Kentucky Derby 2019 Daily: Early Sam F. Davis, San Vicente glance
Welcome to Horse Racing Nation’s Kentucky Derby Daily, which will each day leading up to the May 4 race at Churchill Downs detail all the news and notes related to contenders in one convenient space.
With a trio of Kentucky Derby 2019 preps in the rearview, there are two more races — one that pays qualifying points, and another that could lead to the trail — to look forward to this weekend.
Headlining Saturday’s action is the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, while on Sunday Santa Anita Park hosts the Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes.
Here’s an early look at the fields…
The 1 1/16-mile race will be headlined by Knicks Go, the longshot Grade 1 winner at age 2 who backed up his 70-1 victory in Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity by running second to Game Winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. His season closed on a down note when he was 11th in Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2), but perhaps that race came back a bit quick, and the Ben Colebrook trainee didn’t enjoy the slop.
Knicks Go has worked at Tampa Bay Downs along with Still Dreaming, the Graham Motion-trained half-brother of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. So Alive, Todd Pletcher’s expected entry, is the half to last year’s Wood Memorial (G2) winner Vino Rosso. The Super Saver colt beat winners last time over this track.
Bill Mott, whose 3-year-olds have seemingly all fired lately, could run either Tacitus or Country House. The former, the first foal out of champion Close Hatches, appears more likely. On Sunday, Gulfstream Park publicity indicated that each of Country House, Mucho and Hidden Scroll, the runaway debut winner, are under consideration for the March 2 Fountain of Youth (G2).
The Sam F. Davis draws Wednesday. It offers qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 scale and precedes the March Tampa Bay Derby (G2).
Santa Anita’s racing office still includes Instagrand, the unbeaten Jerry Hollendorfer trainee, as possible. But based on Hollendorfer’s recent comments, it seems this won’t be the comeback spot for a potential major player for the spring classics.
Coliseum will have Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith in the irons for his third start as he backs up to seven furlongs. He’ll also sport some new equipment aimed at keeping the headstrong son of Tapit focused. Getting out of the gate will be key.
Bob Bafftert intends to enter two, with Dessman, a recent and impressive debut winner the barn’s “other” contender. The son of Union Rags didn’t face much on Jan. 19 but prevailed by 7 1/2 lengths in easy fashion.
Savagery, a familiar name from California’s stakes, comes in off a nice sprinting allowance win.
The San Vicente does not offer Derby qualifying points, thought it notably served as a season opener for eventual Derby (Nyquist) and Preakness (Exaggerator) winners in 2016.
Derby links
• Wherever Instagrand ends up in his 3-year-old debut, the Santa Anita Derby (G1) is a target for his final prep, according to handicapper Steve Davidowitz, who in his Across the Board column runs down top 3-year-old performances from the weekend.
• HRN blogger Jeffrey Byrnes offers an update on a sibling of Bolt d’Oro, Global Campaign, who missed training time since his eye-catching debut but should be back to the races soon.
• Our Derby Radar this morning updates Winchell Thoroughbreds’ top 3-year-olds, including a pair that are expected to run later this month in Fair Grounds’ Risen Star (G2).
In case you missed it…
Sunday’s Derby Daily report detailed who’s going where leaving Saturday’s points races: the Holy Bull (G2), Robert B. Lewis (G3) and Withers (G3).