Suite has the breeding to be competitive and I look for him to run a good race.
Local Hero (7-2) comes into this race for trainer Steve Asmussen with a 1-2-1 record in four starts including a third-place finish in the Risen Star Stakes (G2). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

LOCAL HERO was hustled to the lead, raced in the three then two path on the first turn, opened up a sizeable advantage, came under some strong urging in the two path on the far turn, was asked for more at the quarter-pole, lost the advantage at the furlong marker and weakened while able to just hold the show.

Local Hero took the lead at the start but did not have enough to capture the win at 8½-furlongs.
Hard Spun, the sire of Local Hero, was undefeated in three starts as a two year old, including wins in the Port Penn Stakes and Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes. As a three year old on the Derby trail, Hard spun was 2-0-0 in three starts including wins in the Le Comte Stakes (G3) and Lane’s End Stakes (G2).
Hard Spun went on to finish second in the Kentucky Derby (G1), third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and rounded out his classic campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
With a B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® grade rating, Local Hero should be competitive in this race. However, it appears that this running style on the lead is not conducive to him scoring the win in the Louisiana Derby (G2).
Honorable mention goes to Monaco (12-1) who comes into this race off a maiden win in three starts for trainer Todd Pletcher. Here’s the video of that race.
Monaco is a long-striding colt and appeared to win with ease. However, the times were slow and he’ll need to pick up the pace considerably in order to score the win.


*****

Under the points system implemented by Churchill Downs to determine which horses will qualify to enter the Kentucky Derby starting gate, the winner of the Louisiana Derby (G2) will receive 100 points, the second-place finisher will receive 40 points, the third-place finisher will receive 20 points and the fourth-place finisher will receive 10 points.
Here’s a look at the current top twenty Derby qualifiers:

2017 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Thunder Snow, 100, Saeed bin Suroor, $1,621,063
2. Gunnevera, 64, Antonio Sano, $1,042,800
3. Tapwrit, 54, Todd Pletcher, $295,570
4. J Boys Echo, 53, Dale Romans, $255,000
5. Hence, 50, Steve Asmussen, $$481,129
6. Malagacy, 50, Todd Pletcher, $540,000
7. **Fast and Accurate, 50, $320,712
8. Girvin, 50, Joe Sharp, $249,800
9. Practical Joke, 34, Chad Brown, $766,000
10. Untrapped, 34, Steve Asmussen, $210,000
11. Classic Empire, 32, Mark Casse, $1,493,820
12. El Areeb, 30, Cathal Lynch, $330,000
13. Gormley, 20, John Sherriffs, $284,000
14. State of Honor, 22, Mark Casse, $119,564
15. McCraken, 20, Ian Wilkes, $285,048
16. Master Plan, 20, Todd Pletcher, $214,700
17. Iliad, 20, Doug O’Neill, $200,000
18. Sonneteer, 20, Keith Desormeaux, $186,000
19. Blueridge Traveler, 20, $95,000
20. Cloud Computing, 20, Chad Brown, $60,000
**Owner Kendall Hansen has indicated that the late supplemental nomination fee of $200,000 will be paid. Not This Time, retired to stud at Taylor Made Farm. Mastery is off the trail with a condylar fracture.

In addition to the current top 20, Churchill Downs has partnered with the Japan Racing Association to feature the Cattleya Sho Stakes and Hayacinth Stakes as two qualifying races in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. The horse with the most points from those races will receive an invitation to compete in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. Here’s the video of the Cattleya Sho Stakes. Here’s the video of the Hayacinth Stakes.


2017 JAPAN ROAD TO KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Epicharis (JPN), 50, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, $450,374
2. Mont Saint Legame (JPN), 40, Koji Maki, $90,154
3. Adirato (JPN), 20, Naosuke Sugai, $154,951
4. Caucus (JPN), 16, Hideaki Fujiwara, $35,850
5. Foggy Night (JPN), 5, Noriyuki Hori, $23,801

      The connections of Epicharis have stated that they will skip the Kentucky Derby (G1) and may go to the Preakness (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1).

Friday, March 24, 2017

Sunland Derby Stakes Racing Roundup

©2017 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

We’ve logged a lot of miles this weekend on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Sunday the road rolls southwest to Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino where Bronze Age will go to the starting gate as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the 15th running of the $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3). Post time is 7:28 p.m. ET.
Bronze Age comes into this race for Hall of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert with a 1-0-0 record in three starts including a maiden-breaking win at Santa Anita Park on February 18. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

BRONZE AGE sped to the early lead, angled in and set the pace inside, inched clear on the second turn, opened up in the stretch and held sway under a late left handed tap of the whip and steady handling.

Bronze Age led from gate to wire and the final time of 1:35.29 is what I like to see young colts run on the Kentucky Derby Trail.
Mineshaft, the sire of Bronze Age, was an outstanding route racer who compiled a 10-3-1 record in 18 lifetime starts. He began his racing career in England at the age of three, winning a maiden weight for age race at Newmarket. In November, Mineshaft was shipped to America where he won two more races to close out the season with a 3-1-1 record in nine starts.
As a four year old, Mineshaft really proved himself as a champion and compiled a 7-2-0 record in route to earning Horse of the Year and Champion Older Horse honors. In nine starts, Mineshaft won the New Orleans Handicap (G2), Ben Ali Stakes (G3), Pimlico Special Handicap (G1), Suburban Handicap (G1), Woodward Stakes (G1) and the Jockey Club Gold Club Stakes (G1).
Bronze Age has room to improve in his third start of the season. A recent bullet work out could have him ready to run a good race in the stretch out to nine furlongs.
Hedge Fund (6-1) comes into this race with a 1-0-0 record in two starts for trainer Todd Pletcher including a win in a maiden race last out. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

HEDGE FUND was sent from the gate and quickly angled in to save ground in the first turn, applied pressure to DIVINE AMI then raced on equal terms, continued to duel leaving the backstretch, edged away approaching the quarter pole then pulled away in the lane.

The fractions were moderate in this race. But Hedge Fund won impressively by four lengths in just his second start and he should get better with more seasoning.
Super Saver, the sire of Hedge Fund, was a Classic Champion Thoroughbred and my pick to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby.
As a two year old, Super Saver was 2-1-0 in four starts and finished his racing season with a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) making him, along with Street Sense and Nyquist, among a select group of two year olds to win a major end-of-year prep race that went on to victory in the Derby.
As a three year old, Super Saver compiled a 1-1-1 record in six starts with a third-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and a gutsy second-place finish to Line of David in the Arkansas Derby (G1) in route to victory in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Hedge Fund is lightly raced but that’s how Pletcher brings along many of the young colts in his stable.
With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® I’m curious to see how Hedge Fund handles the step up in class and stretch out in distance. He was one of colts on my shortlist for the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. However, the owner and breeder WinStar Farm took him out of the sale.
A long shot I like is Balandeen (10-1) who comes into this race with a 2-1-1 record in seven starts for trainer Chris Hartman including a third-place finish in his debut as a three year old in the six-furlong Gazebo Stakes. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

BALANDEEN broke with the main pack while lightly bumped, settled off the pace in the three path, dropped in a bit midway on the turn, roused for the drive, managed little in the way of closing response to finish up evenly, galloped out seven furlongs in 1:24-4 while being shown the whip intermittently.
The fractions were fast in this race and Balandeen stalked the pace about two lengths off the leaders. I like the way he galloped out and, while he has good speed, his breeding indicates that he should run better in route races.
Bernardini, the sire of Balandeen, did not race as a 2-year-old but at the age of three, he was a fast colt that won races from a mile to 10-furlongs.
He broke his maiden on his second start running a mile at Gulfstream Park in 1:35.57. That’s the kind of time I like to see a young colt run in a mile. Bernardini went on to become a Classic Champion Thoroughbred, compiling a 6-1-0 record in eight starts with $3,060,480 in career earnings.
Notable races won by Bernardini in route to becoming the 2006 Eclipse Champion Three-Year-Old Male include: Withers Stakes (G3, 8-furlongs), Preakness Stakes (G1, 9½-furlongs), Jim Dandy Stakes (G2, 8½ furlongs), Travers Stakes (G1, 10 furlongs), Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1, 10 furlongs) and he finished second, a length behind Invasor, winner of the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1, 10 furlongs).
Balandeen has room to improve in his second start of the season with an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he probably will run better in the stretch out to nine furlongs.
Honorable mention goes to Hence (12-1), Kim Bear (15-1), Conquest Mo Money (9-2) and Irap (6-1) who I’m not keen on for the win but could be factors in the exotics.


*****

Under the points system implemented by Churchill Downs to determine which horses will qualify to enter the Kentucky Derby starting gate, the winner of the
Sunland Derby (G3) will receive 50 points, the second-place finisher will receive 20 points, the third-place finisher will receive 10 points and the fourth-place finisher will receive five points.
Here’s a look at the current top twenty Derby qualifiers:

2017 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
(Updated: Saturday, March 18, 2017)
1. Gunnevera, 64, Antonio Sano, $1,042,800
2. Tapwrit, 54, Todd Pletcher, $295,570
3. J Boys Echo, 53, Dale Romans, $255,000
4. Malagacy, 50, Todd Pletcher, $540,000
5. Girvin, 50, Joe Sharp, $249,800
6. Practical Joke, 34, Chad Brown, $766,000
7. Untrapped, 34, Steve Asmussen, $210,000
8. Classic Empire, 32, Mark Casse, $1,493,820
9. El Areeb, 30, Cathal Lynch, $330,000
10. Gormley, 20, John Sherriffs, $284,000
11. State of Honor, 22, Mark Casse, $119,564
12. McCraken, 20, Ian Wilkes, $285,048
13. Iliad, 20, Doug O’Neill, $200,000
14. Cloud Computing, 20, Chad Brown, $60,000
15. Wild Shot, 17, Rusty Arnold, II, $132,200
16. Guest Suite, 15, Neil Howard, $144,040
17. Petrov, 13, Ron Moquett, $195,000
18. Lookin At Lee, 12, Steve Asmussen, $328,600
19. Term of Art, 11, Doug O’Neill, $119,000
20. Uncontested, 11, Wayne Catalano, $103,729
x-Not This Time, retired to stud at Taylor Made Farm. Mastery is off the trail with a condylar fracture.

In addition to the current top 20, Churchill Downs has partnered with the Japan Racing Association to feature the Cattleya Sho Stakes and Hayacinth Stakes as two qualifying races in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. The horse with the most points from those races will receive an invitation to compete in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. Here’s the video of the Cattleya Sho Stakes. Here’s the video of the Hayacinth Stakes.


2017 JAPAN ROAD TO KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Epicharis (JPN), 50, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, $450,374
2. Mont Saint Legame (JPN), 40, Koji Maki, $90,154
3. Adirato (JPN), 20, Naosuke Sugai, $154,951
4. Caucus (JPN), 16, Hideaki Fujiwara, $35,850
5. Foggy Night (JPN), 5, Noriyuki Hori, $23,801