On Saturday at Fair Grounds, the stakes action will kick off with the $60,000 Blushing K.D. Stakes. Named in honor of the 1997 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner, the race will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf and has drawn a field of twelve fillies and mares.
Eden Prairie has been tabbed as the morning line favorite in the wide open field at odds of 7-2 for trainer Neil Pessin. A five-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast, the dark bay mare is a seven time winner and is the defending champion in this race after winning last year’s edition. She rebounded and finished second last time out in an optional claiming race at Fair Grounds after three consecutive fifth-place finishes. Florent Geroux will be aboard and they will break from post ten.
Second choice at morning line odds of 4-1 is Kitten’s Dumplings for trainer Michael Maker. Bred and owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, the five-year-old daughter of Kitten’s Joy has won seven of her nineteen starts and is a multiple graded stakes winner. She earned her first victory since 2013 two starts back in the Little Miss Magic Stakes and is trying to rebound after finishing ninth in the My Charmer Handicap (G3). Emmanuel Esquivel will be aboard from post eight.
Also in the field at morning line odds of 8-1 is Zubi Zubi Zu for trainer Michael Stidham. A four-year-old daughter of Omega Code bred in Oklahoma, the dark bay filly has been on the board in twelve of her nineteen starts and is a seven-time winner. She was second in an optional claiming race at Remington Park last time out and has two minor stakes wins so far this year. She will have the recently reinstated Patrick Valenzuela aboard from the inside post.
There will always be Kentucky Derby entrants that would be much better suited to skip the race entirely and find a better spot if not for the gusto of their well-meaning owners, but the Road to the Derby point qualifying system has been remarkably efficient at making the race more of a level-playing field since its inception four years ago.
On Saturday at Keeneland, the featured race is the $250,000 Dixiana Elkhorn Stakes. Scheduled to be run at one mile on the turf, the Grade 2 event has drawn a field of eight colts and geldings.
With a largely underwhelming, and thus far, slow, group of three year-olds set to contest the 2016 Kentucky Derby, logical handicappers searching for a pick outside of the undefeated and likely highly-favored Nyquist may have already begun the hand-wringing process.
On Friday at Oaklawn Park, the featured race is the $600,000 Apple Blossom Stakes. Restricted to fillies and mares, the Grade 1 event will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth on the main track and has drawn a field of six.
Kentucky Derby Points System Doing Its Job
08 May 2016There will always be Kentucky Derby entrants that would be much better suited to skip the race entirely and find a better spot if not for the gusto of their well-meaning owners, but the Road to the Derby point qualifying system...
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