Kentucky Derby 2017 Update: Blue Grass, SA Derby, Wood Memorial Preview

The road to Kentucky Derby 2017 is barreling down to the wire with three big prep races this week beginning with the Wood Memorial from Aqueduct.

It would not be a Derby prep without a Todd Pletcher contender and he has morning line favorite Battalion Runner for the Wood Memorial. The lightly raced $700k purchase owns early pressing versatility and will try to hold off Irish War Cry, Cloud Computing, and Mo Town.

The Blue Grass Stakes from Keeneland features the undefeated McCraken in a race without much pace. If the favorite stubs his toe, look for Tapwrit (Pletcher), J Boys Echo, and Practical Joke to pounce, and look out if Wild Shot sneaks away early!

Finally, the SA Derby is a wide open 13-horse cavalry charge with Iliad the tepid morning line favorite. The chalk might not want to go nine furlongs and if that is the case look for a real scramble in the stretch.  

You can find my SA Derby Video Play on my Free Picks page at The Runaway Horse.

Last week, Always Dreaming upended Gunnevera and company in the Florida Derby to become the latest in a long line of Kentucky Derby 2017 contenders for trainer Todd Pletcher. He looked good winning and has captured his last three route races by a combined 20 lengths!

State of Honor held on for 2nd in the Florida Derby and flattered the Tampa Bay Downs stakes form of McCraken and Tapwrit.

Gunnevera drew poorly and did not get the right setup but I was hoping he would finish a little better. He ended up an okay 3rd and should get more pace help on the first Saturday in May.

Florida Derby front runner Three Rules slowly faded and lost a 3-horse battle for 3rd (ended up 5th). His stamina was always in question and now we have the definitive answer. He does not have enough qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby and will probably show up in shorter stakes races late this year.

Girvin beat Pletcher trainee Patch in the LA Derby but the winning BSF was only 91. The aforementioned duo are both lightly raced and have plenty of upside but are not fast enough to win a race like the Kentucky Derby.

Local Hero stalked, pounced, and weakened to finish 3rd in the LA Derby. He has 30 Derby qualifying points but does not have the stamina to go a mile and a quarter.

Jarrod Horak’s “Exceptional Eleven" Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders (Updated 4-8-17)

#1 - ALWAYS DREAMING

#2 - Gunnevera

#3 - McCraken

#4 - Practical Joke

#5 - Battalion Runner

#6 - Tapwrit

#7 - Irish War Cry

#8 - Gormley

#9 - Classic Empire

#10 - Iliad

#11 - Girvin


You can read my entire Kentucky Derby 2017 contenders update blog at The Runaway Horse.

* Churchill Downs photo by Stacy Edwards