With the Breeders’ Cup in the rear-view mirror, and the BC Juvenile (G1) winner Fierceness now considered the really-way-too-early Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite, the road to the 2014 Run for the Roses opens again over Thanksgiving weekend.
And where else but Churchill Downs, home of the Derby, should prep race No. 7 of 37 – Saturday’s $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) — take place?
The 1 1/16-mile test drew a field of eight 2-year-olds, including Risk It, who was beaten a neck by West Saratoga in the Iroquois (G3) — the first of the Derby preps on Sept. 16.
At this point, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has four 2-year-olds in the top 12 – Fierceness with 30 points is first, Locked with 19 points is second, Moonlight with 5 points is ninth, and Be You with 3 points is 12th.
Fierceness, owned by Mike Repole, was much the best in the Juvenile, winning by 6 ¼ lengths over Muth, who won the American Pharoah (G1) on Oct. 7 for trainer Bob Baffert.
Baffert still banned from Derby
Baffert, however, is still banned from entering horses at Churchill Downs-owners tracks. The six-time Derby winner was suspended by the track after 2021 first-place finisher Medina Spirit tested positive for a prohibited race-day medication. The suspension was extended a year through the 2024 Derby.
Any horse trained by Baffert will not be eligible to run the Derby, and none are listed on the points scoreboard. Muth would have 26 points (10 for the American Pharoah, 16 for second in the Juvenile). If Baffert transfers a horse to another trainer by a specified date in 2024, that horse could start earning Derby qualifying points.
Points offered on a sliding scale
The road to the 2024 Derby awards a sliding scale of points to the top five finishing positions. In the initial stages, the points scale is 10-5-3-2-1, including the Kentucky Jockey Club. The BC Juvenile on Nov. 3 awarded points on a 30-16-9-6-3 scale. The points scale goes up as the Derby gets closer, with nine races offering 20-10-6-4-2, six offering 50-25-15-10-5, and eight offering 100-50-25-15-10.
Your early prep winners
West Saratoga (Iroquois), Timberlake (Champagne), Muth (American Pharoah), Locked (Breeders’ Futurity), Liberal Arts (Street Sense), and Fierceness (BC Juvenile)
The top 10 points leaders (ties broken by graded stakes earnings)
Fierceness (30), Locked (19), Timberlake (13), Liberal Arts (13), West Saratoga (11), The Wine Steward (5), General Partner (5), Risk It (5), Moonlight (5), and Dancing Groom (3).
Second Derby future wager runs Nov. 23-26
As expected, Fierceness is the 15-1 individual betting favorite of 38 interests, while the pari-mutuel field of all other 3-year-olds and geldings is the 4-5 favorite. The Derby future wager pool features a $2 win and exacta wagering.
Horses under the care of trainers suspended from competing in the 2024 Derby will not be under consideration, but the horses will be included within the pari-mutuel field.
Four more Derby preps in 2023
Remsen (G2), Aqueduct, Dec. 2; Springboard Mile, Remington Park Dec. 15; Los Alamitos Derby (G2), Dec. 16, Los Alamitos, Gun Runner, Dec. 23, Fair Grounds. All award points of 10-5-3-2-1.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
