Kentucky Derby Update: Derby Dispatch for Thursday, April 11

Apr 11, 2024

Just one race remains on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the $400,000 Lexington Stakes (Grade III) run on Saturday at Keeneland.

Throughout the last seven months, the field for this year’s 150th running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) took shape and, on Saturday, some horses running in the Lexington could garner enough points to qualify for this year’s race.

Hades, the upset winner of the Holy Bull Stakes (GIII), currently has 30 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and would need to win the Lexington to make the top 20 point earners. Another potential Kentucky Derby contender could be Encino, who has 20 qualifying points after winning the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway. Should Encino win the Lexington, he’d earn an additional 20 points and would need at least one defection (depending on where Hades finishes) to make the field for the Kentucky Derby.

There will be a lot of moving parts throughout the next three weeks until the Kentucky Derby but Saturday’s Lexington Stakes is a major part of deciding who’s in and who’s out of this year’s field.

 

BREEDERS’ FUTURITY RUNNER-UP THE WINE STEWARD TABBED AS 5-2 MORNING LINE FAVORITE IN SATURDAY’S LEXINGTON STAKES – Paradise Farm Corp and David Staudacher’s Breeders’ Futurity (Grade I) runner-up The Wine Steward is set to make his first start in more than six months as the 5-2 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $400,000 Lexington Stakes (GIII) at Keeneland, the final race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Lexington will go as Race 10 with a post time of 5:48 p.m. The Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series race will award the top five finishers qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale in their final attempt to make the field for the 150th running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI).

Trained by Mike Maker, The Wine Steward has three wins from just four lifetime starts in his young career. The talented New York-bred son of Vino Rosso finished a game second to Locked in the Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keeneland, his first start trying two-turns. Four weeks later, The Wine Steward was scheduled to compete in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) but bypassed the race with a minor issue. The Wine Steward returned to Maker’s base at Gulfstream Park early this winter to begin preparing for his return.

Another top contender that entered the Lexington is DJ Stable and Robert Cotran’s Hades. The winner of the Holy Bull (GIII) in January, Hades would secure his spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby with a victory in the Lexington. The speedy son of Awesome Slew will be ridden for the first time by Jose Ortiz.

Another colt attempting to qualify for the Kentucky Derby is Godolphin’s Encino. The homebred son of Nyquist was victorious six weeks ago in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park, earning 20 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Lexington will be Encino’s first start on dirt.

Tabbed as a 15-1 longshot, Secret Chat will break from the rail under Joel Rosario for trainer Roderick Rodriguez. He’s followed in post position order by (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds) The Wine Steward (Luis Saez, Maker, 5-2); Dilger (Tyler Gaffalione, Saffie Joseph Jr., 12-1); Footprint (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 10-1); Hades (Ortiz, Orseno, 7-2); How’s Ur Attitude (Adam Beschizza, John Ennis, 30-1); Everdoit (Axel Concepcion, Kevin Rice, 30-1); Encino (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 5-1); Liberal Arts (Irad Ortiz Jr., Robbie Medina, 4-1); and Lucky Jeremy (Gerardo Corrales, Bill Morey, 8-1).

 

 

UPCOMING WORK TAB – It will be a busy work tab Saturday and Sunday at Churchill Downs with several Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks contenders scheduled to have breezes.

Nearly two inches of rain fell in Louisville on Wednesday and Thursday causing the track to be “sloppy” during training hours and making trainers slightly alter their work plans.

On Saturday, Jeff Ruby Steaks (GIII) winner Endlessly is scheduled to breeze at 5:30 a.m. ET. About two hours later, Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Catching Freedom is scheduled to work for trainer Brad Cox.

Sunday’s work tab is once again scheduled to feature Louisiana Derby runner-up Honor Marie and Risen Star (GII) runner-up Track Phantom.

Trainer Kenny McPeek reported Southwest (GIII) winner Mystik Dan and Rebel (GII) runner-up Common Defense are slated to have works this weekend.

 

DOWN THE STRETCH

 

As of Thursday morning, there were six possible Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) contenders at Churchill Downs: Into Champagne (Barn 26), Just F Y I (Barn 19), Our Pretty Woman (Barn 38), Tarifa (Barn 22), Thorpedo Anna (Barn 6) and Where’s My Ring (Barn 30).

 

Stakes nominations for all Kentucky Derby week races closed Wednesday. The full list of nominations will be available in the coming days. …

 

The first day of the exclusive Kentucky Derby/Kentucky Oaks training window begins Saturday, April 20 from 7:30-7:45 a.m. …

 

Only 23 days remain until the Kentucky Derby.