Victory Formation steps up in trip for Smarty Jones

Undefeated in two starts sprinting, Victory Formation makes his stakes and two-turn debut in Sunday’s $250,000 Smarty Jones S. The one-mile event on New Year’s Day ushers in Oaklawn Park’s Road to the Kentucky Derby, culminating in the Apr. 1 Arkansas Derby (G1).

Victory Formation has shown speed in both outings so far. The Brad Cox trainee wired his Oct. 21 premiere at Keeneland, where he drew off by 4 3/4 lengths, but had to dig deeper next time at Churchill Downs. As the favorite in an allowance on the Nov. 26 “Stars of Tomorrow II” program, Victory Formation battled throughout, lost his advantage, then fought back to prevail by a gutsy neck.

Interestingly, jockey Flavien Prat flies in from his winter base at Santa Anita to pick up the mount on Victory Formation, who has drawn the outside post 8. The colt’s pedigree implies greater distance capacity. From the first crop of Tapwrit, the 2017 Belmont (G1) winner by Tapit, Victory Formation is a half-brother to Grade 1-placed Bellamore, who’s finished third going as far as 1 3/8 miles. 

Denington sports the best form of those with stakes experience, rallying for a close fifth in the Nov. 26 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill. The Gun Runner colt picked up one point to join the Derby leaderboard. His Ken McPeek stablemate, Ten Days Later, also competed on the “Stars of Tomorrow II” card, with a third in an allowance that was run much faster than the Kentucky Jockey Club.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is also double-handed with Communication Memo and How Did He Do That. Communication Memo placed in his first three maiden races, including a third to Victory Formation and a sharp second to Cox’s unbeaten Corona Bolt, before graduating Dec. 16 at Oaklawn. Significantly, that breakthrough coincided with a stretch-out to this one-mile trip. How Did He Do That captured the Zia Park Juvenile two back, but got no nearer than fifth in the Dec. 9 Advent S. dashing 5 1/2 furlongs here. As a son of champion Good Magic, however, he figures to enjoy the added ground. 

Cox has a secondary hope in Angel of Empire. By champion Classic Empire, hero of the 2017 Arkansas Derby, Angel of Empire is 2-for-2 on dirt at Horseshoe Indianapolis. His only loss was a sixth on the Kentucky Downs turf.

Slated as Sunday’s eighth race (5:10 p.m. ET), the Smarty Jones is worth points to the top five on the 10-4-3-2-1 scale. The points increase through the ensuing Oaklawn scoring races, the Jan. 28 Southwest (G3), Feb. 25 Rebel (G2), and the aforementioned Arkansas Derby.