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
Santa Anita Park in California, GAME WINNER has been
tabbed by morning line maker Jon White as the 4-5 favorite in the 83rd
running of the $1 million Santa Anita Derby (G1). Post Time is 6:30 p.m.
Game
Winner comes into this race for trainer Bob Baffert with a 4-1-0 record in five
starts including a second-place finish in the Rebel Stakes (G2). Here’s he video
and chart
call of that race:
The latter [GAME
WINNER] broke inwards bumping JERSEY AGENDA, was quickly collected to gain
position between foes in second flight, switched out of close quarters racing through
the first turn, commenced a steady four wide advance racing into the far turn,
moved up to challenge for command while shifting inwards bumping the winner
near the wire and just missed.
Game
Winner looked good in his first start of the season to narrowly miss victory
over Omaha Beach by a nose.
Candy Ride, the sire of Game Winner, was bred in Argentina and
during his racing career he was undefeated in six starts.
In his maiden
debut as a three year old, Candy Ride won the Premio El Quimico, a six furlong
sprint, by 12 lengths. He went on to finish the season with a win in the one
mile Gran Premio San Isidro (G1) by eight lengths and another win by eight
lengths in the one mile Joaquin S de Anchorena (G1).
As a four year
old, Candy Ride was shipped to America where won his U.S. debut in an 8 ½
furlong Allowance Optional Claiming race at Hollywood Park on June 7, 2003. A
month later, he ran on the turf winning the 9 furlong American Handicap (G2)
and in August, Candy Ride was able to carry his speed to a 3¼-length victory in
the 10 furlong Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) in a record time of 1:59.11.
As a stallion,
Candy Ride’s top ten lifetime performers include Gun Runner, Shared Belief, Game Winner, Misremembered, Sidney’s Candy, Leofric, Twirling Candy, Ascend and Capt. Candyman
Can.
Game Winner has
a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that makes him competitive in this race.
A
long shot I like in this race is SYNTHESIS (30-1) who
comes into this race for new trainer George Papaprodromou. With a 1-1-4 record
in nine starts, Synthesis comes into this race off a fourth-place finish in the
San Vicente Stakes (G2). Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
SYNTHESIS settled
inside then was taken off the rail to chase the pace, came a bit wide into the
stretch and lacked further response.
Synthesis
may have not liked the sloppy going and he appeared to be almost jogging around
the track.
First Samurai, the sire of Synthesis, was a
multiple graded-stakes winner that compiled a 5-1-1 record in eight starts with
$915,975 in career earnings.
As a two year old, First Samurai
was undefeated in his first four starts with wins in the Hopeful Stakes (G1)
and Champagne Stakes (G1). He finished the season with a third-place finish in
the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1).
At the age of three, First
Samurai finished second in the Hutcheson Stakes (G2) and won the Fountain of
Youth Stakes (G2). He followed that with a fifth-place finish in the Toyota
Blue Grass Stakes (G1) where he suffered two broken ribs during an incident in the starting gate and was later
taken off the Kentucky Derby trail.
As a stallion, First Samurai’s
top lifetime performers include Lea, Justin Philip, Last
Gunfighter,
Carve, Sharp Samurai, Miss Sky Warrior, Northern
Passion,
Swift
Warrior
and Stacked
Deck.
Synthesis
has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®. He’s the best-bred horse in
this herd of runners and he has the breeding to win.
A
recent bullet work out with new trainer Papaprodromou could have Synthesis
ready to run a good race and, perhaps, upset at a nice price.
ROADSTER (5-2) comes into this race with
a 2-0-1 record in three starts for trainer Bob Baffert including a win in an
Allowance Optional Claiming race last out. Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
ROADSTER three deep
into the first turn, stalked outside a rival, bid outside the pacesetter
leaving the backstretch and again leaving the second turn, took a short lead
into the stretch, inched away mid-stretch and won clear under a couple taps of
the whip turned down, some hand urging and a snug hold late.
Roadster
looked good in his first start of the season to win by an easy 2½ lengths.
Quality
Road, the sire
of Roadster, 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 Handicap (G1).
Roadster
has a D Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that ranks him fourth in
this herd of runners. He has room to improve in his second start of the season
and a recent bullet work out could have him ready to run a good race.
Honorable
mention goes to Nolo
Contesto (6-1).
*****
A
total of 35 prep races comprise the USA Road to the Kentucky Derby. In
addition, there are seven races on the European road and four races on the
Japan road to Derby glory.
2019 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Plus Que Parfait, 104, Brendan Walsh, $1,540,400
2. By My Standards,
100, Bret Calhoun, $600,000
3. Maximum Security, 100, Jason
Servis, $582,800
4. Code of
Honor, 74, Shug McGaughey, $432,070
5.
War of Will, 60,
Mark Casse, $440,840
6. Long Range Toddy, 53.5, Steve Asmussen, $830,000
7. Cutting Humor, $50, Todd Pletcher, $462,467
8. Haikal, 50, Kiaran McLaughlin, $247,500
9. Tacitus, 50, Bill Mott, $210,000
10. Game Winner, 43, Bob Baffert, $1,610,000
11. Gray Magician, 41, Peter Miller, $526,000
12. Spinoff, 40, Todd Pletcher, $224,000
13. Bodexpress, 40, Gustavo Delgado, $188,000
14. Omaha Beach, 37.5, Richard Mandella, $450,000
15. Bourbon War,
31, Mark Henning, $137,200
16. Anothertwistafate, 30, Blaine Wright, $228,960
17. ++Country House, 30, Bill Mott,
$120,000
18. Sueno, 28, Keith Desormeaux, $265,000
19. Improbable, 25,
Bob Baffert, $389,520
20. Mucho Gusto, 24, Bob Baffert, $286,800
++
= Profiled as a B
yearling at the 2017 Keeneland September sale.
EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1.
Royal Marine (IRE), 10, Saeed bin Suroor, $264,968
2. Magna Grecia
(IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $185,000
3. Mohawk (IRE),
10, Aidan O’Brien, $128,702
4.
Japan (GB), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $75,316
5.
Phoenix of Spain (IRE), 4, Charlie Hill, $157,944
6.
Broome (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $140,871
7.
Sydney Opera House (GB), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $40,956
8.
Mount Everest (IRE), 4, Aidan O’Brien, $24,254
9.
Anodor (FR), 2, Freddie Head, $99,215
10.
Western Australian (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $43,084
11.
Cape of Good Hope (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $41,515
12.
Power of Now (IRE), 2, Michael O’Callaghan, $11,489
13.
Boitron (FR), 1, Richard Hannon, $44,917
14.
Victory Command, (IRE), 1, Mark Johnston, $35,108
15.
Circus Maximus (IRE), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $24,368
16.
Sovereign (IRE), 1, Aiden O’Brien, $5,106
JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD
Ranking, total points, Trainer,
Earnings
1.
Nova Lenda (JPN), 20, Takashi Saito, $446,285
2.
f-Make Happy, 12, Koichi Shinkai, $184,181
3.
Derma Louvre (JPN), 8, Hirofumi Toda, $447,672
4.
Gal Vihara, 4, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, $216,271
2.
Kingen (JPN), 4, Kunihide Matsuda, $97,867
3.
Johaan (JPN), 2, Yasuyuki Takahashi, $72,900
4.
Romantico (JPN), 1, Kazuo Fujisawa, $91,245
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