New York's 2016 Kentucky Derby Contenders II (The Jerome)

The January 2^nd Jerome (G3) marked the beginning of the Road to the 2016 Kentucky Derby. The Jerome winner, Flexibility, had to play second fiddle to Mohaymen in the Nashua (G2) and the Remsen (G2) in 2015. Coming into the Jerome it was assumed that any horse that could run a good second to Mohaymen not once, but twice, should be a pretty good runner. That is just how the Jerome played out, as Flexiibility won easily by 4 ¼ lengths. The result made the Chad Brown runner a legitimate contender and thus made Mohaymen’s victories look even better.

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Mohaymen returned to the work tab on Dec. 31 with a half-mile workout in 49 3/5 over the main track at Palm Meadows after which trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said, “It was time to get working again. He’s been training but we just took it easy for a few weeks because we had time. He’s doing very well. We’re real happy with him. He’s a nice horse. We’re looking forward to the Holy Bull.”

“He looked great,” McLaughlin continued. “He was great and happy. He might skip a work but he’s going to probably work weekly and point for the race at the end of the month [the $350,000 Holy Bull (G2) Jan. 30 at Gulfstream].”

McLaughlin won the 2014 Holy Bull with Cairo Prince and was second last year with eventual Grade 1 winner Frosted. “We loved Cairo Prince and we loved Frosted. Cairo Prince, unfortunately, got injured but he was a very nice horse, and we did well with Frosted.  Now we’re undefeated, three-for-three [with Mohaymen]. I’d have to say this is our best prospect yet for the first Saturday in May. His mechanics, his mechanism of breathing and his movements are flawless so far.”

Don’t get me wrong; I am not trying to make comparisons, but McLaughlin’s description of Mohaymen reminds me of the way people talked about the perfect motion of last year’s top three-year-old.

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Here is the latest New York Contenders Top 10. Flexibility moved up with his Jerome victory. Zulu and Shagaf joined the list. Sunny Ridge is being pointed to the Withers (G3) on Jan.30, so maybe his connections are considering the Derby more than they had said last year.

1) Mohaymen

2) Greenpointcrusader

3) Flexibility

4) Gift Box

5) Sunny Ridge

6) Sail Ahoy

7) Matt King Coal

8) Zulu

9) Shagaf

10) Annual Report

A few relatively inexperienced horses have been added to the full contenders list below. Shagaf is another Bernardini, Chad Brown, Shadwell colt who broke his maiden at Aqueduct in 2015. Zulu is the fourth son of Bernardini on the list. This one is a recent Gulfstream Park maiden winner and goes for Pletcher and Stonestreet. Destin is a full brother to Creative Cause, who made some noise in the 2012 with a fifth in the Derby and third in the Preakness.

Flexibility (Bluegrass Cat) NY

FTFMAR15 $185,000

4: 2-2-0 $256,000

Owner: Klaravich Stables Inc. and William Lawrence

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

1^st Jerome (G2) – BSF 90

2^nd Remsen (G2) – BSF 93

2^nd Nashua (G2) – BSF 86

1^st MSW (NY) Belmont – BSF 74

14 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 71-1

NEXT: Withers (G3) AQU – Jan. 30

Greenpointcrusader (Bernardini) KY

KEESEP14 $575,000

4: 2-1-0 $366,400

Owner: St. Elias Stable and MeB Racing Stables

Trainer: Dominick Schettino

Jockey: Joe Bravo

7^th Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) – BSF 82

1^st Champagne (G1) – BSF 94

1^st MSW Saratoga – BSF 82

2^nd MSW Saratoga – BSF 80

10 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 28-1

Mohaymen (Tapit) KY

KEESEP14 $2,200,000

3: 3-0-0 $345,000

Owner: Shadwell Stable

Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

1^st Remsen (G2) – BSF 94

1^st Nashua (G2) – BSF 89

1^st MSW Belmont – BSF 87

10 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 11-1

NEXT: Holy Bull (G3) GP – Jan. 30

Sunny Ridge (Holy Bull) NJ

5: 2-2-0 $374,752

Owner: Dennis Drazin

Trainer: Jason Servis

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2^nd Delta Jackpot (G3) – BSF 93

2^nd Champagne (G1) – BSF 96

1^st Sapling – BSF 76

7^th Sanford (G3) – BSF 67

1^st Md40000 – BSF 62

8 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 83-1

NEXT: Withers (G3) AQU – Jan. 30

Vorticity (Distorted Humor) KY

EASMAY15 $220,000

4: 2-1-1 $140,400

Owner: Matthew Schera

Trainer: James Lawrence II

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

2^nd Jerome (G2)

1^st Marylander Laurel – BSF 77

1^st MSW Aqueduct – BSF 85

3^rd MSW Laurel – BSF 62

4 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: Mutuel Field 3-5

Sail Ahoy (Bernardini) KY

5: 1-0-2 $114,300

Owner: Phipps Stable

Trainer: Shug McGaughey

Jockey: Joel Rosario

4^th Remsen (G2)

3^rd Nashua (G2) – BSF 85

4^th Champagne (G1) – BSF 81

1^st MSW Belmont – BSF 73

3^rd MSW Saratoga – BSF 61

2 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 45-1

Gift Box (Twirling Candy) KY

FTKNOV13 $135,000

3: 1-0-2 $89,300

Owner: WS Farish

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Javier Castellano

3^rd Remsen (G2)

1^st MSW Belmont – BSF 93

3^rd MSW Saratoga – BSF 66

2 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 47-1

Annual Report (Harlan’s Holiday) KY

FTFMAR15 $600,000

3: 2-1-0 $175,600

Owner: Godolphin

Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin

Jockey: Joe Bravo

5^th Kentucky Jockey Club (G2)

1^st Belmont Futurity (G2) – BSF 89

1^st MSW Parx – BSF 58

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 64-1

Destin (Giant’s Causeway) KY

2: 1-1-0 $52,700

Owner: Twin Creeks Racing Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Javier Castellano

1^st MSW Belmont Park

2^nd Allowance Gulfstream Park

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: Mutuel Field 3-5

NEXT: Lecomte (G3) FG – Jan. 16

Matt King Coal (Cool Coal Man) - FLA

OBSMAR15 $250,000

3: 1-1-1 $70,300

Owner: Lady Sheila Stable

Trainer: Linda Rice

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

1^st MSW Belmont– BSF 96

2^nd MSW Belmont – BSF 93

3^rd MSW Saratoga TURF - 67

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: 87-1

Seymourdini (Bernardini) KY

OBSAPR15 $900,000

3: 1-2-0 $66,000

Owner: Iris Smith Stable

Trainer: Linda Rice

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

1^st MSW Aqueduct

2^nd MSW Belmont

2^nd MSW Belmont

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: Mutuel Field 3-5

Shagaf (Bernardini) KY

1: 1-0-0 $36,000

Owner: Shadwell Stable

Trainer: Chad Brown

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

1^st MSW Aqueduct

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: Mutuel Field 3-5

Zulu (Bernardini) KY

KEESEP $400,000

FTFMAR $900,000

1: 1-0-0 $24,000

Owner: Stonestreet Stable and Magnier, Tabor, Smith

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Jockey: John Velazquez

1^st MSW Gulfstream Park

0 Road to Kentucky Derby Points

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 1: Mutuel Field 3-5