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

The road to Kentucky Derby 2017 featured three big prep races on April 8 and Irish War Cry bounced back with a sharp victory in the Wood Memorial from Aqueduct.

Irish War Cry was content to track post time favorite Battalion Runner and was always moving sweetly under Rajiv Maragh. He pulled clear in the stretch and earned a 101 BSF.

It was a two-horse race throughout and Battalion Runner was clearly second best over Cloud Computing.

In a stunning Blue Grass Stakes outcome, longshot Irap earned his maiden win over Practical Joke and McCraken. The winning BSF was 93 and the top three finishes will all move on to the Kentucky Derby.

Gotham winner J Boys Echo and Tampa Bay Derby hero Tapwrit turned in disappointing efforts in the Blue Grass but both have enough Derby qualifying points in their connections opt to run on the first Saturday in May.

The SA Derby (88 BSF with slow final 3/8ths) was a mad 5-horse scramble in the stretch and Gormley got up late over Battle of Midway, Royal Mo, Reach the World, and Iliad. The latter pair do not have the necessary Derby points and Royal Mo is on the bubble. 

The final Derby prep is the Arkansas Derby on April 15 and it figures to have major implications on the final points standings. I will be back next week with a video preview of Oaklawn Park’s showcase event.

Jarrod Horak’s “Exceptional Eleven" Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders (Updated 4-9-17)

#1 - ALWAYS DREAMING

#2 - Gunnevera

#3 - McCraken

#4 - Irish War Cry

#5 - Battalion Runner

#6 - Girvin

#7 - Practical Joke

#8 - Gormley

#9 - Classic Empire

#10 - One Liner

#11 - Irap


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

* Churchill Downs photo by Stacy Edwards