©2019 Calvin L.
Carter. All rights reserved.
The
much anticipated journey on the 2019-2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby begins Saturday at Churchill
Downs with the 38th running of the $200,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3). DENNIS’ MOMENT, the 9-5 favorite, heads the field of 10 runners
that will go to the post at 5:26 p.m. ET.
Dennis’
Moment comes int this race for trainer Dale Romans off an exciting 19-length maiden
win at Ellis Park on July 27. Here’s the video and chart call:
DENNIS’
MOMENT was away early to set the pace at the outset, was off the rail into the
lane then drew off from rivals with ease down the lane under a brisk drive and
demolished the field.
Dennis’
Moment looked good breaking his maiden with ease by 19 lenghts, perhaps, giving
us a preview of more good things to come.
Tiznow,
the sire of Dennis’ Moment, was a multiple graded-stakes winner and an
outstanding router who compiled an 8-4-2 record in 15 starts with $6,427,830 in
career earnings.
Tiznow did not race until he was
three years old, making nine starts and compiling 5-3-0 record with $3,445,950
in earnings. His stakes wins include the Affirmed Handicap (G3), Goodwood
Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2), the Super Derby (G1) by six lengths and he
finished the season with a win in the most 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1)
where he defeated the European champion Giant’s
Causeway by a neck.
As a four-year-old, Tiznow was
3-1-2 in six starts and $2,981,880 in earnings with stakes wins in the San
Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G2), the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and he
successfully defended his title of champion in Breeders’ Cup Classic when he
defeated the European invader and formidable winner of the Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe, Sakhee,
by a nose.
As a stallion, his leading
lifetime runners include: Well Armed,
Tourist,
Colonel
John, Tizway,
Morning
Line, Tiz Miz Sue,
Folklore,
Bullsbay,
Tough
Tiz’s Sis, Gemologist,
Da’
Tara and Strong
Mandate.
Dennis’ Moment has an F Classic
Champion Thoroughbred Profile®
but his Behavior Index makes him competitive in this race.
A
long shot I like is JANUARY
WON (15-1) who steps up to stakes competition off a maiden debut win
for trainer Ken McPeek. Here’s the video
and chart
call:
JANUARY
WON settled into the two path after the field had been sent off and running,
pursued the pace from between rivals for the majority of the run around the
bend, stepped onto the head of the stretch, narrowed in, shoe-horned itself in
between the ones to catch inside the sixteenth pole, wrested away the advantage
in the final forty yards and shook free.
January
Won showed a lot of grit in his debut win and I like the way he wrestled
between horses in the final yards to get up for the win.
New Year’s
Day, the sire of January Won, only
raced as a two-year-old and he was a colt I liked to win the 2013 Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Stake (G1). In December, New Year’s Day showed some tenderness in his
right hind after a gallop and X-rays showed that he had a sesamoid injury.
His connections retired New
Year’s Day who finished his career with a 2-0-1 record in three starts
including a 1¼-length win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1).
As a stallion, New Year’s Day’s
most notable runner is Maximum
Security
who finished first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1) but was placed 17th
due to interference with War of Will at the top of the stretch.
Other leading progeny include Bourbon
Resolution,
Fighting
Mad,
Direct
Order
and New
Year’s Wish
to name a few.
January
Won was a colt (Hip
88) we profiled at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton July Kentucky Select Yearling Sale
and he has a B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®.
It
remains to be seen if he can step up to win in stakes competition. However,
January Won has room to improve in his second start of the season, and, perhaps
upset at a nice price.
FLUTE MAKER (8-1) is also trained by Ken
McPeek and he comes into this race off an impressive maiden win at Saratoga on
August 21. Here’s the video
and chart
call:
FLUTE
MAKER broke a half step slow, recovered to track the vanguard down the
backstretch, advanced four wide to make a bid midway through the turn then took
a short lead, was asked while moving out five wide outside the quarter-pole,
shook clear into the sixth path into the stretch, was put to a right-handed
whip outside the furlong marker, widened under the whip until outside the
sixteenth-pole then was placed under a strong hand ride, continued under a
strong hand ride until the final seventy yards before being eased up while much
the best.
Flute
Maker looked good breaking his maiden over a sloppy track by an impressive 11-length
margin.
Sky Mesa, the sire of Flute Maker, was a
multiple graded-stakes winner that compiled a 3-1-1 record in six starts with
$633,076 in career earnings.
As
a two-year-old, Sky Mesa was undefeated in three starts with stakes wins in the
Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity (G2).
At
the age of three, Sky Mesa compiled an 0-1-1 record in three stars with a
second-place finish in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G2) and third-place
in the Dwyer Stakes (G2).
As a stallion, Sky Mesa’s notable
leading lifetime runners include General
Quarters,
Sky
Diva,
Perfect
Alibi,
Ami’s
Mesa,
Dynamic
Sky
and Thiskyhasnolimit to name a few.
Flute
Maker has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and I look for him to
take another step forward.
SCABBARD (5-1) comes into this race with
a 1-1-0 record in two starts for trainer Eddie Kenneally including a
second-place finish in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2). Here’s the video
and chart
call of that race:
SCABBARD
came in while breaking near the back of the field, settled towards the rear of
the field, saved ground while roused on the turn, swung three wide into the
stretch then came under the whip an safely secured the place while no match for
the winner.
Scabbard
finished a respectable second in his stakes debut just 3¾ lengths shy of
victory.
More Than Ready, the sire of Scabbard, was a multiple graded-stakes
winner that compiled a 7-4-1 record in 17 starts with $1,026,229 in earnings.
He won the WHAS-11 Stakes, Flash Stakes, Tremont Stakes (G3), Sanford Stakes
(G2), Hutcheson Stakes (G2) and finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and
Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) in route to a fourth-place finish in the 2000
Kentucky Derby (G1).
At
stud, More Than Ready made
quite a mark with in Australia with his sons Phelan
Ready and Sebring who were champion 2-year-colts with
over $2 million in career earnings. Some of his best runners in America have
been the turf-sprinter Regally Ready
with over $1 million in career earnings and Pluck, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Turf Stakes (G2) and Summer Stakes (G3) with $727,290 in career earnings, and
Verrazano.
Scabbard
Has a C Classic
Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and his Behavior Index makes him competitive in
this race.
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