Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) entrants are busy at Churchill Downs these mornings putting the final touches on their training for the big events on May 4 and 3, respectively. The Kentucky Derby Facebook page airs a morning workout show each day beginning at about 7:20 a.m. Here are some takeaways from watching that show:
We learned this past weekend that Deterministic will not compete in the Derby as expected and that has allowed GRAND MO THE FIRST to draw in as number 20 on the Derby probable list by points (see list below). The post position draw is Saturday, April 27.
Favoured FIERCENESS is burning the track up at Palm Meadows in Florida and reportedly arrived at Churchill Downs early Monday morning. The son of City of Light, owned and bred by Mike Repole, is trained by Todd Pletcher.
SIERRA LEONE galloped strongly through 1 1/2 miles on Monday morning, April 22, at Churchill Downs. The big, long son of Gun Runner is also a major contender and he seeks to become Chad Brown’s first Derby winner.
HONOR MARIE, the first Derby starter for trainer Whit Beckman (a former assistant to Brown) galloped eagerly on Monday also. The son of Honor Code will be making his third start off the layoff in the Derby and he won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill last fall.
CATCHING FREEDOM, trained by Brad Cox, had an impressive workout on April 20, 1:00.80 at Churchill while ENDLESSLY, winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks on Tapeta, seemed to have trouble staying with a workmate in his prep the same day.
Kentucky Oaks fillies have looked good, too. Trainer Bill Mott has tightened the screws on JUST F Y I, the champion two-year-old old filly in the U.S. last year and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
And Gazelle Stakes (G2) winner WHERE’S MY RING, who was winning her maiden in that Aqueduct stakes race, was very impressive in her strong gallop last weekend.
MANAMA GOLD, winner of the UAE OAKS in Dubai, is expected to be supplemented to the Kentucky Oaks and she has been transferred to trainer Todd Pletcher. A Louisiana-bred by Star Guitar from the Dehere mare Charged Cottom. the chestnut speedster is three-for-three in her career for Victorious Racing, the owner.
A $200,000 April Ocala two-year-old purchase, Manama Gold is from the female family of BYE THE BYE, a Canadian-bred mare who produced the brilliant Grade 1 winner SCHOSSBERG and very fast stakes winner San Ramoano for Steve Stavro’s Knob Hill Stables. Bye the Bye is the third dam of Manama Gold and Bill Beasley’s NEAR BYE LADY is the fourth dam.
An analysis on the Derby and Oaks will be posted for bet365 on Canadian Thoroughbred next week.
Fierceness, the Florida Derby record-breaker, breezes in preparation for the Kentucky Derby! Is he your pick? pic.twitter.com/WLKdpcLU4A
— 1/ST RACING (@1st_racing) April 19, 2024
KENTUCKY DERBY 150 POINTS LEADERS
Horse
Breeding points Earnings Trainer – Breeder – Owner
1 Sierra Leone
Gun Runner—Heavenly Love 155 $871,250 $918,000 Chad C. Brown
Debby M. Oxley
Magnier, Mrs. John, Tabor, Michael B., Smith, Derrick, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC and Brant, Peter M.
2 Fierceness
City of Light—Nonna Bella 136 $1,646,100 $1,703,850 Todd A. Pletcher
Repole Stable, Inc.
Repole Stable
3 Catching Freedom Keeneland Sales Graduate
Constitution—Catch My Drift 125 $802,000 $877,350 Brad H. Cox
WinStar Farm, LLC
Albaugh Family Stables LLC
4 Stronghold
Ghostzapper—Spectator 125 $742,800 $827,200 Philip D’Amato
Eric Waller & Sharon Waller
Waller, Eric M. and Waller, Sharon
5 Resilience
Into Mischief—Meadowsweet 110 $416,000 $494,630 William I. Mott
Pam & Martin Wygod
Wygod, Pam and Wygod, Martin
6 Forever Young
Real Steel—Forever Darling 100 $1,768,722 $2,049,451 Yoshito Yahagi
Northern Racing
unknown owner
7 Endlessly
Oscar Performance—Dream Fuhrever 100 $658,000 $707,200 Michael W. McCarthy
Jerry Amerman
Amerman Racing LLC
8 Dornoch Keeneland Sales Graduate
Good Magic—Puca 75 $472,375 $552,275 Danny Gargan
Grandview Equine
West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and Pine Racing Stables
9 Just a Touch
Justify—Touching Beauty 75 $247,500 $281,700 Brad H. Cox
Don Alberto Corporation
Qatar Racing and Detampel, Marc
10 Track Phantom Keeneland Sales Graduate
Quality Road—Miss Sunset 70 $300,000 $405,000 Steven M. Asmussen
Breeze Easy, LLC
L and N Racing LLC, Brewster, Clark O., Caroom, Jerry and Breeze Easy, LLC
11 West Saratoga Keeneland Sales Graduate
Exaggerator—Mo Wicked 67 $363,640 $460,140 Larry W. Demeritte
Two Hearts Farm II LLC
Harry L. Veruchi
12 Just Steel Keeneland Sales Graduate
Justify—Irish Lights 65 $628,295 $724,545 D. Wayne Lukas
Summerhill Farm
BC Stables, LLC
13 Honor Marie Keeneland Sales Graduate
Honor Code—Dame Marie 65 $448,455 $526,175 D. Whitworth Beckman
Royce Pulliam
Ribble Farms LLC
14 Domestic Product
Practical Joke—Goods and Services 60 $260,500 $314,200 Chad C. Brown
Klaravich Stables
Klaravich Stables, Inc.
15 Catalytic Keeneland Sales Graduate
Catalina Cruiser—One Show Only 50 $186,000 $216,825 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
Fred W. Hertrich
Bobo, Tami, Davies, Julie and Isaacs, George G.
16 Society Man Keeneland Sales Graduate
Good Magic—You Cheated 50 $141,875 $196,705 Danny Gargan
SF Bloodstock LLC
West Paces Racing LLC, Gargan, Danny and GMP Stables LLC
17 Mystik Dan
Goldencents—Ma’am 46 $550,050 $641,360 Kenneth G. McPeek
Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby & 4G Racing LLC
Gasaway, Lance, 4 G Racing, LLC and Hamby III, Daniel
18 Encino
Nyquist—Glittering Jewel 40 $323,880 $378,315 Brad H. Cox
Godolphin
Godolphin, LLC
19 T O Password (invite – Japan) Copano Rickey (Jpn) -T O Rachel (Jpn) $163,339 DTakayanagi B Yanagaw T Ozsasa
20 Grand Mo the First
Uncle Mo—Lilies So Fair 40 $164,250 $214,650 Victor Barboza, Jr.
John D. Gunther
Granpollo Stable
21 Common Defense
Karakontie—Allusion 37 $253,450 $345,450 Kenneth G. McPeek
Tony Holmes, Norevale Farm & Union Dale
Bernsen, David A., Holmes, Tony, Holmes, Michael and Norevale Farm
22 Epic Ride Keeneland Sales Graduate
Blame—Pick a Time 35 $198,654 $253,166 John Ennis
Fred W. Hertrich
Welch Racing LLC
KENTUCKY OAKS POINTS LEADERS
14 allowed to run
# Horse Points Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings Career Earnings
1 Tarifa 150 $420,000 $518,925
2 Where’s My Ring Keeneland Sales Graduate 125 $162,000 $202,620
3 Power Squeeze Keeneland Sales Graduate 120 $300,870 $337,450
4 Leslie’s Rose Keeneland Sales Graduate 115 $377,850 $467,800
5 Thorpedo Anna 105 $471,800 $584,363
6 Just F Y I 90 $1,375,500 $1,433,250
7 West Omaha 90 $276,250 $369,250
8 Gin Gin 66 $154,708 $230,508
9 Jody’s Pride 65 $540,000 $597,750
10 Fiona’s Magic 60 $166,010 $253,410
11 Regulatory Risk Keeneland Sales Graduate 55 $48,000 $114,274
12 Tapit Jenallie 54 $216,725 $236,819
13 Everland 54 $185,050 $237,143
14 Lemon Muffin Keeneland Sales Graduate 50 $228,750 $324,000
also on list –
15 Into Champagne Keeneland Sales Graduate 50 $124,360 $193,960
16 Ways and Means 50 $108,000 $165,750
17 Our Pretty Woman Keeneland Sales Graduate 50 $80,000 $150,200
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