Enforceable owns a route win ahead of Kentucky Jockey Club

John Oxley’s regally-bred, Grade 1-placed colt Enforceable will rely on his two-turn experience in next Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs.

“He’s a nice 2-year-old and probably still figuring things out in the afternoon," said Mark Casse's assistant, David Caroll. "With Tapit in his bloodline, sometimes his young horses still need a little bit of schooling. He’s a very kind horse to ride in the morning but sometimes that changes in the afternoon.

Enforceable is out of the mare Justwhistledixie, who produced Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day and multiple graded stakes winner and 2016 Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Mohaymen. Enforceable was privately purchased by Oxley after a final bid of $775,000 did not meet the reserve price at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The gray broke his maiden at fourth asking on Aug. 22 in a rare nine-furlong race for 2-year-olds at Saratoga. Next time out, he was third behind the highly regarded Maxfield and Gouverneur Morris in Keeneland's Breeders' Futurity (G1).

“I thought his work last weekend (five furlongs in 1:00.80) was very strong and will set him up well for the Jockey Club," Carroll said. "He’ll need to step his game up in the afternoon, but he’s on the way to figuring things out.”

The Kentucky Jockey Club, run at 1 1/16 miles, awards qualifying points to the 2020 Kentucky Derby on a 10-4-2-1 basis to the Top 4 finishers. Unlike Enforceable, the likely Top 2 choices, unbeaten Tiz the Law and South Bend, have not gone around two turns.

Here's a full look at the prospective field with entries due by Wednesday.

2019 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2)

Co-featured on the card is the Grade 2, $300,000 Golden Rod for aspiring juvenile fillies, in which Brereton Jones’ recent eye-catching allowance winner Turtle Trax will try stakes company and stretch out in distance for the first time.

“I wanted to run her one mile instead of the 6 ½ furlongs last out, but she was doing so good I had to run her,” trainer Ian Wilkes said. “I don’t see any trouble with her stretching out in distance. I think she can be very talented.”

Turtle Trax is by Jones’ sire, Cairo Prince, and out of the Harlan’s Holiday mare Great Family. In her last start at Churchill Downs, Turtle Trax cruised from just off the pace to a 2 ¾-length victory under Julien Leparoux.

“She worked really well earlier this week (five furlongs in 1:02.80 on Wednesday),” Wilkes continued. “I wanted it to be a slower work, but she galloped out very well around the turn. I don’t think the two turns will be any issue.”

Turtle Trax is likely to face a duo from trainer Bob Baffert’s barn in the Golden Rod: Speedway Stables’ 7 ¼-length maiden winner Auberge and $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) third-place finisher Bast.

Here's a full look at the prospective field of another 1 1/16-mile race, this one offering points toward the 2020 Kentucky Oaks back at Churchill Downs.

2019 Golden Rod (G2)