Running down the end of 2018 has us racing up the 2019 Road to the Kentucky Derby. Sunday, 12/16/18, is the final race of this year’s American Road to the KY Derby and the only KY Derby prep race held annually at Remington Park. With all North American Thoroughbred birthdays falling on January 1st, this is the endpoint of our 2 year-old racing season for KY Derby contenders.
The prior 13 prep races awarded points to the first 4 finishers of each race as follows by race name, location, (European or Japan Road when applicable) and winners with (points values):
- Iroquois – Churchill Downs: Cairo Cat (10), Tight Ten (4), Pole Setter (2), Tobacco Road (1)
- American Pharoah – Santa Anita Park: Game Winner (10), Gunmetal Gray (4), Rowayton (2), Jefe (1)
- Juddmonte Royal Lodge – Newmarket (European): Mohawk (10), Sydney Opera House (4), Cape of Good Hope (2), Victory Command (1)
- Juddmonte Beresford -Naas (European): Japan (10), Mount Everest (4), Power of Now (2), Sovereign (1)
- Champagne – Belmont Park: Complexity (10), Code of Honor (4), Call Paul (2), Aurelius Maximus (1)
- Breeders’ Futurity – Keeneland : Knicks Go (10), Signalman (4), Standard Deviation (2), Sombeyay (1)
- Prix du Jean Luc Lagardere – Longchamp (European): Royal Marine (10), Broome (4), Anodor (2), Boitron (1)
- Vertem Futurity Trophy – Doncaster (European): Magna Grecia (10), Phoenix Of Spain (4), Western Australia (2), Circus Maximus (1)
- Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – Churchill Downs: Game Winner (20), Knicks Go (8), Signalman (4), Mr. Money (2)
- Kentucky Jockey Club – Churchill Downs: Signalman (10), Plus Que Parfait (4), Limonite (2), King for a Day (1)
- Cattleya Sho- Tokyo Racecourse (Japan): Make Happy (10), Kingen (4), Johann (2), Romantico (1)
- Remsen – Aqueduct: Maximus Mischief (10), Network Effect (4), Tax (2), Bourbon War (1)
- Los Alamitos Futurity – Los Alamitos Racecourse: Improbable (10), Mucho Gusto (4), Extra Hope (2), Dueling (1)
A little bit of mathematics is all you need to figure out who tops the leaderboard or you can just view it here: https://www.kentuckyderby.com/horses
Now, lets spring forward to this weekend’s race, the Springboard Mile! This week we found ourselves at the 145th day mark until the racing of the 145th KY Derby. We have this one last 2018 homeland race on the American Road to the KY Derby and the host track is Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is a relatively young race track, established in 1988. The Springboard Mile was inaugurated in 2009 and races annually at Remington. It is a mile race on the dirt held in December each year. This will be the third year that this race has been deemed a KY Derby prep race.
On 12/16/18 the Springboard Mile will post at 7:52 P.M. CST/8:52 P.M. EST as the 11th race on a card of 12. Remington’s first race posts at 4 P.M. EST. There are 5 stakes races on this meet’s closing day. The purse of the Springboard Mile will be $400,000. 11 contenders will face off for points,10-4-2-1 to the first 4 finishers. The entries are as follows by post/horse/jockey/trainer/owner/and morning-line odds:
- 1 – Epic Dreamer/Javier Castellano/Kelly J. Breen/Epic Racing/8-5
- 2 –Kaziranga/Iram Vargas Diego/Steven D. Asmussen/Calumet Farm/15-1
- 3 – Marquee Prince/Florent Geroux/Brad H. Cox/Rick, Donna and Jeff Awtrey/10-1
- 4 – Six Shooter/Alex L. Canchari/Paul E. Hoithus/Dundalk 5 LLC. and NPH Stable/8-1
- 5 – Long Range Toddy/Richard E. Eramia/Steven S. Asmussen/Willis Horton Racing LLC./12-1
- 6 – Tone Broke/David Cabrera/Steven S. Asmussen/L and N Racing LLC./15-1
- 7 – Dobbins G/Luis S. Quinonez/Martin Lozano/Michael J. and Linda Mazoch/30-1
- 8 – Bankit/Ricardo Santana Jr./Steven S. Asmussen/Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC/3-1
- 9 – Tobacco Road/Ramon A. Vazquez/Steven S. Asmussen/L and N Racing/15-1
- 10 – Dunph/Reylu Gutierrez/Michael J. Maker/Three Diamonds Farm/10-1
- 11 – D Toz/Lane J. Luzzi/Danny Pish/Reichter Family Trust and B.J. Reichter /20-1
Tobacco Road is the only horse in the field currently on the KY Derby leaderboard. Epic Dreamer is the clear favorite to win. Trainer, Steven Asmussen, has 5 entries in this one race. Owners, L and N Racing, have 2 contenders. There are bound to be some shake ups on the leaderboard with all of this fresh talent. I’m completely unsure of whom I think is the best 2 year old but this race will be another grouping of fine candidates. The Springboard Mile will change up the leaderboard as the only Remington Road to the Kentucky Derby.