Derby Day at Oaklawn: The Arkansas Derby Double Feature

Share This:

On 5/2/20 the 84th Arkansas Derby will take place at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Inaugurated in 1936, this race is a Grade 1 dirt race of 1 and 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) for 3 year-old Thoroughbreds. The one million dollar purse will be split into $500K for each division. This is only the second time in history that this race has been split into two fields. The last double feature occurred in 1960. Each division will reward 100-40-20-10 KY Derby points to the first, second, third and fourth place winners respectively. Because of the cancellation and “To Be Decided” status of other KY Derby prep races, this race is extremely important right now. In fact, this race has been a meaningful step on the the path to the Classic races for sometime. Several Arkansas Derby winners have gone on to win in other races in the Triple Crown series and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Arkansas Derby winner, American Pharoah, won every leg of the Grand Slam in 2015. In a year that will surely stand out as unusual, what will the two winners of the 2020 Arkansas Derby go on to achieve?

Check out the athletes in each of the 2020 Arkansas Derby Divisions! Here they are listed by division as well as post position #(saddle cloth # if different due to scratches)/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/breeder/and morning-line odds:

Division 1 (Race 11, posts at 6:29 PM EDT/5:29PM CDT):

1. Charlatan/Martin Garcia/Bob Baffert/SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Hertrich, III, Frederick, Fielding, John D. and Golconda Stables/Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, LLC./1-1
2. My Friends Beer/Declan Cannon/Jeremiah O’Dwyer/Designated Hitters Racing, LLC/Best A Luck Farm, LLC./20-1
3. Mo Mosa/Kendrick Carmouche/Michael J. Maker/Perry Martin and Denise Martin/Perry Martin and Denise Martin/30-1
4. Gouverneur Morris/John R. Velazquez/Todd A. Pletcher/Team Valor International and WinStar Farm LLC//Machmer Hall, Carrie Brogden, Craig Brogden & James F. Miller//9-2
5. Jungle Runner/Tyler Baze/Steven M. Asmussen/Calumet Farm/Calumet Farm/30-1
6. (8) Anneau d’Or/Juan J. Hernandez/Blaine D. Wright/Peter Redekop B. C., Ltd./Highland Yard, LLC./6-1
7. (9) Winning Impression/Julien R. Leparoux/Dallas Stewart/West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing/WinStar Farm, LLC./15-1
8. (10) Crypto Cash/Corey J. Lanerie/Kenneth G. McPeek/Lewis, Tommie M. and Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek)/D.J. Stables/20-1
9. (11) Basin/Ricardo Santana, Jr./Steven M. Asmussen/Jackpot Farm/Cottonwood Stables, LLC./8-1

Division 2 ( lucky Race 13, posts at 7:43 PM EDT/6:43 PM CDT):

1. Finnick the Fierce/Martin Garcia/Rey Hernandez/Monge, Arnaldo and Hernandez, Rey/Paige Jillian Blu Sky Stables/15-1
2. (3) Storm the Court/Flavien Prat/Peter Eurton/David A Bernsen LLC., Exline-Border Racing LLC., Hudock, Dan and Wilson, Susanna/Stepping Stone Farm/6-1
3. (4) King Guillermo/Samy Camacho/Juan Carlos Avila/Victoria’s Ranch/Carhue Investments, Grouseridge Ltd. & Marengo Investments/3-1
4. (5) Nadal/Joel Rosario/Bob Baffert/Bolton, George, Hoyeau, Arthur, Lipman, Barry and Mathiesen, Mark/Sierra Farm/5-2
5. (6) Code Runner/Stewart Ellliott/Steven M. Asmussen/Calumet Farm/Baumann Stables, Edward Bradley & Dr. Aaron Sones/50-1
6. (7) Silver Prospector/Ricardo Santana Jr./Steven M. Asmussen/Ed and Susie Orr/Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton & Silver Fern Farm, LLC./10-1
7. (9) Taishan/David Cohen/Richard Baltas/Nguyen, Calvin and Tran, Joey/Nursery Place, Donaldson & Broadbent/15-1
8. (10) Farmington Road/Javier Castellano/Todd A. Pletcher/Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners/Chrysalis Stables/12-1
9. (11) Wells Bayou/Florent Geroux/Brad H. Cox/Gasaway, Clint, Gasaway, Lance, Madaket Stables LLC and Wonder Stables/Knowles Bloodstock, Inc./7-2

Let’s look into some details, by horse (state of breeding) sire-damn: (career entries-wins:2nds:3rds) and a bit more…

Charlatan (KY) Speightstown – Authenticity : (2-2:0:0) is undefeated in 2 starts, having only raced as a 3 year-old at Santa Anita for trainer Baffert who has not won the Arkansas Derby since American Pharoah.

My Friends Beer (MD) Stay Thirsty – Slew’s Quality: (8-1:3:2) broke his maiden with 5 starts and proceeded to place in a Black Type race all at his home track in Maryland before arriving at Oaklawn to finish 3rd in his last start just a few weeks back.

Mo Mosa (KY) Uncle Mo – Roughing: (5:1-1-2) won in his 3rd start and then finished 12th in his only prior KY Derby Prep race, the Tampa Bay Derby. He then finished stronger at Oaklawn with a 3rd place finish at his 3rd track. He will likely have a large Chromie fan base due to his breeder and owner’s connections to the beloved California Chrome.

Gouverneur Morris (KY) Constitution – Addison Run: (4:2-1-0) is a gray colt trained by the Arkansas Derby’s most-wins trainer, Todd Pletcher. Gouverneur Morris broke his maiden in his first asking at age 2. He placed at my home track of Keeneland on opening weekend last Fall in the KY Derby Prep, the Breeder’s Futurity and in his last start he picked up more KY Derby points with a 4th place finish in the Florida Derby.

Jungle Runner (KY) Candy Ride – Minx: (7:2-0-0) is trained by 3 time AK Derby winner, Asmussen, who won with Private Emblem, Curlin and Creator! Jungle Runner broke his maiden at his 2nd of 4 tracks. Since then his next 4 races have all been Listed or Black Type. Winning his first Black Type stakes, he has not finished in the money since. He came in 8th when he raced at Oaklawn.

Anneau d’Or (KY) Medaglia d’Oro – Walk Close (4:1-2-0) got his start at 3 different California race tracks. He won in his first start and then raced in 3 KY Derby Preps earning points in two with second place finishes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Los Alimitos Futurity.

Winning Impression (KY) Paynter – Unbridled Sonya (6:1-1-1) is another beautiful gray gelding. His connections Leparoux and WinStar have AK Derby wins under their belts. Racing at 3 tracks, Winning Impression won his third start and he recently finished 5th at Oaklawn with no stakes experience.

Crypto Cash (KY) Majesticperfestion – Crypto’s Best (5:2-1-0) is a nice colt that had his first start on the day that I visited Ellis Park. He is featured in several of the photos throughout this post. He broke his maiden in his 3rd start at that track and then traveled 2 more tracks where he most recently finished 4th in a Black Type stakes.

Basin (KY) Liam’s Map – Appenzell (5:2-1-1) is a colt with the same jockey/trainer (Santana/Asmussen) connections as Creator when he won the 2016 AK Derby. Basin won in his second start and won the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes in his 3rd career race. He gather KY Derby points finishing third in the Rebel Stakes and 4th in his last stakes start, at Oaklawn.

Finnick the Fierce (KY) Dialed In – Southern Classic (6:2-1-0) is a talented gelding. He won his first race and his most recent race too. His last start was at Oaklawn. In between he participated in 3 KY Derby Prep races and picked up points in the KY Jockey Club and the Lecomte.

Storm the Court (KY) Court Vision – Me Tejana Storm (6:2-0-2) has raced and earned points in 3 KY Derby Prep races thus far after breaking his maiden in his first race. His points came at age 2 in the American Pharoah and BC Juvenile and then this year he was 3rd in the San Felipe.

King Guillermo (KY) Uncle Mo – Slow Sand (4:2-0-1) is fresh off a win in the Tampa Bay Derby. King Guillermo gathered 50 KY Derby points in that race. He has raced in three tracks in Florida and won at two of the three.

Nadal (KY) Blame – Ascending Angel (3:3-0-0) is an undefeated colt in 3 starts! He gathered KY Derby points in his last race, winning the Rebel at Oaklawn Park. Prior to that he won the Grade 2 San Vicente.

Code Runner (KY) Honor Code – Nereid (8:2-2-1) broke his maiden in his 5th start as a 2 year-old. At three he won his last and third race in an allowance. He is trained by the AK Derby winning Asmussen. Code Runner has raced at 5 tracks but never Oaklawn.

Silver Prospector (KY) Declaration of War – Tap Softly (9:3-0-2) is a gray colt with wins in two KY Derby Prep races, the KY Jockey Club and the Southwest. I watched him break his maiden with jockey Santana at Keeneland and took the photo of him in this post. His last 3 races have been at Oaklawn and he won 1 of those starts.

Taishan (KY) Twirling Candy – Grace Phil (6:2-0-1). This colt has 1 KY Derby Point that he earned in the Sham Stakes. He narrowly missed gathering points at Oaklawn in the Southwest. He has finished in the money at that track twice since.

Farmington Road (KY) Quality Road – Silver La Belle (5:1-2-0) has raced all 5 starts at different tracks over several states. His last stop was Oaklawn where he had a nice finish as second in the Black Type, Oaklawn Stakes. Farmington Road picked up KY derby points in Division 1 of the Risen Star with a 4th place finish. He is also trained by the most-wins in the AK Derby, Pletcher.

Wells Bayou (KY) Lookin At Lucky – Whispering Angel (5:3-1-0) broke his maiden in his first career start at Keeneland, when he was two. He succeeded with a 1st, 2nd and yet another 1st place finish in his last 3 starts earning KY Derby Points in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn and the Louisiana Derby.

Plenty of thoroughbreds, plenty of action and thanks to Oaklawn for continuing to hold racing, without spectators, throughout the corona virus pandemic. To watch this Saturday’s races, tune into Fox Sports 1 on 5/2/20 from 1 to 8 PM ET, FS2 from 8 to 8:30 PM ET or 3-6 PM ET on NBC and 6 to 8 PM ET on NBCSN and finally various times on TVG. The 14 race card begins at 1 PM ET and concludes after 8:14 PM ET.

Thank you all for your continuing support of Thoroughbred U and Thoroughbred Horse Racing. Just like the pandemic, “We Are All In This Together.”

Share This: