On Saturday at Aqueduct, the featured race is the $100,000 Artie Schiller Stakes. Carded at one mile on the turf, the stakes race has drawn a field of ten colts and geldings with four additionally entered as also-eligible.
Reload has been tabbed as the morning line favorite at odds of 5-2 for trainer Claude McGaughey, III. A six-year-old son of Hard Spun bred and owned by Phipps Stable, the chestnut is a seven time career winner and was a graded stakes winner last year. He is coming into this race off of a victory in an optional claiming race at Belmont Park and is scheduled to break from the outside post under jockey John Velazquez.
Second choice at morning line odds of 3-1 is Lubash for trainer Christophe Clement. An eight-year-old son of Freud, the veteran is a sixteen time winner and a multiple graded stakes winner. Bred in New York, he has been successful against both state bred and open competition and is going for his fifth victory of the year. He won the Mohawk Stakes last time out and will break from post position four with Junior Alvarado aboard.
Also in the field at morning line odds of 6-1 is Sky Flight for trainer Mark Casse. A four-year-old son of Sky Mesa, he was purchased for $80,000 as a yearling and has been on the board in six of his ten starts with four victories. He has one stakes win to his credit and is stepping back up after winning an allowance race at Keeneland last time out. Joel Rosario will be in the irons and they will break 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...
Leave a comment