Road to the Kentucky Derby Update
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Weekly Update Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ‘ROAD TO KENTUCKY DERBY’ Remsen Stakes (GII) in his last start, Mo Town makes his 3-year-old debut for trainer Tony Dutrow and will be ridden by Hall of Fame CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES BEGINS WITH jockey John Velazquez . Mo Town’s main rivals come from FAIR GROUNDS’ RISEN STAR impressive maiden winner Local Hero , Keith Gee Memorial Stakes runner up Girvin and Lecomte Stakes (GIII) winner Guest Suite . LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, Feb. 24, 2017) – Over the next 10 weeks, compelling drama will be plentiful as the 2017 “Kentucky RISEN STAR (GII) Derby Championship Series ” begins in earnest as horses attempt to Saturday, Feb. 25, $400,000, 3yo, 1 1/16 M, Fair Grounds (R11), 6:00 p.m. earn their way into the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! EDT. TV: TVG/TVG2. Radio: HRRN on Sirius 93 Brands beginning with Saturday’s Risen Star (GII) at Fair Grounds. # Horse Jockey Trainer ML 1. Girvin Brian Hernandez Jr. Joe Sharp 6-1 To have a horse draped in the garland of roses while raising the solid 2. Untrapped Ricardo Santana Jr. Steve Asmussen 10-1 gold trophy high atop the Kentucky Derby winner’s stand is the Holy 3. Local Hero Florent Geroux Steve Asmussen 4-1 Grail for horsemen around the world. 4. Arklow Shaun Bridgmohan Brad Cox 15-1 5. Shareholder Value Mitchell Murrill Tom Amoss 15-1 Restricted to 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, horses only have one chance 6. Guest Suite Robby Albarado Neil Howard 6-1 to win the Kentucky Derby, and it’s quite an accomplishment just to 7. U S Officer Jose Valdivia Jr. Danny Pish 20-1 earn a berth in the starting gate. 8. Cool Arrow Gabriel Saez Joe Sharp 15-1 9. Mo Town John Velazquez Tony Dutrow 7-2 10. Takeoff Julien Leparoux Mark Casse 10-1 Once a horse earns its coveted spot in Kentucky Derby starting gate, 11. Sorry Erik Kent Desormeaux Keith Desormeaux 30-1 it, in most cases, will race the extended 1 ¼-mile distance for the first 12. Horse Fly Miguel Mena D. Wayne Lukas 30-1 time. The combination of speed and the stamina required to complete 13. It’s Your Nickel James Graham Kenny McPeek 30-1 the final eighth of a mile in the Derby often determines a win or loss. 14. So Conflated Mario Gutierrez Doug O’Neill 10-1 The Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Twinspires.com – a 35 TO FOLLOW tiered point system that awards a sliding scale of points to the top 4 finishers in 37 designated races throughout the world – determines Horse Trainer Next Start the 20 horses that will have preference to compete in America’s Always Dreaming Todd Pletcher March 11 Tampa Bay Derby greatest race, the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! American Anthem Bob Baffert March 18 Rebel Brands (Grade I) at 1 ¼ miles on the first Saturday in May. Battalion Runner Todd Pletcher April 1 Florida Derby Classic Empire Mark Casse March 11 Tampa Bay Derby A similar series is in place for the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks,” the El Areeb Cal Lynch March 4 Gotham Derby’s companion event for 3-year-old fillies on May 5. En Hanse Mike Maker March 4 John Battaglia Memorial Epicharis Kiyoshi Hagiwara March 25 UAE Derby Excitations Al Stall Jr. NX1 Allowance Race The “Prep Season” that began in late September concluded Monday Girvin Joe Sharp Feb. 25 Risen Star with 48 early Triple Crown nominees grossing points. Gormley John Shirreffs March 11 San Felipe or March 18 Rebel Guest Suite Neil Howard Feb. 25 Risen Star Now, it’s on to the “Championship Series” in which the point values Gunnevera Antonio Sano March 4 Fountain of Youth of races within the 10-week run up to the first Saturday in May will Iliad Doug O’Neill March 11 San Felipe escalate by 5X or 10X, making these 16 races the most meaningful Irish War Cry Graham Motion March 4 Fountain of Youth springboard events in advance of the Derby. Local Hero Steve Asmussen Feb. 25 Risen Star Lookin At Lee Steve Asmussen March 18 Rebel Lookin For Eight Mark Casse TBA At series’ end, the top 19 point earners in the “Road to the Kentucky Malagacy Todd Pletcher March 18 Rebel Derby” and “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby” eligible leader will Mastery Bob Baffert March 11 San Felipe earn spots in the maximum field of 20 horses in the Run for the McCraken Ian Wilkes March 11 Tampa Bay Derby Roses. Mo Town Tony Dutrow Feb. 25 Risen Star One Liner Todd Pletcher race on April 1 or April 8 The 20 th and final spot, a.k.a. the “bubble,” has ranged from 10 to 32 Petrov Ron Moquett March 18 Rebel points in the first four years of the point system, which debuted in Practical Joke Chad Brown March 4 Fountain of Youth 2013. When two or more horses have the same number of points, the Reach the World Bob Baffert TBA Royal Mo John Shirreffs March 11 San Felipe or March 18 Rebel tiebreaker is earnings in non-restricted stakes races then lifetime Silver Dust Randy Morse TBA earnings. State of Honor Mark Casse TBA Tapwrit Todd Pletcher March 11 Tampa Bay Derby Each race in the first leg of the Championship Series that starts Third Day Todd Pletcher March 4 Fountain of Youth Saturday and continues through March 24 is worth 50 points to the Three Rules Jose Pinchin March 4 Fountain of Youth winner, 20 to the runner-up, 10 to third and 5 to fourth. True Timber Kiaran McLaughlin March 4 Gotham Uncontested Wayne Catalano April 15 Arkansas Derby This Saturday’s Championship Series kickoff, the Risen Star (GII) at Untrapped Steve Asmussen Feb. 25 Risen Star Wild Shot Rusty Arnold II March 11 Tampa Bay Derby Fair Grounds, features likely favorite Mo Town . Winner of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Weekly Update TAKING SHAPE Friday, Feb. 24, 2017 Page 2 of 4 The possible fields for Kentucky Derby Championship Series races are fluid as horsemen vie for points on the “Road to the Kentucky #TRENDING Derby Presented by TwinSpires.com.” Below are known horses mentioned to be under consideration for each race based on 1. Withers (GIII) winner El Areeb is expected to headline the field published news reports and other sources (with Road to the Kentucky for the Gotham (GII) at Aqueduct next weekend. Entries for the race Derby point totals). Again, the shape of these fields is fluid and some will be drawn on Wednesday, March 1. horses are considered “possible” for multiple races: 2. Los Alamitos Futurity (GI) winner Mastery was back on the work FEB. 25 RISEN STAR – $400,000 Risen Star (GII) to be run over 1 tab Tuesday for trainer Bob Baffert . Mastery is likely to make his 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.: Mo Town (10), next start in the March 11 San Felipe (GII) at Santa Anita. Guest Suite (10), Untrapped (4), Takeoff (2), Arklow (1), Cool Arrow (0), Girvin (0), Horse Fly (0), It’s Your Nickel (0), Local Hero (0), 3. Cool Arrow , runner up in the Spendthrift Stallion Stakes at Shareholder Value (0) and So Conflated (0). Not Triple Crown Churchill Downs, is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in Nominated : Sorry Erik (0) and U S Officer (0). Points to Top 4 : 50-20- Saturday’s Risen Star after he was scratched from Monday’s 10-5. Southwest (GIII) at Oaklawn Park. MARCH 4 FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH – $400,000 Fountain of 4. Robert B. Lewis (GIII) runner-up Irap headlines this weekend’s Youth (GII) to be run over 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park in Mine That Bird Derby, a prep for the Sunland Derby at Sunland Park. Hallandale, Fla.: Gunnevera (14), Practical Joke (14), Irish War Cry (10), State of Honor (2), Third Day (0), Three Rules (0). Points to 5. Extricate , a well-bred $1.1 million purchase and Triple Crown Top 4 : 50-20-10-5. nominee makes his debut in a maiden special weight at Fair Grounds on Saturday for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen . MARCH 4 GOTHAM – $300,000 Gotham (GIII) to be run over 1 1/16 miles on the inner track at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, N.Y.: El 6. Excitations , coming off of an impressive maiden victory at Fair Areeb (20), True Timber (6), J Boys Echo (3), Haul Anchor (0). Grounds, is entered in a first-level allowance race going 1 1/16 miles Points to Top 4 : 50-20-10-5. on March 4. MARCH 11 TAMPA BAY DERBY – $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby 7. Lookin for Eight , an impressive maiden victor at Gulfstream Park (GII) to be run over 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, and newly acquired by trainer Mark Casse , and Sam F. Davis (GIII) Fla.: Classic Empire (32), McCraken (20), Wild Shot (7), Tapwrit (4), third-place finisher State of Honor were expected to breeze Friday at Always Dreaming (0). Points to Top 4 : 50-20-10-5. Florida’s Palm Meadows. MARCH 11 SAN FELIPE – $400,000 San Felipe (GII) to be run 8. Untapped , full sister to Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable , tries over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.: Gormley (20), to add her name onto the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard in Mastery (10), Royal Mo (10), Iliad (0).