Share This: La Coronel won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October, but her April win in the Applachian, both at Keeneland, is now a Grade 2 stakes for 2018
As November wrapped there was a special meeting in the Horse Capital of the World. A select group, belonging to the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association met in Lexington, KY. These members are on the American Graded Stakes Committee. They were tasked with the annual selection process of grading stakes races in the United States. After a delicate 2 day process that looked at over 800 stakes races the committee determined 455 worthy stakes for 2018. Did your favorite track and races meet their standards?
Though only a sparse seven sophomores dare to try, each contender for the Haskell Invitational Stakes has already achieved graded stakes success. A 1st place finish in this race secures a nice purse, a stunning trophy and an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The 50th running of the Haskell is going to be sensational!
Get ready to witness The Run for the Carnations! This week closes out with The Test of the Champion(s), The Third Jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes! While there will be no Triple Crown winner this year, the energy in the air is still very electrifying. Racing fans everywhere can not wait to see who wins the 149th running of the Grade I, Belmont. Here’s the scoop.
Share This: Secretariat, KY Derby winner 1973, museum wall mural
Welcome to the 143rd consecutive running of the Kentucky Derby! We have waited a long time to get to this historical moment and the time is upon us this weekend. Who will win The Run For The Roses?
Happy Easter! We are less than 3 weeks shy of the 143rd running of the 2017 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. The final two prep races were held yesterday so we have come to the end of the road to the KY Derby. We now have our roster of eligible contenders in the Run for the Roses.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is on fire today! Three races at 3 different tracks are passing out KY Derby qualifying points! Only 37 select races award points, therefore today, 2/4/17, is definitely important. When the day is done, 12 horses will have received points for the day’s races and there will only be 20 races left for the competition to build on. Right now, Classic Empire sits on top of the KY Derby Leaderboard. Today, he will face off against 8 other Thoroughbreds in the Holy Bull Stakes. Is he HOLY BULLetproof?
Go For Gin’s paddock
The Holy Bull stakes was inaugurated in 1996 to replace the former Preview Stakes that had already succeeded the Flamingo Stakes that dated back to 1972. It is a Grade II race for 3 year-olds of 1 and 1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs) on the dirt at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, FL. The Holy Bull derived it’s name from a Thoroughbred, Holy Bull. Holy Bull was foaled in 1991 to Great Above and Sharon Brown. Holy Bull won 13 of 16 starts, many of these wins were major graded stakes races, including a win in the KY Derby. He won Eclipse Awards for Champion 3 Year-Old Colt and the Horse of the Year in 1994. By 2001 he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall Of Fame. Holy Bull was an active stallion at Darley’s Jonabell Farm from 1995 until 2012. He then retired at the same farm. His offspring include several graded stakes winners.
Go For Gin’s stall plate
Go For Gin, holds the speed record for the Holy Bull at the current distance with a time of 1:41.62 minutes. He won the Holy Bull in 1994 and has retired to a nice life at The Kentucky Horse Park. I have had the pleasure of visiting with him there. His pictures are featured in this webpost.
Go For Gin poses for his fans
The 2017 edition of the Holy Bull Stakes will post at 5:35 P.M. EST. It is race 12, the final race of the day, at Gulfstream Park. The purse this year is $350 thousand dollars. The field is as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/morning-line odds:
1. Gunnevera/Javier Castellano/A.Sano/9-2
2. Perro Rojo/Nik Juarez/N.P. Zito/30-1
3. Classic Empire/Julien Leparoux/M.E.Casse/3-5
4. Talk Logistics/Paco Lopez/E. Plesa Jr./12-1
5. Irish War Cry/Joel Rosario/H.G. Motion/15-1
6. Fact Finding/John Velazquez/T.A.Pletcher/6-1
7. Shamsaan/Luis Saez/K.P.McLaughlin/20-1
8. Cavil/Jose Lezcano/K.P.McLaughlin/15-1
9. Fire For Effect/Corey Lanerie/D.L.Romans/20-1
Classic Empire is the favorite to win the Holy Bull. He already has 30 KY Derby points from when he gained 10 points winning the Breeders Futurity and 20 more winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Classic Empire is sired by Pioneer of the Nile, just like the famous champion, American Pharoah. Classic Empire will face off against another horse on the leaderboard, Gunnevera is 5th on the KY Derby leaderboard with 10 points.
The Holy Bull Stakes, the Withers Stakes and the Robert B. Lewis Stakes all offer 10 points to the winner, 4 to 2nd place, 2 to third place and 1 point to the 4th place finishers. All 3 races cover the same distance, surface and are open to 3 year-olds. El Areeb is the favorite in the Grade 3 Withers with post position 4 in the race and tenth on the KY Derby leaderboard. He will face off with 9 other competitors at 4:20 P.M. EST in race 8 on Aqueduct’s card. Also, in the Withers, J Boys Echo and Bonus Points are both on the KY Derby Leaderboard as well.
Meanwhile, the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes will take place at Santa Anita Park. It is race 2 on the card and posts at 3:59 P.M. EST. Only 5 horses are entered. Royal Mo is favored here although Irap and Dangerfield already have KY Derby points too.
It will be outstanding to see who racks up all the points today. I’m hoping Classic Empire keeps proving himself and jumps up to 40 points. Check back often too see my next post and have a fantastic weekend.
