Street to the Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserve heads to Arkansas on Saturday with 19 others.th Learn how to spend $250,000 smarty jones stakesthe primary of 4 qualifying level preparations to be held within the coming weeks at Oaklawn Park. 9 new three-year-old colts shall be lined as much as compete for 21 Kentucky Derby factors distributed among the many high 5 horses on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale. The 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones has produced one Kentucky Derby winner, which occurred two years in the past when fifth-place finisher Mystic Dan was coaching for a memorable upset victory within the 150-meter race.th Kentucky Derby, skilled by Kenny McPeak (Smarty Jones’ successful horse Catching Freedom completed 4th).
Right here we check out Smarty Jones’ area, beginning with the Kenny McPeak-trained Universe assigned to the within (rail) put up place. The stallion accomplished his 2-year-old season by working Smarty Jones with good outcomes, ending third, 2nd and 2nd in three consecutive graded stakes races. Universe will make his Oaklawn debut on Saturday, with Joel Rosario scheduled to trip him for the primary time. The Baytown Dreamer returns to filth after 5 straight begins on grass, and morning line odds are as excessive as 30-1. Boca Seaside Membership completed second within the Introduction Stakes at Oaklawn Park in mid-December, scoring a 98 final outing to earn him the best Equibase Velocity Determine of any participant within the race. The Omaha Seaside-bred colt would be the first bid on a route inside the distance that Luis Saez plans to trip. Silent Tactic completed a detailed second within the Grade 3Bet 365 Grey Stakes on an all-weather monitor and was entered by Mark Casse’s secure at Woodbine. Morning Line favourite Rancho Santa Fe, 5-2, is undefeated in his second profession race for coach Brad Cox, and jockey Florent Geroux stays within the saddle after wins on the mile and 1 1/16 miles. Oscar’s Hope, who has completed first and second for the reason that begin of his profession, received the Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs in late November by two and three-quarters of a size, and can be a part of the Tom Amos secure. Jockey Mark Casse’s runner-up, Strategic Threat, stormed out by 9 lengths within the FTBOA Florida Sire in Actuality Stakes at Gulfstream Park over the identical 1 1/16-mile distance final outing, preserving Javier Castellano within the saddle. Scarship began his profession No. 3 at Delta Downs, successful his first race by 9 and a half lengths, and completed second by only a half a size within the six-furlong Louisiana Champions Dage Venile Stakes on the Fairgrounds. Sleeping Gon Freedom, one other Kenny McPeak trainee, rounded out the sphere with back-to-back wins on the Kentucky circuit. Brian Hernandez Jr. received 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs in late November, driving the Independence Corridor colt to retain the mount.
Evaluation and fundamental candidates:
universe He marked a rating of 94 in his third consecutive graded stakes look, rating him first within the area when it comes to common class. Universe, who made his profession debut at Saratoga final August, endured vital adversity when he hit the gate initially, however nonetheless mounted a robust rally to win the seven-furlong filth race by 4 and a half lengths. This eye-catching debut set the tone for his subsequent robust campaigns towards top-level rivals. The bay colt bumped into bother once more in his subsequent begin, the Belmont Massive A Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, the place he was hit onerous in a niche between horses, however nonetheless completed a good third within the one-turn-mile race. In October, Universe took off his blinkers for the primary time and stretched to 1 1/16 miles in the course of the race, ending runner-up within the Grade 3 Road Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs and incomes a career-best 92 equal base pace determine. Universe, who final ran within the G2 Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes at Churchill, put up one other stable effort and completed second, 3/4 of a size behind the massively fashionable Father Add. Within the 1 1/16-mile race, he misplaced about eight lengths by six furlongs, then regained his tempo late. Universe had a neater time competing in Smarty Jones, rising his Kentucky Jockey Membership class ranking from 109 to 93 on Saturday. Coach Kenny McPeek has traditionally excelled within the non-weighted stakes at Oaklawn Park over the previous three years, successful at a 27% clip in 41 begins, posting a top-three charge of 56% and a robust return on funding of 85%. One other notable change was jockey switching from Brian Hernandez Jr. to Joel Rosario. McPeak and Rosario have teamed up solely as soon as up to now three years, however solely that point led to a win within the Tinsel Stakes at Oak Garden on Dec. 20 with Rattle N Roll, who additionally continued to alter jockeys from Hernandez Jr. Regardless of having just one win in 4 profession begins, Universe has persistently proven robust performances towards prize-winning horses, ending second twice within the 1 1/16-mile run for Smarty Jones. distance. He suits the invoice on this space, with a morning line value of 3-1, providing enticing worth whereas benefiting from significant class aid.
Morning line odds are 8-1; oscar’s hope This race brings great worth to coach Tom Amos. Coach Tom Amos has a 44% win charge over the previous 10 days, with 4 wins from 9 begins. Oscar’s Hope has by no means completed worse than second in his profession and has made it to the winner’s circle 3 times in 5 profession begins. He made his debut within the six-furlong filth maiden particular weight race at Saratoga in August and completed a good second earlier than successful the subsequent race on the identical stage, distance and monitor by a 5-3/4 size lead. In October, Oscar’s Hope was shipped to Keeneland the place he completed second on the allowance stage towards the prized outfielder and received the allowance choice claimer at Churchill Downs, additionally at a distance of six furlongs. In his final outing, he completed robust at Delta Downs over seven and a half furlongs, incomes a career-best 93 equibase and successful by two and three-quarters of a size. Not solely does Oscar’s Hope know discover the Winner’s Circle, however he additionally ranks #1 in Late Tempo with a ranking of 107.0. Over the previous 12 months, horses with the best second-half tempo scores in non-graded filth stakes races have received 33% of their 417 begins and completed within the high three 67% of the time. This stallion ought to run effectively and may very well be a harmful competitor. Nonetheless, questions stay about his capacity to deal with two turns.
santa fe ranch He has been excellent in his two profession begins and joins Smarty Jones as a robust contender. The Tapit colt made his debut within the One Flip Mile maiden particular weight race at Ellis Park final August and achieved his finest end result, successful by 3/4 of a size whereas scoring 86 equibases. He took one other step ahead in his second begin, bettering to 1 1/16 miles across the second nook at Keeneland and scoring an 88 with a slim win by a half-length on the declare stage on the allowance choice. Infiltrate, who completed second in that race, and Grand Mahogany, who completed third, each received their subsequent begins. As talked about above, Florent Geroux rode each of Rancho Santa Fe’s wins and holds the mount in Smarty Jones, which ought to be a plus contemplating he heads to Oak Garden for this solo trip on Saturday. Coach Brad Cox, who received this race in 2024 with the aforementioned Catching Freedom, has had success within the unweighted stakes at Oaklawn Park for the previous three years, successful with a win charge of 35% and ending within the high three 71% of the time in a complete of 34 begins. Smarty Jones represents a step up at school, however Rancho Santa Fe has completed every thing requested of him to this point and appears greater than able to placing in one other successful efficiency in his stakes debut.
The remainder of the sphere has posted the best Equibase pace numbers in comparable races. baytown dreamer (82), boca seashore membership (98), ways of silence (85), strategic threat (86), scarship (90), and sleep for freedom (88).
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universe
oscar’s hope
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