After traveling the GI Kentucky Derby trail through the first half of this year with MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner), Al Gold's Gold Square and Brad Cox took the first step down the long road to the 2023 Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs, winning the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. with Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro).
Rallying to victory on debut going seven panels at Saratoga Sept. 3, the $200,000 KEESEP buy came from way out of it to be fourth behind next-out GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and likely champion Forte (Violence) going this distance in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. Oct. 8.
Hammered down to 3-2 favoritism off that effort, Instant Coffee held his breath a moment at the break and was jostled by his neighbor when making his entrance. Settling in sixth, the bay bided his time as 24-1 shot Gigante (Not This Time) dictated terms, coasting through early splits of :24.76 and :50 flat. Creeping up the outside to improve his position on the backstretch run as Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief) charged up to take command, Instant Coffee ranged up four wide turning for home to take on the top two as Curly Jack (Good Magic) launched a bid on the fence. They were four abreast with a sixteenth left to run, but that only lasted a moment as Instant Coffee kicked into high gear, powering home to a convincing 1 1/4-length score. Curly Jack held second and Hayes Strike (Connect) filled the show spot. Instant Coffee earned 10 points towards a spot in the gate for the Run for the Roses.
“This is one of the biggest reasons why we do this–to be on the Road to the Kentucky Derby,” Cox said. “We're extremely proud of this colt to win like that in just his third start. He really does whatever you ask of him in the morning. It was a pretty slow pace but Luis kept after him and he was able to keep grinding out the win.”
“He broke a little bit slow today so we got behind the pace,” winning jockey Luis Saez said. “I was a little worried because they weren't really going fast at all up front and I was pretty wide. I could tell around the far turn my horse was trying very hard and I was very confident in him. We were able to make a big run into the lane and he kept finding more. He's a young horse who's just getting started and figuring things out.”
Pedigree Notes:
Instant Coffee is the third graded winner for his freshman sire Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) and his first on dirt. He is also the fifth black-type scorer for the young Spendthrift stallion, providing the late B. Wayne Hughes' operation with a sweep of Churchill's graded events Saturday, following Into Mischief's daughter Hoosier Philly's win in the GII Golden Rod S. Instant Coffee is the third graded winner and ninth black-type achiever out of a daughter of Uncle Mo. He is the first foal out of SP Follow No One, who has since produced a yearling filly by Frosted. She aborted her Speightstown foal this year and was bred back to Maclean's Music. Instant Coffee's second dam is MSW Miss Red Delicious (Empire Maker), who is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Lady Apple (Curlin) and GSW American Apple (American Pharoah).
Saturday, Churchill Downs
KENTUCKY JOCKEY CLUB S.-GII, $399,625, Churchill Downs, 11-26, 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.25, ft.
1–INSTANT COFFEE, 122, c, 2, by Bolt d'Oro
1st Dam: Follow No One (SP), by Uncle Mo
2nd Dam: Miss Red Delicious, by Empire Maker
3rd Dam: Miss Mary Apples, by Clever Trick
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($200,000
Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Sagamore Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Luis Saez. $238,440. Lifetime Record:
3-2-0-0, $322,815. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Curly Jack, 122, c, 2, Good Magic–Connie and Michael, by
Roman Ruler. ($180,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Michael
McLoughlin; B-Betz/J.Betz/Burns/Camaquiki/C.Kidder/et al
(KY); T-Thomas M. Amoss. $77,400.
3–Hayes Strike, 122, c, 2, Connect–Plaid, by
Deputy Commander. O/B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G.
McPeek. $38,700.
Margins: 1 1/4, HD, NO. Odds: 1.54, 2.62, 22.88.
Also Ran: Red Route One, Denington, Gigante, Cyclone Mischief, Freedom Trail, Western Ghent.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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