Kentucky Derby 2017: New York’s Contenders (the Juveniles)

In case you haven’t looked carefully at your horse racing calendar, the 2017 Kentucky Derby is only five months away. Thus, without further delay, New York State of Racing presents the first installment of the New York Contenders for the Kentucky Derby.

To this point in New York, Practical Joke won the Champagne (G1) and Mo Town took the Remsen (G2) to earn 10 points on the Road to the 2017 Kentucky Derby. There will be four more chances to accumulate points in New York. The Jerome (G3), which will be run on the Aqueduct inner track on January 7, offers 10-4-2-1. The Withers (G3) is another 10-4-2-1 Derby prep to be contested at Aqueduct on January 28. With the Gotham (G3) on March 4, the points jump up to 50-20-10-5. The $1,000,000 Wood Memorial (G1) will be run on the main track at the Big A on April 8 with the maximum points offered 100-40-20-10.

A new edition of the New York Contenders list will come out after each stop on the Derby Trail. This first installment comes with the completion of the two-year-old season.

Horses qualify for the list of New York Contenders if they are in the barn of a NYRA based trainer or have run or have been stabled at a NYRA track.

Even though Gunnevera and Classic Empire do not make their primary residence in New York, they both make the Contenders list and occupy prominent spots in my first Top 10. Classic Empire spent the summer in Saratoga, as many of us would want to do, and had his ill-fated start in the Hopeful. Gunnevera showed his early talent with a last to first victory in the Saratoga Special. Below is my first Top 10 list of New York Contenders.

Top 10

1) Classic Empire

2) Practical Joke

3) Mo Town

4) Gunnevera

5) No Dozing

6) Favorable Outcome

7) Syndergaard

8) Hemsworth

9) Takaful

10) Good Samaritan

The Remsen, which was run at Aqueduct on November 26, asks two-year-olds to make a significant jump up to the two-turn distance of a mile and an eighth. That day at the Big A the track was deep and tiring and was favoring horses that were coming from off the pace. Trainer and owner Tony Dutrow sold part of Mo Town to the Coolmore group. No doubt that Coolmore had seen promise in this son of Uncle Mo after his seven length maiden score at Belmont Park. They were rewarded when Mo Town closed and drew off to win the Remsen by 2 ½ lengths. No Dozing, a son of Union Rags, also showed some talent while finishing second. The favorite Takaful raced a bit greenly on the front end and should be given another chance to improve with experience.

For each horse there is a collection of information that will be updated as they travel down the Derby Trail. You will find sire, sales prices, career record and earnings, the connections, abbreviated past performances, Beyer Speed Figures, Derby qualifying points, and Kentucky Derby Future Wager odds.

The horses are listed in order based on Kentucky Derby qualifying points first and then by earnings.

Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) KY

KEESEP15 $475,000

5: 4-0-0 $1,485,920 

Owner: John Oxley

Trainer: Mark Casse

Jockey: Julien Leparoux

1^st Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – BSF 102

1^st Breeders’ Futurity (G1) – BSF 88

DNF Hopeful (G1) - DNF

1^st Bashford Manor (G3) – BSF 87

1^st MSW Churchill Downs – BSF 55

30 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 6-1

Practical Joke (Into Mischief) KY

KEESEP15 $240,000

4: 3-1-0 $739,800 

Owner: Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Joel Rosario

3^rd Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) – BSF 90

1^st Champagne (G1) – BSF 88

1^st Hopeful (G1) – BSF 85

1^st MSW Saratoga – BSF 83

14 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 26-1

Gunnevera (Uncle Mo) KY

KEESEP15 $16,000

6: 3-1-0 $771,000 

Owner: Peacock Racing Stables

Trainer: Antonio Sano

Jockey: Javier Castellano

1^st Delta Jackpot (G3) – BSF 87

5^th Breeders’ Futurity (G1) – BSF 76

1^st Saratoga Special (G2) – BSF 84

1^st MSW Gulfstream – BSF 56

4^th Birdonthewire – BSF 59

2^nd MSW Gulfstream Park - BSF 65                                                        

10 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 22-1

Mo Town (Uncle Mo) KY

KEESEP15 $200,000

3: 2-1-0 $243,600 

Owner: Team D and Magnier, Tabor, Smith

Trainer: Anthony Dutrow

Jockey: John Velazquez

1^st Remsen (G2) – BSF 83

1^st MSW Belmont Park - BSF 84                                                          

2^nd MSW Saratoga – BSF 76

10 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 12-1

NEXT: Gotham – March 4, 2017

No Dozing (Union Rags) KY

4: 2-1-0 $129,340 

Owner: Lael Stables

Trainer: Arnaud Delacour

Jockey: Daniel Centeno

2^nd Remsen (G2)

4^th Breeders’ Futurity (G1) – BSF 81

1^st AlwOC50 Laurel – BSF 69

1^st MSW Delaware Park – BSF 72

5 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 40-1

Syndergaard (Majesticperfection) KY

OBSAPR16 $450,000

4: 2-1-0 $323,800 

Owner: Eric Fein and others

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: John Velazquez

5^th Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) – BSF 81

2^nd Champagne (G1) – BSF 88

1^st Funny Cide (NY) – BSF 90

1^st MSW (NY) Saratoga – BSF 86

4 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 43-1

Favorable Outcome (Flatter) KY

OBSAPR16 $300,000

3: 1-0-1 $100,145 

Owner: Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Irad Ortiz

13^th Breeders’ Cup Juvenile TURF

3^rd Champagne (G1) – BSF 78

1^st MSW Saratoga – BSF 88

2 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: Mutuel Field 6/5

Takaful (Bernardini) KY

2: 1-0-1 $75,000 

Owner: Shadwell Stable

Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

3^rd Remsen (G2)

1^st MSW Aqueduct – BSF 92

2 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 37-1

Good Samaritan (Harlan’s Holiday) KY

3: 2-0-1 $230,616 

Owner: WinStar, SF Bloodstock, and China Horse Club

Trainer: Bill Mott

Jockey: Joel Rosario

3^rd Breeders’ Cup Juvenile TURF

1^st Summer Stakes (G2) TURF – BSF 94

1^st MSW Saratoga TURF – BSF 79

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: Mutuel Field 6/5

Theory (Gemologist) KY

KEESEP15 $120,000

OBSAPR16 $335,000

3: 2-0-0 $170,145 

Owner: WinStar and China Horse Club

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Javier Castellano

10^th Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

1^st Futurity (G3) – BSF 85

1^st MSW Saratoga – BSF 85

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: Mutuel Field 6/5

Hemsworth (Bernardini) KY

3: 1-0-0 $127,900 

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Tom Albertrani

Jockey: Antonio Gallardo

1^st Nashua (G2) – BSF 83

4^th MSW Belmont Park – BSF 67

4^th MSW Saratoga – BSF 62

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 80-1

Fact Finding (The Factor) KY

KEESEP15 $100,000

2: 2-0-0 $87,700 

Owner: Tabor, Magnier, Smith, Stonestreet

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: John Velazquez

1^st Allowance N2L Keeneland – BSF 76

1^st MSW Saratoga – BSF 75

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 74-1