breeders' cup juvenile | Horse Racing Free Tips

Derby Points for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Other Races Upped

The “Road to the Kentucky Derby,” a series of races awarding points toward a starting gate position in each year's GI Kentucky Derby, will see modifications for the upcoming season, including an increase of points for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile from 20-8-4-2 to 30-12-9-6-3.

In addition, other early-season prep races have been elevated from 10-4-2-1 to 20-8-6-4-2 in an effort to increase the importance of those races. They include the GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds, the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park, the GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct, the GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park, the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita, the GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs, and the John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway Park.

Churchill Downs officials have also increased the points now to be awarded to the top five finishing positions in most qualifying races on a sliding scale of 10-4-3-2-1. Previously, those races had been worth 10-4-2-1.

“We believe these modifications adhere to and amplify our goal of assembling the finest group of 3-year-olds in the starting gate for a race at the classic distance of 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May,” said Mike Ziegler, Vice President and General Manager at Churchill Downs.

The inaugural qualifying points system was instituted for the 2013 Derby. Churchill Downs will run the 149th edition of the sport's signature race Saturday, May 6, 2023. The Road to the Kentucky Derby will begin Saturday with the $300,000 GIII Iroquois S. for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on opening weekend of Churchill's 14-day September Meet.

The same changes made to the Road to the Kentucky Derby have been made to the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series, which awards qualifying points to fillies for the GI Kentucky Oaks, held this coming year on Friday, May 5, 2023.

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Champion Juvenile Corniche Retired to Coolmore America

Last year's champion 2-year-old colt, OBS April sale topper and 'TDN Rising Star' Corniche (Quality Road–Wasted Tears, by Najran) has been retired from racing and will take up stud duties at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud for 2023.

Bred by Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings out of six-time GSW and GISP Wasted Tears, Corniche was purchased for $1.5 million by agent Marette Farrell on behalf of Peter Fluor and K.C. Weiner's Speedway Stables LLC following a powerful :10 flat OBSAPR '21 breeze.

He was then turned over to Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, and took his Del Mar debut handily last September before stretching out successfully in the GI American Pharoah S. The bay completed a perfect juvenile campaign back in San Diego in last November's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Transferred to the Todd Pletcher barn for the 2022 season, he reportedly suffered a hind joint injury on his seasonal debut in Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S. July 31, prompting his retirement. It was his only defeat.

“It's unfortunate that Corniche has been forced to retire at this point in his career, but he will be revered for his remarkable juvenile season,” said Ashford Stud Manager Dermot Ryan. “He's a most impressive-looking individual and I can see him proving extremely popular amongst breeders.”

Corniche retires with earnings of $1,263,500. A stud fee will be announced at a later date.

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Corniche Nearing Return

He has yet to run this year, which has turned GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Corniche (Quality Road) into the forgotten horse in the 3-year-old male division. That, however, may be about to change. Corniche has had two recent works at WinStar Farm and, according to Marette Farrel, an advisor to owners K.C. Weiner and Peter Fluor, the colt will return to the racetrack within a couple of weeks.

“His last work at WinStar [four furlongs in :48.94 last Saturday], they said that it was an 'A' work,” Farrel said. “He couldn't have been more impressive.”

Corniche, a $1.5-million purchase at the 2021 OBS Spring Sale, debuted Sept. 4 for trainer Bob Baffert, breaking his maiden by 4 1/4 lengths. Up next was a 3 1/4-length win in the GI American Pharoah and then a 1 3/4-length victory in the Breeders' Cup. Named 2-year-old male champion, Corniche was the early favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby and his connections began to plot a course to get him to Churchill Downs. But there was a problem. Corniche was not flourishing.

“He really only got 30 days off,” Farrel said. “He didn't come to WinStar until the beginning of December. The first week of January, he started jogging and then he started galloping. It was then that he didn't bloom like he should have.”

Farrel said there were rumors that Corniche had suffered some kind of physical setback, but says that was never the case. But he wasn't showing the connections what they wanted to see. With the calendar entering mid-March and with Corniche still not having had a workout, a decision had to be made. Press on for the Derby or come up with an alternate plan?

“He was a little slow to come around physically and he was still holding on to his winter coat,” Farrel said. “Peter and K.C. had a choice to make in March. Do you push the horse and rush him to the Derby or do you let the horse come back naturally in his own time and in his own way? They are very successful businessmen and they understand big picture things. They said, 'We want to do right by the horse.' Let him tell us what he wants to do and when he wants to do it. I applaud Peter and K.C. for taking what is, in my opinion, the right road.”

But that meant giving up on any chance to win the Kentucky Derby.

“There hasn't been any frustration,” Farrel said. “They took the horsemen's path and did the right thing by the horse. They weren't shortsighted and said, 'Let's go for it, let's take a chance.' If they did that they might not have had any horse left after running him in the Derby.”

Corniche's first published workout of the year came on Apr. 15 when he breezed three furlongs in :36.80 at WinStar. It was exactly what his team had been looking for, a sign that he was finally coming around. After one or two more works at WinStar, the next step for Corniche will be to return to the track and continue to work toward his first start of the year. The problem with that is that his return will come while Baffert is serving a 90-day suspension for the betamethasone positive he was hit with in last year's Kentucky Derby. That opens up the possibility that Corniche will be turned over to a new trainer. Farrel said the owners have yet to reach a decision concerning who will get the horse.

Farrel said the main goals will be the GI Haskell S. and the GI Travers S. and she is confident Corniche will be ready by then and will return to top form. The Derby and the entire Triple Crown may be out, but Corniche may still make something out of what so far has been a lost year.

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Juvenile Third Giant Game ‘Looking Good, Feeling Good’ Ahead Of Holy Bull

West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stable LLC's Giant Game is set to make his 3-year-old debut in Saturday's $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park a bigger and, hopefully, better racehorse.

“Like we say every year, this is the time for the 2-year-olds to turn into men and grow up,” trainer Dale Romans said. “I think he's made a good turn. He had a little freshener. He had a few weeks off after the Breeders' Cup and has gone right back in training.”

If Giant Game, who finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) in only his third career start, returns to action just a little bit better Saturday, the son of Giant's Causeway should be expected to be a major factor in the 1 1/16-mile prep on the Road to the Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

“He's gotten a lot thicker. He's not the tallest horse in the world. He's a more racier Giant's Causeway than you usually see. He has started to thicken up and start to look like the rest of them,” Romans said.

“I think this is the best place to winter to make them good horses later. That's what I'm seeing from him. He's looking good, feeling good. This warm salty air is good for him.”

Giant Game made a late run to finish third in his Sept. 18 six-furlong debut at Churchill Downs before stretching out to 1 1/16 miles to graduate going away by three lengths at Keeneland next time out. The performance encouraged Romans to ship him to Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup.

“I put my neck on the line there, coming off a maiden race at Keeneland. But when you have a horse with his pedigree, looks like him, acts like him, and runs like he did, you expect him to perform at the highest level, so you put them in the highest-level races,” Romans said.

Leading jockey Luis Saez will ride Giant Game for the first time in the Holy Bull.

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