©2018 Calvin L.
Carter. All rights reserved.
This
Saturday, from coast-to-coast, the Road to the Kentucky Derby enters the stretch drive with
three marquee races on tap at New York, Kentucky and California. Winners of
those races will each receive 100 qualifying points and a guaranteed spot in
the Derby starting gate on the first Saturday in May.
At
Aqueduct Racecourse in New York, ENTICED has been tabbed as the 6-5
morning-line favorite in the 94th running of the $750,000 Wood
Memorial Stakes (G2). Post Time is 5:55 p.m. Live television coverage of the three
races will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network from 5:30-7:30 p.m. ET.
Trained
by Kiaran McLaughlin, Enticed will go to the starting gate with a 3-0-1 record
in five starts including a win in the Gotham Stakes (G3) last out. Here’s the video and chart call of the that race:
ENTICED shook off
light contact to take up position in mid-pack after the start, got stacked five
wide approaching the conclusion of the backstretch, picked up speed when let
out a notch and improved position so as to work out a tuck closer to the rail a
furlong later, arrived at the end of the bend as the main danger to the runner
up, was turned loose entering the stretch, readily chopped away at the deficit,
began to drift out leaving the eighth pole, yet collared OLD TIME REVIVAL,
itself drifting out slightly, in the vicinity of the sixteenth pole, kicked
clear, then completed the final seventy yards getting geared down.
Enticed
took a step forward off a fourth-place finish in his season debut to win by 2¾
lengths over Old Time Revival (6-1) who is also entered in this race.
Medaglia d’Oro, the sire of Enticed, was a good middle-distance
runner that compiled an 8-7-0 record in 17 starts with $5,754,720 in career
earnings. Overall, he had seven wins and five second-place finishes in 14 route
races.
Medaglia
d’Oro finished second in his only start as a two-year-old but as a three-year-old
he won the San Felipe Stakes (G2) and finished second in the Wood Memorial
Stakes (G1) in route to the 2002 Derby where he finished in fourth place.
In
the Preakness Stakes (G1), Medaglia d’Oro finished eighth but rebounded from
that run to finish second in the Belmont Stakes (G1). He went on to complete
his racing season as a three-year-old with wins in the nine-furlong Jim Dandy
Stakes (G2) and the 10-furlong Travers Stakes (G1).
As
a four-year-old, Medaglia d’Oro won the nine-furlong Strub Stakes (G2), Oaklawn
Handicap (G2) and Whitney Handicap (G1). In addition, he finished second in the
10-furlong Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
At
the age of five, Medaglia d’Oro won the nine-furlong Donn Handicap (G1) and
finished second in the 10-furlong Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (G1).
A
long shot I like in this race is KING ZACHARY
(20-1) who come
into this race with a 1-0-2 record in three starts including a maiden win for
trainer Dale Romans. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:
KING ZACHARY hopped
slightly still breaking near the lead then raced three wide entering the first
turn, settled nicely under rider’s command sitting just off early leader YESUS
STAR adding some outside pressure before shaking off rival near five eighths
pole, inched up closer reaching equal terms with NEW LEGEND three furlongs out,
shook the reins, responded opening up to clear advantage turning for home,
continued to pull away along inside while ridden out.
In
his third start, King Zachary looked good breaking his maiden by an impressive
7¾ lengths.
Curlin, the sire of King Zachary, was an outstanding
racehorse that compiled an 11-2-2 record in 16 career starts with $10,501,800
in career earnings.
Curlin did not
start as a two-year-old. But, at the age of three, Curlin was 6-1-2 in nine
starts with $5,102,800 in earnings including wins in the Rebel Stakes (G3) and
Arkansas Derby (G2) en route to a third-place finish in the 2007 Kentucky Derby
(G1). He went on to win the Preakness Stakes (G1) and he finished second in the
Belmont Stakes (G1).
Other important
stakes wins include the Breeders'
Cup Classic (G1), Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), twice, Dubai World Cup (G1),
Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), Woodward Stakes (G1), and the UAE Jaguar Trophy
Handicap.
In
his first five crops as a stallion, Curlin has sired the 2013 Belmont Stakes
(G1) winner Palace Malice and the 2016 Preakness Stakes
(G1) winner Exaggerator. In addition, Curlin produced
the classic-placed runners Ride On Curlin (second, 2014 Preakness), Keen
Ice (third, 2015
Belmont) and Irish War Cry (second, 2017 Belmont).
King
Zachary, a chestnut colt by Curlin out of On My Way by Giant’s Causeway, was a
colt we profiled as a yearling (Hip 956) at the 2016 Keeneland September
sale. With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he has the breeding to
be competitive and I look for him to make another step forward in the stretch
out in distance.
VINO ROSSO (9-2) comes into this race with a
2-0-1 record in four starts including a fourth-place finish in the Tampa Bay
Derby (G2). Here’s
the video and chart call of that race:
VINO ROSSO was well
placed close up inside, tracked the leaders while saving ground, was asked on
the far turn and lacked a response, dropped back and then finished evenly.
On
viewing his past two races, it looks to me that Vino Rosso does not handle
turns well but when he runs on the straight he improves and makes up ground on
the leaders.
Curlin, the sire of
Vino Rosso, was an outstanding racehorse that compiled an 11-2-2 record in 16
career starts with $10,501,800 in career earnings.
Curlin did not start as a two-year-old. But, at the
age of three, Curlin was 6-1-2 in nine starts with $5,102,800 in earnings
including wins in the Rebel Stakes (G3) and Arkansas Derby (G2) en route to a
third-place finish in the 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1). He went on to win the
Preakness Stakes (G1) and he finished second in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Other important stakes wins include the Breeders'
Cup Classic (G1), Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), twice, Dubai World Cup (G1), Stephen
Foster Handicap (G1), Woodward Stakes (G1), and the UAE Jaguar Trophy Handicap.
In his first five crops as a
stallion, Curlin has sired the 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Palace
Malice and the 2016 Preakness Stakes
(G1) winner Exaggerator.
In addition, Curlin produced the classic-placed runners Ride On
Curlin (second, 2014 Preakness), Keen Ice
(third, 2015 Belmont) and Irish War
Cry (second, 2017 Belmont).
Vino
Rosso is a colt we profiled as a yearling (Hip 528) at the 2016 Keeneland September
sale. With an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®, he has the breeding to
be competitive and I also look for him to improve in the stretch out in
distance.
RESTORING HOPE (4-1) comes into this race for
Hall of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert with 1-1-1 record in three starts including a
maiden win last out at Santa Anita Park. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:
RESTORING HOPE had
speed outside then angled in and dueled alongside the runner up, took the lead
into the stretch, inched away a sixteenth out and pulled clear under urging.
Restored
Hope shadowed the leader, Longden, to the far turn when he pulled
away in the stretch to easily win by 3½ lengths.
Giant’s Causeway, the sire of
Restoring Hope, was
undefeated in three starts as a 2-year-old, including wins in the Group 3
Futurity Stakes and the Group 1 Prix de la Salamandre Stakes, all at 7-furlongs.
As
a three-year-old, Giant’s Causeway raced 10 times and won five Group One races
including the Irish Champion Stakes, International Stakes, Sussex Stakes, St.
James’s Palace Stakes, Eclipse Stakes and he won the Group 3 Gladness Stakes.
He also finished second in four races: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, 2,000 Guineas
Stakes, Irish 2,000 Guineas and he finished second by a narrow neck to Tiznow
in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Overall,
Giant’s Causeway compiled a 9-4-0 record
in 13 starts, winning from 7- to 10-furlongs, and he was the 2000 Cartier
Racing Awards European Horse of the Year.
Restoring
Hope has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he has room to improve
in his second start of the season.
Honorable
mention goes to Old Time Revival (6-1), Catch Twenty Two
(50-1) and Firenze Fire (6-1). Old Time Revival was my
long shot pick
in the Gotham Stakes (G3).
*****
2018
KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD
Ranking,
total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.
Audible, 110, Todd Pletcher, $803,520
2.
Noble Indy, 110, Todd Pletcher, $640,000
3.
Mendelssohn, 100, Aidan O’Brien, $1,947,299
4. Bolt d’Oro, 64, Mick Ruis, $780,000
5. Enticed, 63, Kiaran McLaughlin,
$360,880
6.
Bravazo, 54, D. Wayne Lukas, $349,913
7.
Promises Fulfilled, 52, Dale Romans, $256,480
8.
Magnum Moon, 50, Todd Pletcher $$540,000
9.
Runaway Ghost, 50, $520,310
10.
Quip, 50, Rodolphe Brisset, $212,000
11.
Lone Sailor, 42, Tom Amoss, $273,347
12.
f-Rayya, 40, Doug Watson, $600,000
13.
Hofburg, 40, Bill Mott, $192,000
14.
+Good
Magic, 34, Chad Brown, $1,200,000
15. +Solomini, 34, Bob
Baffert, $616,000
16. My Boy Jack, 32, Keith Desormeaux,
$502,000
17.
Flameaway, 30, Mark Casse, $472,260
18. Firenze Fire, 29, Jason Servis,
$582,500
19. +Free
Drop Billy, 24, Dale Romans, $497,200
European Road Qualifier
20. Gronkowski, 50, Jeremy Noseda,
$79,496
+ = Horses we picked as yearlings at the 2016 Keeneland
September Yearling Sale. Good Magic = Eclipse Champion Two Year Old Male. McKinzie is
off the Derby trail with and injury.
EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.
*GRONKOWSKI, 50, Jeremy Noseda, $79,496
2. *MENDELSSOHN, 20, Aidan O’Brien, $1,947,299
3. Saxon Warrior (JPN), 20, Aidan
O’Brien, $245,017
4.
Roaring Lion (USA), 14, John Gosden, $136,807
5.
Iconic Sunset (GB), 12, James Tate, $30,139
6. f-Happily (IRE), 10, Aidan
O’Brien, $543,648
7. *THREEANDFOURPENCE, 8, Aiden O’Brien, $54,076
8. Court House (IRE), 8, John
Gosden, $0
9. Dark Acclaim, 6, Marco Botti,
$21,854
10. *SEAHENGE, 4, Aiden O’Brien, $145,630
11. Olmedo (FR), 4, Jean-Claude
Rouget, $113,505
12. Nelson (IRE), 4, Aidan
O’Brien, $99,826
13. Delano Roosevelt (IRE), 4,
Aidan O’Brien, $38,074
14. Fortune’s Pearl (IRE), 4,
Andrew Balding, $1,800
15. Purser, 3, John Gosden,
$19,215
16. Masar (IRE), 2, Aidan
O’Brien, $101,264
17. The Pentagon (IRE), 2, Aidan
O’Brien, $71.981
18. Mildenberger (ENG), 2, Mark
Johnston, $64,634
20. Warm the Voice (IRE), 2,
Brendan Duke, $12,904
*Mendelssohn,
Gronkowski,
Threeandfourpence
and Seahenge
are only horses nominated for Triple Crown. Here’s the video
of Mendelssohn’s win in the Patton Stakes. Here’s the video
of Gronkowski’s win in the Conditions Stakes.
JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking,
total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Sumahama (JPN), 30, Ryo
Takahashi, $291,287
2. *RUGGERO
(JPN), 16, Yuichi Shikato, $220,861
3. Taiki Ferveur, 12, Mitsunori
Makiura, $299,689
4. Le Vent Se Leve (JPN), 10,
Kiyoshi Hagiwara, $463,935
5. Don Fortis (JPN), 4, Mitsunori
Makiura, $436,916
6.
Mic Ben Hur (JPN), 4, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $122,696
7.
Great Time (JPN), 3, Hideaki Fujiwara, $186,586
8.
Haseno Pyro (JPN), 2, Kenki Sato, $263,981
9.
Meiner Yukitsubaki (JPN) 2, Noboru Takagi, $151,796
10.
Dark Repulser (JPN), 1, Takashi Kanari, $200,920
11.
Bronze Kay (JPN), 1, Koichi Tsunoda, $75,979
*Ruggero
is the only horse nominated for Triple Crown. Here’s the video
of his last race, Hyacinth Stakes.
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