Derby Week Stakes Races Taking Shape At Churchill Downs

Seventeen stakes races cumulatively worth purses of $9.78 million are on tap for Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs, which runs Tuesday, Sept. 1 through Saturday, Sept. 5. The spectacular week of racing, headlined by the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) on Sept. 5 and $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Sept. 4, will feature 14 graded stakes events.

Here's a look at some of the known early probable entrants, according to assistant racing secretary and stakes coordinator Dan Bork:

$115,000 Champion's Day Marathon Overnight Stakes presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (Entries taken Friday, race Tuesday, Sept. 1) – Probable: Eskenforit (trainer Steve Margolis).

$150,000 Unbridled Sidney (Entries taken Saturday, race Wednesday, Sept. 2) – Bye Bye J (Steve Asmussen); Change of Control (Michelle Lovell); Dixieincandyland (Eddie Kenneally); Stonewood (Carlo Vaccarezza); Tomlin (Mike Stidham); and Violent Times (Ralph Nicks).

$200,000 Pocahontas (GII) (Entries taken Sunday, race Thursday, Sept. 1) – Alexandria (Tim Hamm); Crazy Beautiful (Kenny McPeek); Dream Quist (McPeek); Girl Daddy (Dale Romans); Trip to Seoul (James Chapman); and Xtrema (Keith Desormeaux).

$115,000 Opening Verse Overnight Stakes (Entries taken Sunday, race Thursday, Sept. 1) – Crafty Daddy (Kenny McPeek); Cullum Road (Ignacio Correas IV); Hembree (Mike Maker); and Mr. Misunderstood (Brad Cox). Possible: Set Piece (Brad Cox).

$300,000 Eight Belles presented by TwinSpires.com (GII) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – Four Graces (Ian Wilkes); Mundaye Call (Brad Cox); and Sconsin (Greg Foley). Possible: Ocean Breeze (Wayne Catalano).

$300,000 Edgewood presented by Forcht Bank (GII) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – Beguiled (Phil D'Amato); Lucky Betty (Will VanMeter); Outburst (Eddie Kenneally); and Sharing (Graham Motion).

$250,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint presented by Sysco (GII) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – Archidust (Steve Asmussen); Carotari (Bryan Lynch); Chaps (Eddie Kenneally); Chief Cicatriz (Shawn Davis); Diamond Oops (Patrick Biancone); Extravagant Kid (Brendan Walsh); Tell Your Daddy (Neil Pessin); Tiger Blood (Mike Maker); and Well Labeled (Larry Rivelli).

$400,000 Alysheba presented by Sentient Jet (GII) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – By My Standards (Bret Calhoun); Hence (Jack Sisterson); Owendale (Brad Cox); and Silver Dust (Bret Calhoun).

$1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (GI) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Bowies Hero (Phil D'Amato); Digital Age (Chad Brown); Factor This (Brad Cox); Mr Dumas (Mike Maker); Parkland (Carlo Vaccarezza); Sacred Life (Chad Brown); Somelikeithotbrown (Maker); and Spectacular Gem (Jimmy Baker).

$500,000 La Troienne presented by Oak Grove Racing & Gaming (GI) (Entries taken Monday, Race Friday, Sept. 4) – Lady Kate (Eddie Kenneally); Monomoy Girl (Brad Cox); Saracosa (Cipriano Contreras); and She's a Julie (Steve Asmussen). Possible: Vexatious (Jack Sisterson).

$500,000 Derby City Distaff presented by Derby City Gaming (GI) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Bell's the One (Neil Pessin); Mia Mischief (Steve Asmussen); Sally's Curlin (Dale Romans); Serengeti Empress (Tom Amoss); and Wildwood's Beauty (Scott Becker).

$500,000 Longines Distaff Turf Mile (GII) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Beau Recall (Brad Cox); Belle Laura (Juan Avila); Daddy is a Legend (Rusty Arnold); Juliet Foxtrot (Brad Cox); and Newspaperofrecord (Chad Brown). Possible: She'sonthewarpath (Steve Margolis).

$500,000 American Turf presented by Smithfield (GII) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Fancy Liquor (Mike Maker); Field Pass (Maker); King Theo (Carlo Vaccarezza); Mr. Big News (Bret Calhoun); Sugoi (Mike Tomlinson); and Vanzzy (Mike Pino). Possible: South Bend (Bill Mott).

$500,000 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU (GII) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Cezanne (Bob Baffert); Echo Town (Steve Asmussen); Liam's Pride (Doug O'Neill); Shashashakemeup (Keith Desormeaux); and Sonneman (Steve Asmussen). Possible: Attachment Rate (Dale Romans); Rushie (Michael McCarthy); South Bend (Bill Mott); and Taishan (Richard Baltas).

$200,000 Iroquois presented by Ford (GIII) (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 1, Race Saturday, Sept. 5) – Belafonte (Tom Humphries); Drop Anchor (Kenny McPeek); Pico D'Oro (Bill Morey); Sittin On Go (Dale Romans); Super Stock (Steve Asmussen); Therideofalifetime (Ignacio Correas IV); and Ultimate Badger (Romans).

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The Derby 20 Presented By NYRA Bets: Decisions, Decisions

Less than two weeks from the 2020 Kentucky Derby, and while we've learned that fans won't be in the stands, connections have been working hard to finalize their plans for this year's contenders.

The list of 20 contenders below appears to be the total number of expected entrants for the Run for the Roses, and includes, for the first time since the introduction of the Derby points system in 2013, a horse with no points at all. That's Shirl's Speight, a Charles Fipke homebred undefeated in two starts in Canada for trainer Roger Attfield. He's a talented colt by Speightstown and gets Corey Lanerie in the saddle, bringing a little more intrigue to this year of the unexpected.

The only jockey left to be decided is that of Rushie, the Michael McCarthy trainee expected to ship to Louisville from California on Tuesday.

Updates to this list will be made as contenders go through their final workouts over the next week, potentially moving a few horses up or down for the final Paulick Report rankings.

The updated points leaderboard is available here: Derby Oaks Leaderboard

Where did your favorite Derby horse end up? Be sure to click on the expandable boxes for each Derby candidate to get all the latest information in this edition of The Derby 20!

Tiz the Law
Connections
Pedigree
372
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
1st
Paulick Report Ranking
Honor A. P.
Connections
Pedigree
140
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
2nd
Paulick Report Ranking
Art Collector
Connections
Pedigree
150
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
3rd
Paulick Report Ranking
King Guillermo
Connections
Pedigree
90
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
4th
Paulick Report Ranking
Caracaro
Connections
Pedigree
60
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
5th
Paulick Report Ranking
Ny Traffic
Connections
Pedigree
110
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
6th
Paulick Report Ranking
Thousand Words
Connections
Pedigree
83
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
7th
Paulick Report Ranking
Authentic
Connections
Pedigree
200
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
8th
Paulick Report Ranking
Sole Volante
Connections
Pedigree
30
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
9th
Paulick Report Ranking
Max Player
Connections
Pedigree
60
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
10th
Paulick Report Ranking
Enforceable
Connections
Pedigree
43
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
11th
Paulick Report Ranking
Shirl's Speight
Connections
Pedigree
0
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
12th
Paulick Report Ranking
Major Fed
Connections
Pedigree
38
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
13th
Paulick Report Ranking
Finnick the Fierce
Connections
Pedigree
25
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
14th
Paulick Report Ranking
Attachment Rate
Connections
Pedigree
38
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
15th
Paulick Report Ranking
Necker Island
Connections
Pedigree
14
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
16th
Paulick Report Ranking
Rushie
Connections
Pedigree
40
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
17th
Paulick Report Ranking
Dr Post
Connections
Pedigree
83
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
18th
Paulick Report Ranking
Storm the Court
Connections
Pedigree
36
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
19th
Paulick Report Ranking
Winning Impression
Connections
Pedigree
20
Derby Points
Next Expected Start
20th
Paulick Report Ranking

The post The Derby 20 Presented By NYRA Bets: Decisions, Decisions appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Authentic Pulled Up Mid-Workout To Avoid Stricken Horse; Breeze Rescheduled For Tuesday

Haskell winner and Kentucky Derby contender Authentic was about an eighth of a mile into his penultimate breeze on Monday morning at Del Mar, reports the Daily Racing Form, when Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert radioed from his spot in the grandstand out to exercise rider Juan Ochoa, telling him to pull up.

Ahead of Authentic, near the wire, a different horse had suffered a catastrophic injury, causing track officials to set off the warning siren.

Authentic was pulled up and taken back to the barn, and Baffert decided to reschedule the colt's workout for Tuesday morning, five days ahead of his planned final breeze on Sunday. The 3-year-old son of Into Mischief is scheduled to fly to Kentucky the following morning, on Monday, Aug. 31.

The injured horse, vanned off the track after the incident, was identified as Phil D'Amato trainee Irreproachable.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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Max Player Works at Churchill for Derby

Max Player (Honor Code), third in both the GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. behind expected GI Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law (Constitution), worked in company Monday morning at Churchill Downs as he continued his preparations for the Sept. 5 Derby. Under jockey Florent Geroux, Max Player completed a five-eighths work in :59.60 during the 15-minute window set aside exclusively for Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks contenders.

Off at approximately 7:30 a.m., Max Player began the move two lengths behind his stablemate, Allege (Uncle Mo), and finished on even terms at the wire. He recorded splits of :23.80 for the quarter and :35.80 for three furlongs, galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.60.

“He worked really well behind his workmate,” said Geroux, who was deputizing for rider Ricardo Santana, Jr., who is scheduled to have the mount for the Derby. “I think he will like the 1 1/4-mile distance in the Derby. I was working the horse this morning because Ricardo is still at Saratoga. Steve [Asmussen] has given me many great opportunities in my career so I always try to help when he needs me. I will be on [trainer] Bob Baffert’s horse Thousand Words [Pioneerof the Nile] in the Derby.”

Sporting the colors of George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp., Max Player was trained by New York-based Linda Rice through the Aug. 8 Travers before being transferred to Asmussen. Never off the board in five career starts, he opened his sophomore campaign with a win in the GIII Withers S. Feb. 1 prior to his placings in the Belmont and Travers.

The post Max Player Works at Churchill for Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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