Saturday, Churchill Downs, post time: 7:01 p.m. EDT
KENTUCKY DERBY PRESENTED BY WOODFORD RESERVE-GI, $3,000,000, 3yo, 1 1/4m
PP HORSE SIRE OWNER TRAINER JOCKEY ML
1 Finnick the Fierce Dialed In Monge, Arnaldo and Hernandez, Rey SCR SCR
2 Max Player K Honor Code Hall, George E. and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp. Asmussen Santana, Jr. 30-1
3 Enforceable K Tapit John C. Oxley Casse Beschizza 30-1
4 Storm the Court Court Vision David A Bernsen LLC, Exline-Border Racing LLC, Eurton Leparoux 50-1
5 Major Fed Ghostzapper Lloyd Madison Farms, IV LLC Foley Graham 50-1
6 King Guillermo K Uncle Mo Victoria’s Ranch SCR SCR
7 Money Moves Candy Ride (Arg) LaPenta, Robert V. and Bortolazzo Stable LLC Pletcher Castellano 30-1
8 South Bend Algorithms Barber, Gary, Wachtel Stable, Deutsch, Peter and Mott Gaffalione 50-1
Pantofel Stable, LLC
9 Mr. Big News Giant’s Causeway Allied Racing Stable, LLC Calhoun Saez 50-1
10 Thousand Words Pioneerof the Nile Albaugh Family Stables LLC & Spendthrift Farm LLC Baffert Geroux 15-1
11 Necker Island Hard Spun Daniels, Raymond, Scherr, Wayne and Will Harbut Hartman Mena 50-1
Racing, LLC
12 Sole Volante Karakontie (Jpn) Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Biancone, Andie Biancone Panici 30-1
13 Attachment Rate Hard Spun Bakke, Jim and Isbister, Gerald Romans Talamo 50-1
14 Winning Impression Paynter West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing Stewart Rocco, Jr. 50-1
15 Ny Traffic Cross Traffic Fanelli, John, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing, Joseph, Jr. Lopez 20-1
Braverman, Paul and Team Hanley
16 Honor A. P. Honor Code C R K Stable LLC Shirreffs Smith 5-1
17 Tiz the Law Constitution Sackatoga Stable Tagg Franco 3-5
18 Authentic Into Mischief Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Baffert Velazquez 8-1
Madaket Stables LLC and Starlight Racing
Breeders: 1-Paige Jillian Blu Sky Stables, 2-K & G Stables, 3-Clearsky Farms, 4-Stepping Stone Farm, 5-Lloyd Madison IV, LLC, 6-Carhue Investments, Grouseridge Ltd. &Marengo Investments, 7-Whitehall Lane Farm, 8-Highclere, Inc., 9-Don Alberto Corporation, 10-Hardacre Farm, 11-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, 12-Flaxman Holdings Limited, 13-Mr. & Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III, 14-WinStar Farm, LLC, 15-Brian Culnan, 16-George Krikorian, 17-Twin Creeks Farm, 18-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC
We finally made it to KENTUCKY DERBY day!
And for Canadians, it is just a week to the Queen’s Plate. What a difficult and strange year.
The Derby, as with the Plate, will be run behind closed doors, other than horsepeople, some owners and some media, but near CHURCHILL DOWNS today there will be large crowds anyway.
Throughout Saturday, marches and rallies are expected downtown and outside Churchill Downs, where the horse race will be run in the evening.
The Courier-Journal reports – “Along with demonstrations by local protesters, who are demanding justice for Breonna Taylor and said they want the Derby canceled, the NFAC (Not F***ing Around Coalition), a Black militia, plans to hold a formation. And a “patriotic event” is planned for Saturday morning by an online personality known as “The Angry Viking” and his supporters.”
But back to the 16-horse Derby field.
One thing that has made this year’s race somewhat normal is that there is a fascinating superstar in the field -TIZ THE LAW.
The New York-bred has only lost once in 7 races and has galloped to wins in races such as the Belmont Stakes (G1) (this year at 1 1/8 miles and run as the first leg of the Triple Crown) and the 10 furlong Travers Stakes (GI).
There does not appear to be any chinks in Tiz the Law’s armor. He can be close to the pace or rally and any speed numbers you check – well, he is the top horse.
He starts from post 15 under jockey Manny Franco for trainer Barclay Tagg and Sackatoga Stable. Oh, and the owners and trainer won the 2003 Derby with the New York-bred Funny Cide.
Ah, but what fun is there in just handing over the world’s most famous race to a big favourite? Here are some picks from Canadian Thoroughbred:
Contenders
Tiz the Law – he just coasted to a win in the 1 1/4 mile Travers at Saratoga with a 109 Beyer Speed Figure, a monster number in this field. Interesting that his only career loss came at Churchill Downs, but it was sloppy that day.
Honor A.P. – He has a big white face like Tiz the Law and he has tactical speed like the favourite. This guy was super in the Santa Anita Derby at 9 furlongs when he powered away to win but he lost as a big fave in the Shared Belief. Not worried about that race, he had a bumpy start, was rushed up 3 wide in the 4 horse field and the leader, Thousand Words, set a slow pace. He is ridden by ‘Money’ Mike Smith.
Longshot Possibilities – MAX PLAYER lacks any early speed so that is problematic in a big field but he has a new rider, a new trainer (Steve Asmussen) and improving form.
SOLE VOLANTE has had an interesting journey to the Derby. This guy was on his way to being a favourite for the Derby in the spring before the COVID-19 pandemic set in. He won a June return from a layoff but bombed in the Belmont on ‘big sandy’ a tough track to love for some horses. He has been working like the wind on the grass in Florida.
(15) N Y TRAFFIC never gives up even though is does not appear he is comfortable with these longer races . I have no idea how good MONEY MOVES is, #7. He has raced 3 times, won twice and never run in a stakes race. But his last race when 2nd at Saratoga sure was good.
And for a really huge longshot, STORM THE COURT ran a huge race 2 starts ago in the Ohio Derby and remember, he was 45 to 1 when he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year.
JEN’S PICKS :
1 – HONOR A.P. (16)
2 – TIZ THE LAW (17)
3 – MAX PLAYER (2)
4 – SOLE VOLANTE (12)
Superfecta stuff – toss in NY Traffic, Money Move and Storm the Court
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