Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Grading out this year’s winners

Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily, which will each day leading up to the May 5 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.

Two months into the New Year — and with a gap between points paying 2018 Kentucky Derby preps — here’s a chance to reflect on what we’ve seen so far leading up to the first Saturday in May.

According to Horse Racing Nation’s Super Screener handicapping tool, it’s not much. And perhaps that’s why Good Magic, Bolt d’Oro and Solomini remain Nos. 1-3 in our reader-generated ranking of Kentucky Derby hopefuls.

Thus far, Grade 2 Holy Bull winner Audible is the lone horse to earn a 100 percent early prep rating from the Super Screener, which considers criteria such as late pace figures, running style and a horse’s experience.

As for last weekend’s preps, here’s what Super Screener author Mike Shutty had to say:

On the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes: “The flow of this race with nary a change in the running order of the top four horses indicates that the pace was very modest and the quality among that group of horses being quite similar. Bravazo and Snapper Sinclair clearly both moved forward in their second starts off the layoff. Noble Indy ran a very similar race to his last with no move forward. Instilled Regard also duplicated his last race with no advancement in his form cycle and he may not be up to the challenge of the Derby trail, as has run without a break since his debut in September and the waters only get deeper from here.”

On the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes: “My Boy Jack got the perfect trip and earned a 101 Brisnet Late Pace figure. Super Screener would have liked to see a bit more than for a higher Early Contender Rating in a race that earned an Early Prep Rating of a C. Sporting Chance submitted the most impressive effort making is first try at a route off a long layoff while being part of the pressured pace but holding on to third place gamely despite trouble encountered mid-stretch. He has every right to move forward in his next race which will likely be the Rebel Stakes.”

Upcoming races of note

This weekend is void of Derby preps, but races meaningful to the Derby trail are on tap…

• Friday night, the $75,000 John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park will serve as a prep for next month’s Jeff Ruby Steaks, formerly known as the Spiral Stakes. Twelve runners signed up to go 1 1/16 miles with New York shipper Roaming Union the morning line favorite. Off a maiden win at Aqueduct, he’ll have Martin Garcia in the irons.

• The highly regarded Mitole will remain sprinting in Saturday’s $125,000 Gazebo Stakes at Oaklawn Park. For trainer Steve Asmussen, the 1-2 morning line favorite enters off a 10-length maiden win at first asking. He went six furlongs then and will again this weekend. A son of Eskendereya, Mitole is Triple Crown nominated.

• On Sunday, the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby will serve as a local prep for next month’s Grade 3 Sunland Derby. Asmussen also has the favorite here with Reride at 5-2 on the morning line, set to go from the rail in a field of nine. Runaway Ghost is also entered with him having faced the West Coast’s best in December’s Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity.

Derby links

• It’s neither Bolt d’Oro nor Good Magic who earned favoritism in the latest Kentucky Derby odds distributed by the Wynn Las Vegas. That honor instead goes to McKinzie. We’ve listed all the latest prices.

• Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has decided upon just one more prep for Grade 3 Withers Stakes winner Avery Island, while Enticed, who was fourth behind Audible in the Holy Bull, will be given the opportunity to run twice more looking for qualifying points.

• Speaking to Fair Grounds publicity, trainer Steve Asmussen looked ahead to what’s next for a trio of horses that have run at the New Orleans track, including Snapper Sinclair, the Risen Star runner-up.

The works

Audible — In his first drill since winning the Holy Bull, the Todd Pletcher-trained son of Into Mischief went four furlongs Thursday in 49.50 seconds (5/11) at Palm Beach Downs. The current plan is to work him straight up to the Grade 1 Florida Derby as a final prep.

Ax Man — Following Bob Baffert’s typical schedule of returning to the work tab two weeks after a race, this Misremembered colt will get his chance at going two turns after fading to fourth in the Grade 2 San Vicente. The half mile went in 49.40 seconds (22/56) at Santa Anita Park.

Gleason — The flashy debut winner Jan. 20 at Tampa Bay Downs is now in New York, putting in 4/8 in 48.09 (4/46) over Belmont Park’s training track. He was originally entered in, then scratched from, a Sunday allowance at Laurel Park. We’ll see where he pops up next.

Nero — He sat near the San Vicente Pace and held on for the runner-up spot. As with Ax Man, Baffert says this Pioneerof the Nile colt will get the opportunity to route. He made a sharp return to the work tab Thursday, getting a half mile in 48 seconds, second-fastest of 56.

In case you missed it…

Wednesday’s Derby Daily report listed out upcoming preps — and who we project to run in each as the first Saturday in May draws near.

• Catch up with all the latest Derby news by reading past editions of HRN’s Derby Daily report.