Tag: Triple Crown

Champion juvenile colt Forte secured his place atop Week 10 of the NTRA's Top 3-Year-Old Poll with a one-length win in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, overcoming traffic trouble to pass Mage in late stretch. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Violence completed 1 1/8 miles over Gulfstream's fast main track in 1:49. 37. Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, Forte has led every edition of the poll thus far.

The biggest mover of the week was Angel of Empire, a dominant 4 1/4-length winner of the G1 Arkansas Derby for trainer Brad Cox. The son of Classic Empire previously captured the G2 Risen Star at the Fair Grounds and finished second in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn.

Practical Move, impressive winner of the G2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, dropped to third position this week. The Tim Yakteen-trained son of Practical Joke is expected to start in this Saturday's G1 Santa Anita Derby.

G2 Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapit Trice sits in fourth (Todd Pletcher); G2 Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns is fifth (Pletcher); G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Two Phil's is sixth (Larry Rivelli); G2 Rebel winner Confidence Game is seventh (Keith Desormeaux); G2 UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake (Hidetaka Otonashi) and G3 Withers winner Hit Show (Cox) are tied in eighth; and G2 San Felipe runner-up Geaux Rocket Ride is tenth (Richard Mandella)

The 3-Year-Old poll represents horses competing up and through the Triple Crown.

TOP THREE-YEAR OLD POLL

The post NTRA Top 3-Year-Old Poll: Forte Secures Lead, Angel Of Empire Jumps To Second Spot appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Thirty three days now remain until the 2023 edition of the Kentucky Derby, with just over four weeks remaining until the first Saturday in May. The bluegrass across Kentucky is starting to green up in preparation for the event which will bring together 20 of the top 3-year-olds in training from around the world.

This year's Kentucky Derby is already expected to include a pair of runners from Japan: Derma Sotogake, winner of the UAE Derby, and Continuar, whose connections accepted an invitation via the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series. Four horses based in Japan have run in the Kentucky Derby: Ski Captain (14th, 1995), Lani (9th, 2016), Master Fencer (JPN) (6th, 2019), and Crown Pride (JPN) (13th in 2022).

On Monday, it was announced that a third international contender could appear in the starting gate: Brave Emperor, leader of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby series, is under consideration for the Run for the Roses.

Brave Emperor would be the first Kentucky Derby starter produced from the European Road to the Kentucky Derby series. However, since 1967, there have been 51 horses who previously raced outside North America and ran in the Kentucky Derby. Venezuela's Canonero II won the 1971 Derby, while Bold Arrangement (GB), who was campaigned in Great Britain and France, finished second to Ferdinand in the 1986 renewal.

If Brave Emperor's connections decide to make the trip to Louisville, there would be 18 spots remaining for the top points-earners on the U.S. Road to the Kentucky Derby (of which Derma Sotgake is one; the UAE Derby awards points in the U.S. Road to the Kentucky Derby series).

Saturday's pair of 100-point prep races, the Florida Derby and the Arkansas Derby, were won by Forte and Angel of Empire, respectively. Forte leads the series with a total of 190 points after an impressive performance that saw him overcome traffic problems and really extend late to defeat Mage, while Angel of Empire put away his rivals by 4 1/4 lengths to bring his total points earned to 154.

With four opportunities yet remaining, the points cutoff for the 2023 Kentucky Derby currently stands at 40, assuming Brave Emperor does accept the invitation.

The current top 20, again assuming participation of Brave Emperor, is as follows:

1. Forte (190)
2. Angel of Empire (154)
3. Two Phil's (123)
4. Derma Sotogake (100)
5. Kingsbarns (100)
6. Practical Move (60)
7. Rocket Can (60)
8. Confidence Game (57)
9. Raise Cain (54)
10. Tapit Trice (50)
11. Wild On Ice (50)
12. Mage (50)
13. Reincarnate (45)
14. Jace's Road (45)
15. Cyclone Mischief (45)
16. Major Dude (40)
17. King Russell (40)
18. Disarm (40)
19. **Brave Emperor, European Road to the Kentucky Derby invitee
20. ***Continuar, Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby invitee

Next weekend's major prep race action includes the Santa Anita Derby, the Wood Memorial, and the Blue Grass Stakes. Several of the top points earners listed above are expected to start in those 100-point prep races, shown below with other prospective starters listed in italics:

• Santa Anita Derby – Practical Move (Tim Yakteen); Cave Rock (Bob Baffert); Dazzlemesilver (Keith Desormeaux); Geaux Rocket Ride (Richard Mandella); I Don't Get It (Doug O'Neill); Mandarin Hero (JPN) (Terunobu Fujita); National Treasure (Tim Yakteen); One in Vermillion (Esteban Martinez); Skinner (John Sherriffs)
• Wood Memorial – Raise Cain (Ben Colebrook); Arctic Arrogance (Linda Rice); Classic Catch (Todd Pletcher); Clear the Air (William Walden); Crupi (Pletcher); Dreamlike (Pletcher); General Banker (James Ferraro); Hit Show (Brad Cox); Lord Miles (Saffie Joseph, Jr.); Mr. Swagger (Juan Carlos Avila); Shadow Dragon (Bill Mott); Slip Mahoney (Cox)
• Blue Grass Stakes – Confidence Game (Keith Desormeaux); Raise Cain (Ben Colebrook); Tapit Trice (Todd Pletcher); Blazing Sevens (Chad Brown), Classic Car Wash (Mark Casse), Hayes Strike (McPeek), Major Blue (D. Wayne Lukas), Mendelssohns March (McPeek), Sun Thunder (McPeek), Verifying (Cox). Possible: Scoobie Quando (Colebrook).

The full Kentucky Derby leaderboard, updated after the action on April 1, is available here: 20230401 Road to Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.

The post Road To The Kentucky Derby: Three Potential International Contenders Raise Points Threshold For 2023 Edition appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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This year's Kentucky Derby field already includes two runners from Japan. Now, Brave Emperor, the winner of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby series, may make the third international participant in this year's Run for the Roses, connections told thoroughbredracing.com this week.

The 3-year-old gelded son of Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy) won the Road to the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes at Kempton on March 15, and finished second, beaten a half-length, in Saturday's Cardinal Stakes at Chelmsford to top the European series. Middleham Park Racing Syndicate, owner of Brave Emperor, is considering whether to accept the invitation to Louisville as the winner of the European series.

“We are waiting to receive a couple of quotes on air fares and stabling and then we can talk to the owners as to whether to take it on or not,” Middleham Park partner Tom Palin told thoroughbredracing.com. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a horse guaranteed a run in the Kentucky Derby so this is something we should take seriously.”

Brave Emperor has not started on dirt, but has won five of eight lifetime starts for trainer Archie Watson. He was a $26,086 yearling purchase at the 2021 Goffs UK sale, and has earned just over $134,000 thus far.

“You'd be going there hoping he handled the dirt,” Palin continued. “He is a great, great grandson of Secretariat. It's the 50th anniversary of him winning the Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown.

“Poetically and romantically it would be fantastic if he could go. There are a lot of unknowns, but hopefully he'd be a bit better than a social runner.”

Read more at thoroughbredracing.com.

The post ‘Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity’: British-Trained, Syndicate-Owned Brave Emperor Could Start In Kentucky Derby appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Tapit Trice breezed four furlongs Saturday in :49.57 at Palm Beach Downs in his final workout for the $1-million Toyota Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland next Saturday.

The Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner, who worked in company with stablemate Crupi, is expected to be one of two 3-year-old colts with victories at Tampa Bay Downs this winter to compete in the Kentucky Derby (G1)  on May 6 at Churchill Downs. The other is the unbeaten Kingsbarns (3-for-3), who followed an allowance/optional claiming victory here on Feb. 12 with a front-running score on March 25 in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.

Kingsbarns is expected to go to the Kentucky Derby off his Louisiana Derby triumph.

Both Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns are trained by Todd Pletcher, who said via text earlier today he plans to ship Tapit Trice to Kentucky on Monday.

The Hall of Fame conditioner is almost certain to have the Kentucky Derby favorite in Forte, last year's 2-year-old champion who overcame the No. 11 post position to win Saturday's Curlin Florida Derby (G1) Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode six winners on the 14-race Gulfstream Park card. Pletcher sent out four winners.

The Blue Grass is one of three Kentucky Derby prep races scheduled Saturday, along with the $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) at Santa Anita and the  $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct. All three races will be simulcast at Tampa Bay Downs.

Tapit Trice, who is owned by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm and Antony Beck's Gainesway Stable, has a 3-for-4 record and one third. Kingsbarns is owned by Spendthrift Farm.

Kentucky Derby candidates often show rapid development in the weeks leading to the race (some observers compare them to teenage athletes hitting a growth spurt), and it will be interesting to watch Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns attempt to move forward in the next 4-to-5 weeks. Although Forte is the top choice now, it's worth remembering that both of Pletcher's Kentucky Derby winners – Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017 – raced at Tampa Bay Downs.

The post Tampa Bay Derby Winner Tapit Trice Headed To Kentucky Monday Ahead Of Blue Grass Bid appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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