Kentucky Jockey Club Highlights Stars of Tomorrow Card
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Photo:
Benoit Photo
The
Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes is the highlight of the Churchill Downs “Stars of
Tomorrow” card featuring two-year-olds.
The 1 1/6 mile contest offers precious Kentucky Derby points to the top
four finishers. Super Saver, dual winner
of the 2009 Kentucky Jockey Club/ 2010 Kentucky Derby was the last colt to hit
the top three in both races.
This
year, a dozen colts are entered in the Grade 2 contest. Flashaway and Moonlight
Bandit are cross-entered in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and Remsen;
however, Moonlight Bandit will most likely compete in the Remsen. Both colts
have been working steadily at Churchill.
SKY HERO
(Sky Mesa - Vision of Beauty, by Danzig) has won two of three starts, including
a 1 ¼ length score over his stablemate Flashaway. He’s been training strongly
since that race. Sky Hero’s graded
stakes placed dam is a half sister to Champion Two-Year-Old War Pass, plus she’s
a half to Spinaway (G1) heroine Oath, dam of multiple grade three winner Honest
Man. The Mark Casse trainee’s speed
figures are improving and he should get a ground-saving trip from post one.
EAGLE
(Candy Ride (ARG) - Sea Gull, by Mineshaft) has won two of three starts,
including a victory over allowance foes at Keeneland in his last race. His dam is a half to stakes winner Private Ryan
(winner at 1 1/8 miles), plus she’s also a half to the dam of Japanese Dirt
Derby hero Magnifica. Eagle may be part
of the pace scenario.
INTERNATIONAL
STAR (Fusaichi Pegasus - Parlez, by French Deputy) is one of three colts in
the race who own a graded stakes win. After
a victory in the Grey (G3) over the Woodbine polytrack, the Michael Maker
trainee had no response in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. International Star is a half to the stakes
winners Fools In Love and D C Dancer (both by Not For Love). This is the
distaff line of multiple graded stakes winner Halory Hunter and his half brother, the Group 1 winner and sire Van
Nistelrooy. International Star has
raced primarily over the poly and turf, although he placed a distant second on
dirt in the Rockville Centre Stakes
in his second start.
MOONLIGHT BANDIT (Malibu Moon - Cluain Fhada, by Fusaichi Pegasus) loved
the extra distance when stepping up to a mile against maidens in his last
start. He had a strong pre-race
breeze. Dale Romans will likely send the colt to New York to contest the Remsen
Stakes.
EL KABEIR (Scat
Daddy - Great Venue, by Unbridled's Song) will appreciate the return to a fast
track. This is a free-running colt who
likes to wing it on the lead. He made
most of the pace before fading to second place in the Nashua (G2) last time
out. El Kabeir’s immediate family is loaded with talent. His unraced dam is a half to multiple graded
stakes winning sprinter Too Much Bling, plus
listed/restricted stakes winners Ready For Roses, Barnsy, Littlebitabling and
stakes placed Got Bling. The second dam Rose
Colored Lady is a stakes winner. El Kabeir takes the blinkers off, which could
be an effort to get him to relax behind the speed.
LUCKY PLAYER (Lookin At Lucky - Janetstickettocats, by Storm Cat) the Iroquois Stakes hero,
was wide the entire way in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile. His dam is
a half sister to Runway Model, heroine of the Alcibiades and Golden Rod Stakes,
plus Turf Paradise Derby winner Mambo Train, stakes placed Texas Kitty and Elena Strikes. Lucky Player’s second dam is a stakes winning
sprinter/miler. The colt has Rasmussen
Factor breeding (inbred to a blue hen within five generations) to Smartaire,
through the half siblings Smarten (Cyane), who is the damsire of Smart Strike.
Smart Strike is the sire of Lookin at Lucky.
Smartaire is also the dam of Smart Angle (Quadrangle) who produced
Houston, Lucky Player’s second damsire. Lucky Player’s
speed figures were improving before his Breeders’ Cup start and the Steve
Asmussen trainee is battle tested. The trainer sent Private Vow to a win in the 2005 Kentucky Jockey Club.
WAR
POINT (War Chant - Exotic Point, by Point Given) has won two of five starts, once sprinting over dirt, and his last start at a mile over the lawn. War Point’s dam is a half
to a stakes placed runner, and that’s it for blacktype in the immediate female
family. The Gowan barn is 8% with the turf to dirt angle and 0-8 in graded
stakes.
IMPERIA
(Medaglia d'Oro - Cocoa Beach (CHI), by Doneraile Court) had a tough trip in
the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf after being blocked and steadied. This is a
well-bred son of grade one winner Cocoa Beach. She won over all surfaces,
including a victory in the 1 1/8 mile Beldame (G1) and was second behind
Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Imperia
ships in for Kiaran McLaughlin for his first start on dirt.
LORD NELSON (Pulpit - African Jade, by Seeking the Gold) was a distant fourth in the Frontrunner Stakes (G1) behind American Pharoah, Calculator, and eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champ Texas Red. The Baffert trainee then scored a front-running victory against stakes winners in the Speakeasy against softer company. Lord Nelson’s second dam is Argentinian Champion Miss Linda. Santa Margarita Invitational winner Miss Match is part of this female family. Lord Nelson appears to be a need-the-lead sort, but is one of the faster colts in the Kentucky Jockey Club field. Baffert's last win in the race was with Captain Steve in 1999.
MAJESTICO (Majesticperfection - Senorita Dehere, by Dehere) needed four tries to win his maiden and got the job done last time out over the turf. He’s a half to stakes placed Bella Roja (by Hold That Tiger) and that’s it for blacktype in the immediate female family. This is Majestico’s first attempt over dirt and his fifth jockey in as many starts. Trainer Wayne Lukas is 8% with the maiden to stakes angle. His last victory in this race was with Cape Town in 1997.
FLASHAWAY (Eskendereya - Call Me Fleet, by Afleet) closed from 10 lengths out of it and made a
five wide move to finish second, only 1 ¼ lengths behind his stablemate Sky
Hero in an optional claimer last time out.
Flashaway is a half brother to the Irish stakes winner Warrior Queen (by
Quiet American), Gallant Fox Handicap hero Tiger’s Rock (by Giant’s Causeway)
and Irish stakes placed Rapid Ransom (by Red Ransom). Flashaway has
Rasmussen Factor inbreeding (inbred to a blue hen through different siblings
within five generations) to South Ocean through her son Storm Bird, who is Flashaway’s
third tail sire (great-great grandpa on dad’s side), plus South Ocean is
Flashaway’s third dam. Mark Casse scored with Uncaptured in the 2012 Kentucky Jockey Club.
JUMPIN FRAC FLASH (Any Given Saturday - Manukai, by Unbridled Jet) needed three starts to win his maiden, but did it with style, drawing off by five lengths. Jumpin Frack Flash’s dam is a stakes placed turf sprinter and a half to a stakes winner. The McPeek trainee’s speed figures are improving, however his morning works are slow and the barn has 9% graded stakes wins. McPeek won this race with Repent in 2001.
SELECTIONS:
Track Bias: four of the last five editions of the Kentucky Jockey
Club were won by pace setters or pressers.
Sky Hero,
Lord Nelson, Lucky Player, and possibly Eagle
should create a lively pace. If the pace is too quick, look for Flashaway, International Star, and Imperia to be moving strongly at the
end. El Kabeir takes the blinkers
off, which could be an effort to get him to relax. The Terranova barn is 21%
with this angle.
Sky Hero
Lord Nelson
Lucky Player
Flashaway – longshot pick
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