New to the Leaderboard is No. 2 Track Phantom who won the Lecomte at Fair Grounds for trainer Steve Asmussen. (Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges, Jr.)
By Maribeth Kalinich
With 102 days until the 150th Kentucky Derby there are 47 horses with Derby qualifying point as 14 races offering points are in the books.
The next race that will award points is the $800,000 Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park Saturday, Jan. 27. The 1-1/16 miles race offers 20-10-6-4-2 points to finishers in first through fifth, respectively.
Saturday, Feb. 3 will be an exciting day across the country with three Grade 3 Derby qualifiers. The $250,000 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park also run at 1-1/16 miles; the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis at one mile; and, the $250,000 Withers at Aqueduct at 1-1/8 miles. All three also offer the same point system as the Southwest.
The following weekend Tampa Bay Downs takes over with the Grade 3 $250,000 Sam F. Davis at 1-1/16 miles. Ringing in March is the $150,000 John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park at 1-1/16 miles on the All-Weather track. Both races offer the same points as the previous four races.
Closing out February is the beginning of the Kentucky Derby Championship Series with the Grade 2 $400,000 Risen Star at 1-1/8 miles on the 17th offering big points at 50-25-15-10-5. The following day is the Grade 3 $400,000 Sundland Derby at Sundland Park at 1/1-16 miles for 20-10-6-4-2 points.
The marquee race for February on the 24th is the Grade 2 $1.25 million Rebel at Oaklawn Park at 1-1/16 miles, the first of the races offering 50-25-15-10-5 points before the heavy hitters with the 100-50-25-15-10 points system.
The Rebel has traditionally produced Derby winners as winners of the former have gone on to win the latter in Lawyer Ron (2006), Curlin (2007), Lookin At Lucky (2010), Will Take Charge (2013), and American Pharoah (2015) who went on to take the Triple Crown.
Still in the No. 1 position on the Derby Leaderboard is Repole Stable’s Fierceness (City of Light-Nonna Bella x Stay Thirsty) with 30 points having won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Pletcher also trains No. 3 Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Walmac Farm’s Locked (Gun Runner-Luna Rosa x Malibu Moon) (19 points), No.13 Town and Country Racing & Madaket Stables’ Moonlight (Audible-Sundown x Tapit) (7 points) and, also for Repole Stable, No. 30 Be You (Curlin-Jacaranda x Congrats) (3 points).
New to the Leaderboard is No. 2 Track Phantom (Quality Road-Miss Sunset x Into Mischief) who won the Lecomte at Fair Grounds for trainer Steve Asmussen. The Quality Road colt earned 30 points for owners L and N Racing, Clark Brewster, Jerry Caroom and Breeze Easy.
Godolphin’s Nash (Medaglia d’Oro-Sara Louise x Malibu Moon) popped on at No. 6 with 13 points for coming in second in the Lecomte for Brad Cox. No. 26 Stonestreet Stables’ Ethan Energy (Uncle Mo-Sass and Class x Harlan’s Holiday) came aboard forces fourth place in the Lecomte with four points.
Cox also trains No. 4, Siena Farm & WinStar Farm’s Timberlake (Into Mischief-Pin Up {IRE} x Lookin At Lucky) and No. 25 Gettysburg Address (Constitution-Jojo Warrior x Pioneeof The Nile), No. 44 Calumet Farm’s Air Cav (Mitole-In A Cloud x Elusive Quality) and No. 45 Albaugh Family Stables & Donegal Racing’s Awesome Road (Quality Road-Orate x A.P. Indy).
Cox trainee Drum Roll Please is off the Derby trail due to an injury.
Walking L Thoroughbred’s Lat Long (Liam’s Map-Amen Sista x Street Cry {IRE}) arrived at No. 15 with six points for his third-place performance in the Lecomte for Kenny McPeek.
KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD
