Gunnevera was the road toKentucky Derby 2017 star of last week with a powerful late running victory in the
Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, March 4.
Three Rules carved out solid fractions in the FOY and was chased by Holy Bull winner Irish War Cry, Takaful, and Made You Look, and the latter trio retreated to the back of the pack.
Meanwhile, Gunnevera and Javier Castellano were enjoying the scenery
from 10th and last before unleashing a strong late run to cross the line
5+ lengths in front.
Practical Joke rallied from 7th and fought
hard to edge a very game Three Rules for the place. It was another six
lengths back to Talk Logistics in 4th.
The Gotham was supposed to be a walk in the park for El Areeb
but his rider Trevor McCarthy made an early decision to go the front
and there was no turning back. He was hounded throughout by True Timber,
and eventual winner J Boys Echo took full advantage of the lively fractions and rolled home by 3.5 lengths (102 BSF).
Stalker Cloud Computing was clearly second
best in the Gotham and El Areeb held the show in a disappointing
performance that can be partly attributed to riding tactics.
Before anyone gets too excited about the Gotham, check out the 0-for-40
Kentucky Derby record for Gotham participants since 1980.
Two big Derby preps on tap this week beginning with the much anticipated return of Mastery
in the San Felipe. He has been my top ranked Derby contender for many
months and looks ready to roll off the bench for Bob Baffert.
2-time graded route winner Gormley and impressive G2 San Vicente hero Iliad figure to make Mastery work hard for the money.
The Tampa Bay Derby is a wide open affair and trainer Todd Pletcher has a pair of contenders including Sam F. Davis runner-up Tapwrit.
Girvin picked up 50 Kentucky Derby 2017
qualifying points and basically guaranteed himself a starting spot on
the first Saturday in May with a sharp score in the Grade 2 Risen Star
Stakes at Fair Grounds on Saturday, Feb 25.
Recent maiden winner Local Hero was all
alone on the lead but could not keep it going and Girvin stalked inside,
moved out in the lane, and won by a comfortable 2-lengths.
Untrapped was always in contention and easily went by Local Hero for the place. The latter just held the show over Guest Suite
with 3-2 favorite another 5+ lengths back in 4th. The winning BSF was a
respectable 93 but the feeling here is that the New Orleans Derby
contenders are a notch or two below the best.
El Areeb rolled home in the Jerome and
Withers and figures to be a very short price in the Gotham. He has
looked great all winter for trainer Cal Lynch but he keeps beating the
same horses on the inner dirt at Aqueduct so his true Derby standing is
unknown at this point.
In the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, Irish War Cry tries to remain unbeaten. He defeated Gunnevera in the Holy Bull and that rival is back again, along with new shooters Three Rules and Practical Joke. Jarrod Horak’s “Exceptional Eleven" Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders (Updated 3-4-17) #1 - MASTERY #2 - El Areeb #3 - Gormley #4 - Irish War Cry #5 - Three Rules #7 - McCraken #7 - Practical Joke #8 - Royal Mo #9 - Battalion Runner #10 - Classic Empire #11 - Theroy
TwoKentucky Derby 2017 prep races are on the docket this week beginning with the Gotham Stakes from Aqueduct. El Areeb easily won the first two Derby preps at Aqueduct (Jerome + Withers) and looks tough to deny in the Gotham as well. The Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream features a rematch between the Top 2 Holy Bull finishers, Irish War Cry and Gunnevera.
McCraken moved up on manyKentucky Derby 2017 lists following a sharp off the pace tally in the Sam F. Davis
Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb 11.
McCraken is now 4-for-4 and earned 10 Derby qualifying points in the G2
Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs last fall and another 10
points in Florida last weekend.
I like the fact that McCraken’s trainer Ian Wilkes worked with veteran
conditioner Carl Nafzger during Unbridled’s and Street Sense’s
Derby-winning campaigns. Mr. Wilkes is going old school with a trio of
Derby preps and we already know his promising colt likes Churchill
Downs.
Tapwrit was a decent 2nd in the Davis for Pletcher, followed by State of Honor and Wild Shot. Remsen runner-up No Dozing did not show up in a disappointing effort.
Iliad looked good in the G2 San Vicente (96
BSF) at Santa Anita Park last Sunday. Bob Baffert trained him for his
juvenile campaign and Doug "Neill is the conditioner now for Kaleem
Shah's promising runner. It looks like the San Felipe/SA Derby for this
one.
There are a pair of Derby points races this week beginning with the El
Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Feb 18. Santa Anita Park
shippers Sheer Flattery and Ann Arbor Eddie take on locals More Power to Him and Colonel Samsen in the nine furlong synthetic test. On Presidents’ Day (Monday, Feb 20), Smarty Jones Stakes 1-2-3 finishers Uncontested, Petrov, and Rowdy the Warrior meet again. Jarrod Horak’s “Exceptional Eleven" Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders (Updated 2-18-17) #1 - MASTERY #2 - McCraken #3 - El Areeb #4 - Gormley #5 - Three Rules #6 - Classic Empire #7 - Practical Joke #8 - Royal Mo #9 - Theory #10 - Battalion Runner #11 - Irish War Cry
The road to Kentucky Derby 2017 had three stops last week and Irish War Cry burst onto the scene with a sharp wire-to-wire win in the G2 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park.
Irish War Cry traveled well throughout, easily defeating G3 Delta Jackpot hero Gunnevera and 2-year-old champion Classic Empire.
The Motion trainee is now 3-for-3 but did have everything his own way
at the Gulf and figures to face a stiffer pace challenge next time.
Gunnevera rallied nicely for the place and Classic Empire
came up empty in his sophomore debut. The latter was short on
conditioning with only four works and came out of the Holy Bull with a
foot abscess.
The G3 Withers was a replay of the Jerome with track condition the only real difference. Once again, El Areeb
made short work of his competition in a solid stalk/pounce victory. He
is expected to skip the Gotham and have his final Derby prep in the Wood
Memorial. We will learn more about El Areeb vs. tougher competition at
nine furlongs.
It was nice to see Royal Mo go all the way
in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. He has been on my Derby
list for quite some time and the strapping son of Uncle Mo is developing
nicely for John Shirreffs. He is still a bit behind some of the top
tier Derby contenders but possesses raw talent and unlimited potential.
This week’s Derby points race is the G3 Sam F. Davis from Tampa Bay Downs and G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes hero McCraken is the morning line favorite.
Stakes placed colts No Dozing and Wild Shot are both solid threats, and trainer Todd Pletcher goes after his seventh Sam F. Davis victory with Fact Finding and Tapwrit. Jarrod Horak’s “Exceptional Eleven" Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders (Updated 2-11-17) #1 - MASTERY #2 - McCraken #3 - El Areeb #4 - Gormley #5 - Three Rules #6 - Classic Empire #7 - Practical Joke #8 - Royal Mo #9 - Theory #10 - Battalion Runner #11 - Irish War Cry
There are three Kentucky Derby 2017points races on the schedule for Saturday, Feb 4 including the return of 2-year-old champion Classic Empire in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park. In addition to the Holy Bull, impressive Jerome hero El Areeb is back in New York for the Withers at Aqueduct, and five horses will square off in the Robert Lewis at Santa Anita including 2-1 morning line favorite Sheer Flattery.
The road to Kentucky Derby 2017 has three stops this week beginning with the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
Only five horses entered the G3 Lewis and all seem to have a shot. The Lewis figures to come down to pace and Royal Mo might attempt a wire job from the rail.
Sheer Flattery is the morning line favorite and will probably track whatever pace develops under Mike Smith.
The other three entrants (Irap, Dangerfield, Term of Art) are trained by Doug O’Neill.
The G3 Withers looks like a one-horse affair if El Areeb runs back to his facile Jerome triumph. The Jerome was contested on a wet track so he must still prove that he can run a quality two turn race on fast ground.
The G2 Holy Bull from Gulfstream marks the much anticipated return of juvenile champion Classic Empire. He only has four workouts for this event and is obviously not fully cranked but can still score on class alone. He is already in great shape with 30 Derby points in his holster. Jarrod Horak’s “Exceptional Eleven" Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders (Updated 2-3-17) #1 - MASTERY #2 - Classic Empire #3 - Three Rules #4 - Gormley #5 - McCraken #6 - El Areeb #7 - Practical Joke #8 - Theory #9 - Royal Mo #10 - Battalion Runner #11 - Faja
Gormley took care of business in the slop and picked up 10 Kentucky Derby 2017points in a narrow head victory over American Anthem in the Grade III Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, Jan. 7.
Gormley won the G1 FrontRunner on a fast track in his second career start before a less than ideal start and wide trip derailed him in the G1 BC Juvenile. In the Sham, he shadowed American Anthem from the get-go and prevailed in a hard fought battle from start to finish.
American Anthem gave Gormley everything he could handle but two turn graded stakes experience ruled the day. The Baffert trainee has plenty of upside and it was thirteen lengths back to show finisher Big Hit.
Just like the Jerome a week prior, the Sham was contested on a wet track. The top performers in both races are obviously talented but wet tracks frequently produce lopsided victories with strung-out fields. Let’s see what El Areeb, Gormley, and American Anthem can do in upcoming fast track graded routes vs. tougher competition. With that in mind, American Anthem moves up to #13 on my “Next Nine” but will not enter the “Exceptional Eleven” just yet. Jarrod Horak’s “Exceptional Eleven" Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders (Updated 1-15-17) #1 - MASTERY #2 - Classic Empire #3 - Three Rules #4 - Gormley #5 - McCraken #6 - El Areeb #7 - Beach Bum #8 - Royal Mo #9 - Klimt #10 - Theory #11 - Practical Joke
El Areeb is the latest Kentucky Derby 2017 flavor of the month following a facile victory in the Grade 3 Jerome at Aqueduct on Jan 2.
Blowout
wins on wet tracks are typically not duplicated under a different set
of circumstances next time out so right now I would say that I am
cautiously optimistic regarding El Areeb. He is obviously
talented but must prove himself on dry land against bigger and better
foes. Time will tell if he is a legit Derby contender.
Jarrod Horak’s “Exceptional Eleven" Kentucky Derby 2017 Contenders (Updated 1-7-17) #1 - MASTERY #2 - Classic Empire #3 - Three Rules #4 - Gormley #5 - Beach Bum #6 - Royal Mo #7 - McCracken #8 - Klimt #9 - El Areeb #10 - Theory #11 - Practical Joke
