The victory was not a shock, as a result of Additional Ado was the 2-1 favourite within the 1 1/16-mile maiden particular weight at Keeneland. However the margin was loopy: 20 lengths. No person noticed that coming, not after he misplaced his first two begins by 3½ and 6¼ lengths.
These races at Saratoga have been at 6 and seven furlongs, which made coach Brad Cox assume the son of sizzling sire Gun Runner wasn’t a sprinter. Or perhaps Additional Ado simply didn’t just like the monitor on the Spa.
“He put all of it collectively that day at Keeneland … the one factor that basically modified was going two turns,” Cox mentioned.
Additional Ado shall be going two turns Saturday at Churchill Downs within the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds. The space would be the identical, however the competitors shall be loads harder. Was that runaway in Lexington a fluke? Will Additional Ado bounce off his breakthrough efficiency?
Put up time is 5:25 p.m. ET for the tenth race, which is able to supply the highest 5 finishers Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying factors on a 10-5-3-2-1 sliding scale. The primary 5 fillies within the co-featured Golden Rod Stakes (G2) will get factors for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Betting options to the favourite: Additional Ado
Cox is making an attempt to see whether or not his loaded barn could have a Kentucky Derby contender. “We wish to get one other good race out of him to complete his 12 months off Saturday,” he mentioned.
Additional Ado (submit 6, 7-5) is coaching properly and will get perennial champion rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. The Irad-Cox mixture at all times will get guess closely, so Additional Ado shall be no discount. He would possibly even be odds-on. Let’s see whether or not we are able to discover a colt to beat him.
Cherokee Nation (submit 2, 3-1) presents a logical various. Though he’s a maiden, he misplaced his final race by solely a nostril at a mile and is educated by the masterful Bob Baffert. He additionally has tactical pace and picks up rider Flavien Prat, final 12 months’s Eclipse Award winner.
Different prospects are the speedy Dr. Kapur (submit 3, 8-1) and Soldier N Diplomat, who cruised by 9 lengths final out in a 1-turn mile at Churchill. Soldier N Diplomat additionally beat Additional Ado by 3½ lengths within the debut for each. The worth on Spice Runner (submit 1, 12-1) shall be tempting. Ignore his 12-length loss to presumptive champion Ted Noffey within the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), during which Spice Runner stumbled and was steadied at first.
Put up time is 5:25 p.m. ET.
The Picks: 1 Cherokee Nation, 2 Additional Ado, 3 Soldier N Diplomat
The sector for the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes (G2), from the rail out, with jockey, coach, odds:
- Spice Runner (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen), 12-1,
- Cherokee Nation (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert), 3-1
- Dr. Kapur (Jose Ortiz, Saffie Joseph, Jr.), 8-1
- Soldier N Diplomat (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen), 4-1
- Very Related (Emmanuel Esquivel, Kenny McPeek), 15-1
- Additional Ado (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Brad Cox), 7-5
- Universe (Brian Hernandez, Jr., Kenny McPeek), 9-2
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Guess on the Golden Rod Stakes, Evaluation, Picks
Bob Baffert’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up, Explora, was the 7-5 morning-line favourite, however she was scratched on Wednesday. With out her within the race, the likeliest winners seem like Lifetime of Pleasure (submit 6, 4-1) and speedy Letmecounttheways (submit 5, 9-2), each 2-for-2.
Lifetime of Pleasure, a course-and-distance winner at Churchill, is educated by Cox. He gained the Golden Rod final 12 months with Good Cheer, who went on to win the Oaks.
The 1 1/16-mile, $400,000 Golden Rod is a highway to the Kentucky Oaks factors qualifier, with 10-5-3-2-1 factors awarded to the highest 5 finishers.
Put up time is 5:54 p.m.
The picks: 1 Lifetime of Pleasure, 2 Letmecounttheways, 3 Atropa
The sector for the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2), from the rail out, with jockey, coach, odds:
- Baracca (Axel Concepcion, Brendan Walsh), 15-1,
- Important Espresso (Corey Lanerie, Steve Asmussen), 30-1
- Simply Singing (Luan Machado, J. Kent Sweezey), 15-1
- Vita Mia (Junior Alvarado, Armando De La Cerda), 30-1
- Letmecounttheways (Joel Rosario, Mike Maker), 9-2
- Lifetime of Pleasure (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Brad Cox), 4-1
- Raspberry (Luis Saez, Whit Beckman), 30-1
- Wonzee Climate (Chase Miller, Darrin Miller), 30-1
- Atropa (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux), 8-1
- Coco Join (Adam Beschizza, John Ennis), 30-1
- Bella Ballerina (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh), 10-1
Explora (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert), 7-5 (Scratch)- The Grumpy Rabbit (Brian Hernandez, Jr., Kenny McPeek), 15-1
