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Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: All Others At 4-5, Locked 14-1

Six months in advance of Kentucky Derby 50, the pari-mutuel field of “All Other Colts and Geldings” closed as the odds-on 4-5 favorite in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) and Breeders' Futurity (Grade 1) winner Locked, who runs in Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), was the 14-1 second choice.

Other horses who attracted mild interest from bettors include Dornoch (19-1), a full brother to this year's Kentucky Derby winner Mage, and Champagne (G1) winner Timberlake (20-1), who also runs in Friday's Juvenile.

Horses in order of the public's betting choice (with trainer, Pool 1 odds and $2 Win Will Pays): #40 “All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2021 Foal Crop” (4-5, $3.90); #22 Locked (Todd Pletcher, 14-1, $30.68); #13 Dornoch (Danny Gargan, 19-1, $41.80); #37 Timberlake (Brad Cox, 20-1, $42.26); #15 Fierceness (Todd Pletcher, 29-1, $60.68); #27 Noted (Todd Pletcher, 31-1, $65.06); #6 Bentornato (Jose D'Angelo, 32-1, $67.36); #3 Air of Defiance (Brad Cox, 33-1, $69.72); #33 Seize the Grey (Wayne Lukas, 37-1, $76.08); #36 The Wine Steward (Mike Maker, 40-1, $83.34); #1 Agate Road (Todd Pletcher, 49-1, $100.10); #10 Catching Freedom (Brad Cox, 49-1, $100.80); #20 Liberal Arts (Robert Medina, 51-1, $104.68); #9 Booth (Steve Asmussen, 52-1, $106.20); #28 Nutella Fella (Gary Contessa, 52-1, $107.84); #34 Stretch Ride (Dale Romans, 55-1, $110.12); #32 Rocketeer (Brad Cox, 58-1, $118.38); #16 General Partner (Chad Brown, 58-1, $118.90); #39 “All Fillies from the 2021 Foal Crop” (61-1, $125.70); #5 Be You (Todd Pletcher, 63-1, $128.98); #24 Nash (Brad Cox, 68-1, $138.32); #18 Glengarry (Doug Anderson, 71-1, $145.80); #7 Bergen (Brad Cox, 75-1, $153.74); #31 Risk It (Steve Asmussen, 76-1, $155.72); #12 Domestic Product (Chad Brown, 79-1, $160.76); #14 Drum Roll Please (Brad Cox, 88-1, $179.74); #23 Moonlight (Todd Pletcher, 96-1, $194.50); #26 Otto The Conqueror(Steve Asmussen, 100-1, $203.22); #35 Stronghold (Phil D'Amato, 101-1, $204.94); #38 West Saratoga (Larry Demeritte, 108-1, $218.06); #29 Private Desire (Todd Pletcher, 109-1, $220.72); #17 Generous Tipper (Kenny McPeek, 111-1, $224.58); #8 Billal (Bill Mott, 111-1, $225.98); #21 Lightline (Brad Cox, 133-1, $268.62); #11 Dancing Groom (Antonio Sano, 135-1, $272.64); #25 Normandy Hero (Rodolphe Brisset, 145-1, $292.42); #2 Agoo (Whit Beckman, 152-1, $307.26); #19 Informed Patriot (Steve Asmussen, 158-1, $319.90); #4 Balta (Paulo Lobo, 194-1, $390.42); and #30 Raging Torrent (Doug O'Neill, 206-1, $415.74).

Total handle for the Oct. 31-Nov. 2 KDFW pool – the first of six scheduled wagering pools in advance of the 150^th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on Saturday, May 4 – was $164,278 ($132,033 in the Win pool and $32,245 in Exactas), a 43% jump from last year's $114,910 ($90,007 in the Win pool and $24,903 in Exactas).

Inaugurated in 1999, the Kentucky Derby Future Wager has been offered for a 26^thconsecutive year.

Other Future Wager dates are set for Nov. 23-26 (Pool 2); Jan. 19-21 (Pool 3); Feb. 16-18 (Pool 4); March 15-17 (Pool 5); April 4-6 (Pool 6). The Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which debuted in 2015 and requires bettors to wager on the winning sire for next year's Kentucky Derby winner, will be held concurrently with Pool 2. The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will coincide with Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5.

Visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/FutureWager for more information.

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A Classic Season for Castellano

ARCADIA, CA – As Javier Castellano gets ready to ride three mounts on Breeders' Cup Saturday, the recently turned 46-year-old is amidst one of the best years of his career. And it almost never happened.

A pair of Breeders' Cup wins at the 2019 Championships put an exclamation point on the Hall of Famer's eighth straight season with more than $20 million in earnings. But, the year 2020, like it was for so many, was more about overcoming adversity for the native of Venezuela.

Castellano was the first jockey to test positive for COVID-19–he wasn't symptomatic, thankfully–during the beginning of the pandemic in March and was on the sidelines again after undergoing hip surgery at the end of the year.

“It was tough, not just for myself, but for everybody in the world in 2020,” Castellano said. “I only missed three months. And it seemed like it was forever.”

Castellano returned to action in 2021, but wasn't exactly welcomed back with open arms. Competing in pound for pound the deepest jockey colony in the nation in New York, Castellano rode 105 winners that season, good for $9,804,024 in earnings. After going just 13-for-142 at the prestigious Saratoga meeting, Castellano's career was suddenly at a crossroads.

Javier Castellano entered the Hall of Fame in 2017 | Horsephotos

“I was devastated. I was ready to give up,” said Castellano, a winner of four straight Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Jockey between 2013-16. “I just came back from everything and people didn't give me an opportunity. One moment I thought, 'I think this is it. I can't keep doing what I'm doing.' I was really really depressed.”

He continued, “They didn't care about who you are or what you did in the past. It's amazing. I was a Hall of Fame rider, a four-time leading jockey in the nation in back-to-back years, had six Travers then, 12 Breeders' Cups and won more than 5,000 races. And it didn't mean anything. You have to prove yourself and that you belong.”

Castellano picked himself up off the mat and hired longtime former racing official P.J. Campo to handle his book. He began to right the ship with 163 victories in 2022. By comparison, Castellano rode a total of 212 winners combined the previous two years.

How did he power his way through?

“Mentally, I had to be strong,” said Castellano, a married father of three. “A lot of discipline and dedication. Do the homework every single day. Regroup and try to be very positive.”

The momentum began to build for Castellano after he won three races on Saratoga's opening day card that summer.

“In 2022, we started rolling a little bit in Saratoga,” Castellano said. “I also went out of town for the right people and won some races. I knock a little bit and the door began to open a little here and there.”

Castellano is no longer the one doing the knocking this year.

He put to bed an 0-for-15 mark on the first Saturday in May with a 15-1 upset aboard Mage (Good Magic) in the GI Kentucky Derby, and, just five weeks later, secured his first GI Belmont S. victory with Arcangelo (Arrogate). Castellano became the first jockey to win two Triple Crown races on two different horses in the same year since Calvin Borel did so in 2009. He's won 16 graded races so far this year, including seven at the top level.

“Thank God, I've been very blessed and very fortunate to have one of the best years of my career,” Castellano said. “It was a great achievement to win the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, two Triple Crown races in the same year. I was always missing something on my resume.”

With Castellano's two Classic winners on a collision course this summer, he stuck with the recently retired Arcangelo, who followed up with a convincing win in the GI Travers S., the rider's record seventh victory in the 'Mid-Summer Derby.' The gray, unfortunately, was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Classic–a race Castellano won aboard the sensational Ghostzapper in 2004–earlier this week after developing a foot issue.

Javier Castellano celebrates aboard Ghostzapper following the 2004 Classic | Horsephotos

“He gave me an opportunity to regroup in my career, and, in my life, and enjoy these beautiful moments with my family,” Castellano said.

As for Arcangelo missing the Classic and now off to begin his career at stud at Lane's End, he said, “This is hard, but one decision I fully support. Arcangelo is safe and sound and that's all I can really think about. He has given me so much and I'm so blessed to have been part of the team.”

Castellano's mounts on Saturday's Championship program at Santa Anita include: GI Beverly D. S. winner and E.P. Taylor S. winner Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf; GII American Turf S. winner and narrow GI Saratoga Derby Invitational S. runner-up Webslinger (Constitution) in the GII Twilight Derby; and Time for Trouble (English Channel) in the 1 5/8-mile GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S.

“It could be a good example for anybody,” Castellano concluded. “You never give up. When you want something in life, you have to work for it. When you work for it, you get it.”

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Liberal Arts Splashes To Victory In Street Sense, Provides Trainer Medina First Graded Win

Liberal Arts relished the added distance and sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs on Sunday as he rallied from last to win the 11th running of the $200,000 Street Sense (G3) – the featured event on opening day of Churchill Downs' 134th Fall Meet and 19th annual Stars of Tomorrow I program for juveniles.

Cristian Torres rode the winner for trainer Robert Medina and owners-breeders Stephen and Evan Ferraro as the Kentucky-bred son of Arrogate clocked 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.50 to defeat 6-5 morning line favorite Moonlight by 2¾ lengths.

Gettysburg Address led the compressed field of five 2-year-old colts through measured and unpressured fractions of :23.73, :47.93, and 1:13.05 as Liberal Arts was content to trail early and conserve his energy for a late run. As Informed Patriot collared into a tiring Gettysburg Address with three-sixteenths of a mile to run, Liberal Arts was beginning to hit his best stride. Liberal Arts quickly closed into the leaders and was full of run late to score the convincing come-from-behind win.

“This horse really has improved as the distances got longer,” Torres said. “Turning for home today I just had a ton of horse beneath me and I think he really appreciated going two turns. I got him to relax on the backside and he won like a professional today.”

Liberal Arts earned $123,000 for the win and improved his record to 5-2-1-2—$226,825. He also earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series that will determine the preference list for the 20-horse 150th Kentucky Derby (G1) on Saturday, May 4. Points were awarded on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.

Liberal Arts paid $14.18 for the win at odds of 6-1. Moonlight passed Informed Patriot for second, while that rival finished a length back in third.

Gettysburg Address and Northern Flame completed the order of finish. Barksdale, Generous Tipper and Parchment Party were scratched.

Prior to the Street Sense, Liberal Arts finished third in the Churchill's one-turn, one-mile Iroquois (G3) on Sept. 16 behind West Saratoga and Risk It.

“We knew we wouldn't be able to get longer distances until the fall, so we made sure this horse had some experience under his belt, but knew he'd appreciate the stretch out,” said Medina, who tallied his first graded stakes win as a trainer. “Going two-turns today I think was the key. He's made five starts this year and talking with the ownership group the plan is now to lay him up until next year and point to some of the big 3-year-old races.”

The gray or roan Liberal Arts is out of the Tribal Rule dam Ismene.

The Street Sense is named in honor of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, who became the first horse to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) as a 2-year-old and the Run for the Roses at age 3. He also was the first Champion Two-Year-Old Male to win the Kentucky Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979. Carl Nafzger, who trained Street Sense, was on hand to present the winning trophy in Sunday's race.

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The Best Since Frankel? What The Ratings Say About City Of Troy

We can believe what our eyes are telling us. That was the verdict from Timeform on Monday, with the ratings gurus placing City Of Troy a joint second in terms of winning performances posted in the Dewhurst this century.

The one horse rated higher than Aidan O'Brien's bright young star? You guessed it, the mighty Frankel, who those closest to City Of Troy drew parallels with after that stunning victory at Newmarket on Saturday.

“He really is our Frankel,” said Michael Tabor, one of the part-owners in City Of Troy after the Dewhurst demolition.

“I know the way Aidan speaks. We're all optimists, but this horse is special. No question, he's the real deal.”

He added, “That's what we feel at this moment. Maybe down the line we'll have egg on our face, but I like to talk before the event and I really feel this horse could be anything.”

High praise indeed. It seems as though Tabor was not alone in his summarisation of the performance with Timeform rating City Of Troy 125p.

That puts him alongside Pinatubo, Teofilo and New Approach for what they achieved in their respective Dewhurst victories. Meanwhile, Frankel achieved a rating of 126 for his Dewhurst triumph in 2010.

City Of Troy has raced just three times and remains unbeaten after pulling over three lengths clear of the 107-rated Alyanaabi in the Group 1 contest.

The bookmakers were suitably impressed and slashed City Of Troy into even-money favouritism for next year's 2,000 Guineas. Not only that, but he is now just 5-2 to win the Derby, while some firms are quoting odds of 10-1 for City Of Troy to do what no horse has done since Nijinsky in 1970 by winning the Triple Crown.

To provide further context to what the figures suggests City Of Troy achieved on Saturday, horses like Too Darn Hot, Shamardal [124 apiece], Rock Of Gibraltar, Air Force Blue [123 apiece], Sir Percy and Dawn Approach [122 apiece] were all rated behind him.

The best since Frankel is how many key industry figures labelled City Of Troy after Saturday. The ratings would suggest the same.

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