Tag: Triple Crown

Three high-profile sports media personalities are preparing to experience the 2023 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve not just as fans of Thoroughbred racing, but as minority owners of Kentucky Derby contender Jace's Road in partnership with West Point Thoroughbreds and through America's Best Racing's “A Stake in Stardom” program. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, FOX Sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak, Fox Sports talk show host Joy Taylor will be attending the 2023 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 6, in Louisville, Ky., to experience the sport and lifestyle of one of Thoroughbred racing's most celebrated events up close.  As participants in Season 2 of America's Best Racing's A Stake in Stardom, they are newly minted Thoroughbred owners and are being immersed into the exciting world of elite Thoroughbred racing.

Jace's Road, a 3-year-old colt, is trained by Brad Cox and ridden by jockey Florent Geroux. He was bred in Kentucky and has six career starts with two wins, two thirds, and career earnings of $238,050. He finished third in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby in March. He is owned in partnership by Albaugh Family Stables LLC and West Point Thoroughbreds.

West Point Thoroughbreds won the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming and the 2022 Breeders' Cup Classic with the world's No. 1 ranked racehorse, Flightline. They have won 1,023 races and amassed more than $69 million in purse earnings dating to 2007, during which time they have captured 62 graded stakes wins. The syndicate was named by founder Terry Finley as a tribute to his alma mater.

“We're excited to be a partner with America's Best Racing in A Stake in Stardom and thrilled that Ian, Lindsay, and Joy are part of the West Point Thoroughbred family and the world of Thoroughbred ownership,” said Terry Finley, president and chief executive officer of West Point Thoroughbreds. “Sharing the Kentucky Derby experience with them will be very special for all of us. You never know what can happen on the first Saturday in May.”

“I'm really looking forward to learning more about the business. It isn't a world that we normally get access to, so to be on the ownership side with West Point Thoroughbreds is amazing,” Taylor said. “I am so excited for Derby day! It's a bucket-list item to go to the Kentucky Derby and to own a horse that is on its way to running is legendary. I'm really looking forward to the whole experience.”

“We're so, so excited for this,” Rapoport shared. “We've been casual fans for about four years now, but this feels like so much more thanks to West Point Thoroughbreds and America's Best Racing. We've always felt connected to horses we like, but this connection feels much deeper. This changes things. The Derby is always the best, our favorite weekend of the year. But to have our own horse likely running in it is wild. We always root for our favorites, but now we'll really have our horse in it. The buildup, which is my favorite part, will be so much more intense. And man, imagine if he goes off and places. I just can't even imagine.”

“This is something I'm so excited to take part in. Thoroughbreds are the ultimate athletes. Being an owner with West Point Thoroughbreds and having a contender, Jace's Road, in the Kentucky Derby is beyond unbelievable,” offered Czarniak. “It has only been a short time, but it is evident how much Terry and his team love the sport and their horses. It is an absolute thrill getting the chance to have a behind-the-scenes look and to see the sport and the lifestyle up close”

Exactly how hard is it to get to the Kentucky Derby and be one of the 20 horses in the field?

• The Derby (and all Triple Crown races) are only eligible for 3-year-old horses. In 2020, 18,436 registered Thoroughbred foals were born in the United States and about 100,000 are born worldwide each year.
• Of that 2020 foal crop, nearly half were born in Kentucky (7,940), followed by Florida, California, and New York. Jace's Road is from Kentucky.
• A total of 369 3-year-olds were made eligible to compete in this year's Triple Crown series – but what does that mean?
  • To run in certain races, you have to nominate the horse – think of it as applying to a college and paying an application fee, followed by a waiting game to see if you're competitive enough to actually get accepted. The reason to nominate a horse to be eligible is because they were performing well enough to spark hope with 369 teams of people (owners, trainers, etc.) that think their horse has a real shot to start in a Triple Crown race.
• How does a horse get a spot in the starting gate on Derby day?
  • Once made eligible, a tiered points system in select races determines who qualifies. Each year, 20 horses have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to run in the Kentucky Derby. To earn a spot in the starting gate, they must travel along the Road to the Kentucky Derby, a series of designated races at tracks across the country and around the world. Points are awarded to the top five finishers in each race. The 20 horses with the most points earn a spot in the starting gate.
  • In other words, you cannot pay any amount of money to get your horse there – the spot is purely earned by proving a 3-year-old racehorse is among the best in the age division.
• Stats:
  • Of the 18,436 born in the U.S. there's a 0.1% chance they are in the list of 20 that earn a spot in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby.
  • Of the 369 3-year-olds that are nominated, there's a 5.4% chance they are in the list of 20 that earn a spot in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby.
  • Of 32 NFL teams, there's a 6.25% chance you play in the Super Bowl.

 About America's Best Racing: America's Best Racing is a multimedia fan development and awareness-building platform, initiated by The Jockey Club, designed to increase the profile and visibility of North America's best Thoroughbred racing events and is the online destination for all things related to the sport. Through expert content, human and equine interest features, award-winning video content, livestream, second-screen productions, and wide-reaching programs, America's Best Racing introduces the love of horse racing to the next generation of fans, turning them into lifelong fans of the sport and lifestyle. For more information about “A Stake in Stardom” visit americasbestracing.net.  Follow America's Best Racing on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

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It was a crisp 35-degree morning at Churchill Downs where Winchell Thoroughbreds' Louisiana Derby (Grade 2) runner-up Disarm worked five furlongs in 1:00 with jockey Joel Rosario aboard for Steve Asmussen.

Disarm, a son of the former Asmussen-trained Champion Gun Runner, began about one length behind his stablemate Gigante and completed fractions of :13.20, :25.40, :36.60 and :48.40. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.20, according to Churchill Downs Clocker John Nichols.

This was Disarm's first work since finishing third in the Lexington Stakes (G3), which awarded him six points and boosted his total to 46 points, just enough to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

ANGEL OF EMPIRE/HIT SHOW/JACE'S ROAD, VERIFYING – It was a routine morning at trainer Brad Cox's Barn 22 with all four of his Kentucky Derby contenders having routine gallops.

Albaugh Family Stable's Angel of Empire was the first of Cox's quartet of Kentucky Derby contenders to train at 5:30 a.m.

Cox is forced to train all four of his Derby contenders at separate times because groom Darwin Aguilar is in charge of Angel of Empire, Hit Show and Longines Kentucky Oaks runner Wet Paint.

Gary and Mary West's Hit Show, West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stable's Jace's Road and Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor's Verifying all trained at 7:30 a.m.

Cox routinely oversees his Keeneland operation Mondays and is expected to be back at Churchill Downs Tuesday.

CONFIDENCE GAME – Don't Tell My Wife Stables and Ocean Reef Racing's Confidence Game galloped a mile and a quarter under exercise rider Alex Cano before 7 o'clock.

Winner of the Rebel (G2) in his most recent start and a two-time winner at Churchill Downs, Confidence Game worked a mile here out of the gate in 1:38.20 on April 14 and is scheduled for his final pre-Derby work this weekend.

Trained by Keith Desormeaux, Confidence Game will be ridden in the Derby by James Graham.

CONTINUAR – Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd.'s Continuar (JPN) warmed up in the mile chute during the first morning harrow break and then galloped 1 ½ miles under Kazunari Yoshida before completing his morning activity with a paddock schooling session.

Third in the UAE Derby (G2) in his most recent start, Continuar is trained by Yoshito Yahagi and will be ridden in the Derby by Ryusei Sakai. Yahagi is scheduled to arrive in Louisville next Monday.

DERMA SOTOGAKE – Hiroyuki Asanuma's Derma Sotogake (JPN), runaway winner of the UAE Derby (GII) in his most recent start, warmed up in the mile chute during the first harrow break of the morning and then galloped 2 miles under Masatoshi Segawa before cooling down in the mile chute and returning to the Quarantine Barn.

Trainer Hidetaka Otonashi is scheduled to arrive in Louisville on May 2 to saddle his first Derby starter. Christophe Lemaire, who was aboard for the UAE Derby victory, has the mount in the Run for the Roses.

FORTE/KINGSBARNS/MAJOR DUDE/TAPIT TRICE – Trainer Todd Pletcher's quartet of Derby hopefuls all galloped 1 3/8 miles during the special Derby/Oaks training window this morning from 7:30-7:45.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte, who will be ridden in the Derby by Irad Ortiz Jr., was partnered by Hector Ramos. Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Tapit Trice, who will be ridden in the Derby by Luis Saez, was partnered by Amelia Green.

Elder Flores was aboard Spendthrift Farm's Kingsbarns, whose Derby rider remains to be determined. Spendthrift's Major Dude, who is No. 23 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard and in need of three defections by entry time next Monday to get in the starting gate, was ridden this morning by Joel Osorio.

DISARM – Winchell Thoroughbreds' Disarm continued his major preparation for this year's $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) with a swift five-furlong move in 1:00 with jockey Joel Rosario in the irons.

“I thought he worked really well this morning coming out of the Lexington,” Rosario said. “He was well within himself the entire work. He looks a lot like his sire (Gun Runner). He's built bigger than he is but looking at him they have a lot of the same traits.”

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen was on the scene and watched the work from the grandstand.

“He's a very durable horse and I think the best is yet to come from him,” Asmussen said. “He's a horse we missed a little time with over the winter and we're behind schedule. The one opportunity for a points race was the Louisiana Derby. He ran solid but needed more points to get in it. He's a horse we definitely didn't want to miss this opportunity with. We were looking for a little sense of direction in his work this morning. I think he's not given us everything to this point and there's more in the tank. I like how he accelerated to the wire and got over the racetrack nicely.”

Disarm broke his maiden at second asking Aug. 6 at Saratoga but did not resurface until Feb. 19 when he finished second to Two Eagles River in a one-mile allowance contest at Oaklawn.

Asmussen and Winchell finished second in last year's Kentucky Derby with Epicenter.

MAGE – OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and CMNWLTH's Florida Derby (G1) runner-up Mage arrived at Churchill Downs Monday morning after an overnight van ride from Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Gustavo Delgado, Made worked six furlongs at Gulfstream on Saturday in 1:14.78.

ROCKET CAN – Frank Fletcher Racing Operations' Rocket Can came out of his Sunday morning workout in good order, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said Monday. The colt went 5 furlongs in 1:01 with regular exercise rider Guelser Cardona aboard.

“He looked great,” Mott said. “He just walked the shedrow this morning. He'll be back on the track on Tuesday, and probably won't work until next week.”

The colt started his 3-year-old season by winning the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, then finished second in the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream, before finishing fourth in the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park this month.

SUN THUNDER – Trainer Kenny McPeek sent Sun Thunder, the fourth-place finisher in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, to the Churchill Downs track on Monday with exercise rider Martin Vargas.

“He galloped a mile-and-a-quarter, pretty routine, basic stuff,” McPeek said. “He'll work on Wednesday.”

Owned by R.T. Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine, the Into Mischief colt, out of the Medaglia D'Oro mare Greenfield D'Oro, has a 1-1-1 record from six career starts, while earning $247,000.

WILD ON ICE – Frank Sumpter's Wild On Ice jogged in the mile chute for about 10 minutes before galloping two miles under exercise rider Oscar Rojero.

Wild On Ice worked five furlongs in 1:00 here on April 17 and trainer Joel Marr has the Texas-bred's final Derby work scheduled for Thursday with jockey Ken Tohill slated to be aboard.

SHAPING UP: THE KENTUCKY DERBY – Here are the horses (with jockeys and trainers) that are qualified for the Kentucky Derby and those on the also-eligible list (in alphabetical order with AEs listed last in preference order):

Angel of Empire (jockey Flavien Prat, trainer Brad Cox); Confidence Game (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux); Continuar (JPN) (Ryusei Sakai, Yoshito Yahagi); Derma Sotogake (JPN) (Christophe Lemaire, Hidetaka Otonashi); Disarm (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen); Forte (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher); Hit Show (Manny Franco, Brad Cox); Jace's Road (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Kingsbarns (TBA, Todd Pletcher); Lord Miles (Paco Lopez, Saffie Joseph Jr.); Mage (TBA, Gustavo Delgado); Practical Move (Ramon Vazquez, Tim Yakteen); Raise Cain (Javier Castellano, Ben Colebrook); Reincarnate (John Velazquez, Tim Yakteen); Rocket Can (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott); Sun Thunder (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Tapit Trice (Luis Saez, Todd Pletcher); Two Phil's (Jareth Loveberry, Larry Rivelli); Verifying (Tyler Gaffalione, Brad Cox); and Wild On Ice (Ken Tohill, Joel Marr).

Also-Eligible: Skinner (Victor Espinioza, John Shirreffs); Cyclone Mischief (TBA, Dale Romans); Major Dude (TBA, Todd Pletcher); and Mandarin Hero (JPN) (TBA, Terunobu Fujita).

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Rodeo Creek Racing's Blazing Sevens, who ranks 17th on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard, will bypass the Louisville classic May 6, according to Churchill Downs, which issued its updated Kentucky Derby Leaderboard on Sunday.

Blazing Sevens' defection allows Louisiana Derby (G2) third-place finisher Jace's Road to draw into the Kentucky Derby (G1) field, which is limited to 20 starters.

Blazing Sevens, trained by Chad Brown, finished third in the Toyota Blue Grass (G1) earlier this month at Keeneland. He will be pointed to the Preakness (G1) May 20 at Pimlico, Daily Racing Form reports.

“I just feel this horse ran out of time really to develop to get to [the Derby] with a good chance to be competitive, meaning I'm looking to have a chance to win or be in the top 3,” Brown told the publication Sunday afternoon. “He's a race behind where he needs to be.”

Brown won the Preakness last year with Early Voting and in 2017 with Cloud Computing. Though both horses who had enough points to qualify for the Derby, both bypassed the first jewel of the Triple Crown.

Santa Anita Derby (G1) third-place finisher Skinner ranks next on the Leaderboard and could draw into the Derby field should another defection arise between now and May 1, when entries are taken. Cyclone Mischief, who was third in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1), would be next.

Peter Brant's graded stakes-placed Shidabhuti, who was third in the Grade 3 Gazelle on April 8 for Brown, will bypass the Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 5.

Shidabhuti earned 50 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Oaks for her victory in the Busher Invitational victory on March 4. She earned an additional 30 points when third in the Gazelle (G3) April 8 , giving her enough total points to be guaranteed a place in the Oaks starting gate.

Brown told the Form, the daughter of Practical Joke will keep to one-turn races.

Shidabhuti's Kentucky Oaks defection allows champion 2-year-old filly Wonder Wheel to draw into the field, which is limited to 14 starters.

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Skinner continued his preparations for a potential start in the Kentucky Derby (G1) when working six furlongs under Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza Sunday at Santa Anita.

Hitting the main track shortly after the 6:30 a.m. (PT) renovation break, Skinner broke off at the six-furlong pole and worked to the wire in an official time of 1:13.40.

“Victor worked him perfect,” said John Shirreffs, Skinner's trainer. “He went the first furlong in 13 seconds and change and gradually picked it up at every pole. I got him the last eighth of a mile in 11 seconds. Could have been :11 and a tick. He finished full of run.”

Unfortunately for Shirreffs and owners Lee and Susan Searing of C R K Stable, Skinner is currently sitting on the outside of the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field. Following his third-place finish in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) April 8, Skinner has 45 qualifying points, which ranks 22nd on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard. He would need at least two defections to make the 1 ¼-mile classic on May 6.

On Sunday, Shirreffs said no travel plans have been made to ship Skinner to Churchill Downs.

“If we're not in, why would we go?” said Shirreffs, who won the 2005 Kentucky Derby with 50-1 long shot Giacomo. “It's a tough decision to make to go all the way there and then not get in.”

In 2017, Shirreffs entered in the Kentucky Derby both Gormely, that year's Santa Anita Derby winner, and Royal Mo, a Grade 3 winner who was tied for 20th in the standings with 30 points. Royal Mo did not make the race. Instead, the maiden Sonneteer, who also had 30 points thanks to running second in the Rebel (G2), earned the bid based on having more graded stakes earnings.

“We'll keep Skinner on his schedule. If we hear something early enough, we'd go,” Shirreffs said. “But if we don't, I don't know. I've been there before sitting on the outside and didn't get to run.”

Prior to the Santa Anita Derby, Skinner also ran third in the San Felipe (G2). The Curlin colt, a $510,000 purchase by Mayberry Farm at the 2022 OBS Spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, has a record of 1-0-3 from six career starts and $216,300 in earnings.

Skinner is not the only Santa Anita Derby alum who needs help to make the Kentucky Derby. Japan-based Mandarin Hero, the Santa Anita Derby runner-up, currently ranks 25th. He is scheduled to work on Wednesday and then ship to Churchill Downs the following day. If the colt does not make the Derby starting gate, the connections said they will await the Preakness (G1) on May 20 at Pimlico.

Also on Sunday, trainer Tim Yakteen reported his two expected Kentucky Derby starters, Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move and Reincarnate, each exited their works this weekend in good order. They are scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on Saturday along with stablemates Kangaroo Court and Fort Bragg, both ticketed for the Pat Day Mile (G2), and Johannes, who will contest the American Turf (G2).

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