‘ROAD TO KENTUCKY DERBY’ CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES BEGINS SATURDAY WITH FAIR GROUNDS’ RISEN STAR

By Darren Rogers —-

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, Feb. 24, 2017) – The Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by TwinSpires.com – a tiered point system that awards a sliding scale of points to the top 4 finishers in 37 designated races throughout the world – determines the 20 horses that will have preference to compete in America’s greatest race, the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) at 1 ¼ miles on the first Saturday in May.

A similar series is in place for the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks,” the Derby’s companion event for 3-year-old fillies on May 5.

The “Prep Season” that began in late September concluded Monday with 48 early Triple Crown nominees grossing points.

Now, it’s on to the “Championship Series” in which the point values of races within the 10-week run up to the first Saturday in May will escalate by 5X or 10X, making these 16 races the most meaningful springboard events in advance of the Derby.

At series’ end, the top 19 point earners in the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” and “Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby” eligible leader will earn spots in the maximum field of 20 horses in the Run for the Roses.

The 20th and final spot, a.k.a. the “bubble,” has ranged from 10 to 32 points in the first four years of the point system, which debuted in 2013. When two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is earnings in non-restricted stakes races then lifetime earnings.

Each race in the first leg of the Championship Series that starts Saturday and continues through March 24 is worth 50 points to the winner, 20 to the runner-up, 10 to third and 5 to fourth.

This Saturday’s Championship Series kickoff, the Risen Star (GII) at Fair Grounds, features likely favorite Mo Town. Winner of the Remsen Stakes (GII) in his last start, Mo Town makes his 3-year-old debut for trainer Tony Dutrow and will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Mo Town’s main rivals come from impressive maiden winner Local Hero, Keith Gee Memorial Stakes runner up Girvin and Lecomte Stakes (GIII) winner Guest Suite.

#TRENDING

1. Withers (GIII) winner El Areeb is expected to headline the field for the Gotham (GII) at Aqueduct next weekend. Entries for the race will be drawn on Wednesday, March 1.

2. Los Alamitos Futurity (GI) winner Mastery was back on the work tab Tuesday for trainer Bob Baffert. Mastery is likely to make his next start in the March 11 San Felipe (GII) at Santa Anita.

3. Cool Arrow, runner up in the Spendthrift Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs, is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s Risen Star after he was scratched from Monday’s Southwest (GIII) at Oaklawn Park.

4. Robert B. Lewis (GIII) runner-up Irap headlines this weekend’s Mine That Bird Derby, a prep for the Sunland Derby at Sunland Park.

5. Extricate, a well-bred $1.1 million purchase and Triple Crown nominee makes his debut in a maiden special weight at Fair Grounds on Saturday for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

6. Excitations, coming off of an impressive maiden victory at Fair Grounds, is entered in a first-level allowance race going 1 1/16 miles on March 4.

7. Lookin for Eight, an impressive maiden victor at Gulfstream Park and newly acquired by trainer Mark Casse, and Sam F. Davis (GIII) third-place finisher State of Honor were expected to breeze Friday at Florida’s Palm Meadows.

8. Untapped, full sister to Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable, tries to add her name onto the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard in this Saturday’s Rachel Alexandra Stakes (GII).

9. Highly-regarded juvenile filly Sweet Loretta recently returned to the track for her first published workout since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) in November. A winner of the Schuylerville (GIII) and Spinaway (GI) at Saratoga, Sweet Loretta is based at Palm Beach Downs with trainer Todd Pletcher.

10. Multiple graded stakes-placed filly Ever So Clever was back on the work tab Monday for trainer Steve Asmussen. She finished fifth in the recent Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park.

TAKING SHAPE

The possible fields for Kentucky Derby Championship Series races are fluid as horsemen vie for points on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by TwinSpires.com.” Below are known horses mentioned to be under consideration for each race based on published news reports and other sources (with Road to the Kentucky Derby point totals). Again, the shape of these fields is fluid and some horses are considered “possible” for multiple races:

FEB. 25 RISEN STAR – $400,000 Risen Star (GII) to be run over 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.: Mo Town (10), Guest Suite (10), Untrapped (4), Takeoff (2), Arklow (1), Cool Arrow (0), Girvin (0), Horse Fly (0), It’s Your Nickel (0), Local Hero (0), Shareholder Value (0) and So Conflated (0). Not Triple Crown Nominated: Sorry Erik (0) and U S Officer (0). Points to Top 4: 50-20-10-5.

MARCH 4 FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH – $400,000 Fountain of Youth (GII) to be run over 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla.: Gunnevera (14), Practical Joke (14), Irish War Cry (10), State of Honor (2), Third Day (0), Three Rules (0). Points to Top 4: 50-20-10-5.

MARCH 4 GOTHAM – $300,000 Gotham (GIII) to be run over 1 1/16 miles on the inner track at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, N.Y.: El Areeb (20), True Timber (6), J Boys Echo (3), Haul Anchor (0). Points to Top 4: 50-20-10-5.

MARCH 11 TAMPA BAY DERBY – $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (GII) to be run over 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.: Classic Empire (32), McCraken (20), Wild Shot (7), Tapwrit (4), Always Dreaming (0). Points to Top 4: 50-20-10-5.

MARCH 11 SAN FELIPE – $400,000 San Felipe (GII) to be run over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.: Gormley (20), Mastery (10), Royal Mo (10), Iliad (0). Points to Top 4: 50-20-10-5.

MARCH 18 REBEL – $900,000 Rebel (GII) to be run over 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.: Gormley (20), Lookin At Lee (12), Royal Mo (10), Petrov (8), American Anthem (4), Malagacy (0). Points to Top 4: 50-20-10-5.

MARCH 25 UAE DERBY – $2 million UAE Derby (GII) to be run over 1 3/16 miles at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai: Epicharis-JPN. Points to Top 4: 100-40-20-10.

March 25 SPIRAL – $500,000 Spiral Stakes (GIII) to be run over 1 1/8 miles (S) at Turfway Park in Florence, KY: En Hanse. Points to Top 4: 50-20-10-5.

March 26 SUNLAND DERBY – $800,000 Sunland Derby (GIII) to be run over 1/18 miles at Sunland Park in Hobbs, New Mexico: TBA. Points to Top 4: 50-20-10-5.

April 1 LOUISIANA DERBY – $1,000,000 Louisiana Derby (GII)to be run over 1 1/8 miles at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.: Saint’s Fan (0). Points to Top 4: 100-40-20-10.

April 1 FLORIDA DERBY – $1,000,000 Florida Derby (GI) to be run over 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla.: One Liner (10), Battalion Runner (0). Points to Top 4: 100-40-20-10.

April 8 WOOD MEMORIAL – $750,000 Wood Memorial (GII) to be run over 1 1/8 miles on the inner track at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, N.Y.: One Liner (10). Points to Top 4: 100-40-20-10.

April 8 BLUE GRASS – $1,000,000 Bluegrass Stakes (GII) to be run over 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky.: One Liner (10). Points to Top 4: 100-40-20-10.

April 8 SANTA ANITA DERBY – $1,000,000 Santa Anita Derby (GI) to be run over 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.: TBA. Points to Top 4: 100-40-20-10.

April 15 ARKANSAS DERBY –$1,000,000 Arkansas Derby (GI) to be run over 1 1/8 miles at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.: Uncontested (11). Points to Top 4: 100-40-20-10.

April 15 LEXINGTON – $200,000 Lexington Stakes (GIII) to be run 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, KY.: TBA. Points to Top 4: 10-4-2-1.

KENTUCKY OAKS AT A GLANCE

The First Leg of the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” Championship Series took place on Thursday with the UAE Oaks (GI) at Meydan Racecourse. Nomorerichblondes avenged her second place finish in the UAE 1000 Guineas to capture the UAE Oaks, in turn vaulting her to the top of the leaderboard with 50 points. Midnight Chica finished second and added 20 points to her standings while Complimenti and Melesina added 10 and 5 points respectively.

The Championship Series continues Saturday with the $150,000 Busher Stakes at Aqueduct, which is scheduled as Race 8 at 4:50 p.m. (ET), and the $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (GII) at Fair Grounds, which is scheduled as Race 9 at 5:06 p.m. (ET)

Headlining the field for the Busher is impressive maiden winner Full House. The Jimmy Jerkens-trained daughter of Discreetly Mine will break from post position 5 with jockey Rajiv Maragh aboard.

The field of seven 3-year-old fillies for the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (GII) is headed by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) runner up Valadorna. The Stonestreet Stables homebred daughter of Curlin won her 3-year-old debut, a first-level allowance race in late January at Fair Grounds.

Other contenders for the Rachel Alexandra are the 1-2 finishers in the Jan. 21 Silverbulletday: Farrell and Wicked Lick.

FUTURE WAGERS OPEN FRIDAY-SUNDAY

Betting in the third of four 2017 KDFW pools is scheduled to open at noon (all times EST) on Friday, Feb. 24 and continue until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26. The wager will be available at racetracks and satellite wagering facilities throughout North America and online at TwinSpires.com and other online internet wagering platforms. The lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager of 2017 also opens at noon on Friday and is set to close on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.