Stakes Tracker: Kentucky Derby 2018 trail heating up
With the Jerome Stakes postponed due to frigid weather on the East Coast, Kentucky Derby 2018 hopefuls will be back in action for the first time this year on Saturday in both California (Santa Anita’s Grade 3 Sham) and Florida (Gulfstream Park’s Mucho Macho Man).
Only the former race offers points toward a spot in the Derby starting gate, though both events run at a mile, with the Mucho Macho Man marking the 3-year-old debut of promising Dale Romans trainee Dak Attack.
Gulfstream hasn’t listed official probables for the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man but mentioned Bal Harbour, a back-to-back stakes winner, and Todd Pletcher-trained Noble Indy as other top nomination. The race is the first of the track’s preps leading to the Florida Derby, with the others the Grade 2 Holy Bull, Swale and Fountain of Youth.
The race attracted 25 nominations in all.
As for the Sham, expect more of the same on the West Coast: a talented field, but not a big one.
Mourinho is the headliner after beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Greyvitos last time out in the Grade 3 Bob Hope at Del Mar. The winner went on to score again in Remington Park’s Springboard Mile, while Mourinho, a $625,000 purchase, is a son of Super Saver who looks like he wants to go longer.
Among the challengers are Shivermetimbers, a Jerry Hollendorfer trainee coming off a maiden score, while Here Is Happy adds blinkers after running last throughout in the Bob Hope.
California newcomer Rajiv Maragh has a stakes mount aboard Free Rose, who will make his first start in seven months in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes, run on the same card as the Sham.
Of the current nine probables, only Seattle Serenade enters off a victory, but the runners have exited decent performances in some of the nation’s top stakes for older horses. Bolo exits the same race as Free Rose, the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile, while Isotherm has been off since going on dirt in the Santa Anita Handicap. Win The Space also moves back to the grass.
Grade 2, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes
Beaten by a nose twice by Dream Tree, who went on to win the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes in her subsequent start, Misnight Bisou will finally dodge her rival Sunday in Santa Anita Park’s Santa Ynez Stakes, a 2018 Kentucky Oaks prep.
She’ll be joined by War Heroine, who scratched out of the Starlet as a San Luis Rey Downs horse the week of the deadly fires in California, as well as Golden Gate Dubtante Stakes winner Steph Being Steph and Anoakia Stakes winner Artistic Diva.
Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes