Kentucky Derby 2020 update: Horses to watch, Japan’s leader

The points-paying 2020 Kentucky Derby preps are done until the new year, but there’s still plenty to keep track of through the holidays, leading off this weekly update on the trail.

Not so quiet times

Points won’t be earned toward the Derby again until Nashua Stakes (G3) hero Independence Hall returns Jan. 1 in Aqueduct’s Jerome Stakes. In the meantime, we’ll turn closer attention to some maiden, allowance and lesser-known stakes events when looking for new Derby prospects.

With big east coast barns relocating to Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas for the winter, it’s worth a weekly look at the entries for gems like these:

— There was early talk of Candy Tycoon being Todd Pletcher’s best 2-year-old, but he didn’t deliver in three starts up in New York. Maybe a change of scenery will do him well as an odds-on favorite Wednesday afternoon at Gulfstream Park.

— Toledo, a Juddmonte Farms homebred who broke his maiden Nov. 9 at Aqueduct, leads Friday's featured allowance at Gulfstream. The Into Mischief colt is trained by Chad Brown and could — as with any winner of this race — emerge as a serious prospect for the preps.

— Saturday’s Fair Grounds card includes a pair of open maiden races plus an allowance including Mr. Monomoy, the half-sibling of champion Monomoy Girl who improved dramatically second out, breaking his maiden on the front end at Churchill Downs.

— Also at Fair Grounds, Shashashakemeup, a rare debut winner for trainer Keith Desormeaux, looks to make good on the conditioner’s hopes that this is his 2020 Derby horse in the $75,000 Sugar Bowl. The race produced Gray Attempt, Manny Wah and Hog Creek Hustle a season ago.

— The Dec. 26 opening day card at Santa Anita typically offers an open maiden event of note, too.

Meanwhile, in Japan…

After Dieu du Vin’s Nov. 23 victory in the Cattleya Sho at Tokyo Racecourse, a new set of 2-year-olds vied for points on the Japan road to the Derby in Wednesday’s Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushin, with Vacation getting up in the final strides of the 1-mile feature at Kawasaki Racecourse.

Vacation earned 20 qualifying points on the Japan trail, doubling Dieu du Vin’s 10, though it’s the latter who is said to have the bigger aspirations to come to the U.S. The Hyacinth (30 points to the winner) and Fukuryu (40) remain in 2020.

Top Kentucky Derby headlines

• Early Derby favorite Dennis’ Moment’s back to the track

• Shoplifted’s rebound up to ‘conviction and confidence’

• Jerkens hopes decision to rest Green Light Go pays off

• Great Power’s still in the Derby picture for Callaghan

A look at Kentucky Derby odds

Via VSiN’s Ron Flatter, based in Las Vegas, the full list of Vegas and offshore offerings for the Derby…

Upcoming Kentucky Derby preps

More names will be known soon, but this trio of races — and keep in mind the Mucho Macho Man does not offer points — appear to have their headliners.