The Kentucky Derby on May 2nd is firmly
on the minds of connections of Upstart after his impressive return to
action in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream.
Upstart
Upstart is by Flatter out of Party
Silks and finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last
November for Rick Violette and Jose Ortiz. He finished six and a half
lengths and a nose behind Texas Red and Carpe Diem at Santa Anita but
seems to have improved from two to three.
He drew right away from the
Godolphin-owned favourite Frosted to win by five and a half lengths
on his seasonal debut. He recorded a time of 1m 43.61s to land the
$400,000 prize and earn 10 points towards the Kentucky Derby, putting
him third overall on the list*. He was cut to 20-1 by bookmakers for
the big race behind 10-1
favourite American Pharaoh with Texas Red next best at 12-1 and
Dortmund at 16-1.
American Pharaoh
Trainer Bob Baffert won the Kentucky
Derby in 1997 and 1998 with Silver
Charm and Real Quiet. He has two leading contenders this year
with American Pharoah and Dortmund.
American Pharoah was set to start one
of the shortest priced favourites at the Breeders’ Cup but was
forced to miss the Juvenile due to a bruised foot. He had won his
previous two races, the Grade 1 Frontrunner Stakes and Del Mar
Futurity. Many pundits felt that he was a certainty for the Juvenile
and they may well have been right. Juvenile winner Texas Red had been
beaten nearly five lengths by American Pharoah in the Frontrunner.
The son of Pioneerof The Nile swept
into the lead early on and was kicked clear to beat Calculator by
three and a quarter lengths in a time of 1m 44.95s. He made all the
running to beat the same horse by a similar margin in the Futurity on
his previous start and remains an exciting prospect.
American Pharoah’s sire was runner-up
in the Kentucky Derby in 2009 for Zayat Racing. Their blue and yellow
colours would also finish second with Nehro in 2011, beaten by Animal
Kingdom. Pioneerof The Nile is a son of 2003 Derby runner-up Empire
Maker and a grandson of 1990
Derby winner Unbridled.
Dortmund
Stable companion Dortmund had to work
much harder to win the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity in a three-way
photo. Baffert was winning the race, formerly held at the now defunct
Hollywood Park, for a record seventh time.
Dortmund is a son of 2008 Kentucky
Derby winner Big Brown and just got the verdict over Firing Line and
Mr Z. Out of Grade 3-placed sprinter Our Josephina, Dortmund is the
best of Big Brown’s progeny to date. The most recent winner of the
race to go on to glory in a Triple Crown race was Oxbow in 2012 who
won the Preakness the following year. Although not as impressive on
the racecourse as American Pharoah, Baffert insists that there is
little between the two at home.
Texas Red
In winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
by six and a half lengths, Texas
Red paid a huge compliment to American Pharoah who had beaten him
comprehensively in the Frontrunner Stakes. He provided trainer Keith
Desormeaux with his first Breeders’ Cup winner, cutting through the
field after they had gone a suicidal early pace. Carpe Diem plugged
on to take second with Upstart third and Irish raider The Great War
back in fourth.
El Kabeir
El Kabeir is a colt by Scat Daddy out
of a mare by Unbridled’s Song. He landed the $200,000 Jerome at
Aqueduct, the first recognised Derby prep race of 2015.
He had won the Kentucky Jockey Club at
Churchill Downs on his last start as a juvenile for trainer John
Terranova. El Kabeir launched his bid three-wide under Chuck Lopez
and drew four and three-quarter lengths clear of Nasa and Ostrolenka
to earn 10 qualifying points for the Derby. He runs in the colours of
Zayat Stables who also have early favourite American Pharoah and Mr Z
in contention for the big race.
*The final field for the 141st Kentucky
Derby will be determined by the “Road to the Kentucky Derby”
eligibility system, as in the previous two seasons.
by Harvey Mayson