European Road to the 2024 Kentucky Derby resumes at Kempton

Feb 19, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

The European Road to the Kentucky Derby shifts into its decisive phase this spring, with the final three scoring races to be conducted on all-weather surfaces.

The next points race on tap is at Kempton on Wednesday, an event billed appropriately enough as the “European Road to the Kentucky Derby” Conditions race. The action moves to the Irish track of Dundalk for the March 1 Patton S., and the grand final is the March 30 Cardinal Conditions race back in Britain at Chelmsford.

The Kempton race, and the Patton, have a points structure of 20-10-6-4-2 to the top five finishers. The Cardinal is worth the most, offering points on the 30-15-9-6-3 scale. All three contests are on Polytrack over a mile.

Wednesday’s event at Kempton has attracted a field of six, none nominated to the Triple Crown by the early deadline. But they represent some high-profile connections.

Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby sends out Notable Speech, a smart debut winner at this track and trip Jan. 28. Top jockey William Buick is back aboard the well-bred son of Dubawi.

🔵 @godolphin unleashes a couple of smart three-year-olds at the track tonight. Notable Speech was a fine winner of the @UnibetRacing Supports Safe Gambling Maiden Stakes pic.twitter.com/VMEBazYChK

— Kempton Park Racecourse (@kemptonparkrace) January 27, 2024

Solomon, by the brilliant Siyouni and out of Group 1 winner Ribbons, rolled to a convincing score at Southwell last time out. In his only prior start, the William Haggas trainee just missed to highly-regarded Queen of Zafeen, who’s come back to win again.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Blown Away makes his first start of the season, and as a gelding. A winner at Chelmsford last September, he has not raced since a narrow loss under top weight in a course-and-distance nursery Nov. 8.

Cuban Tiger, by hot young sire Havana Grey, prevailed over a next-out winner in his Jan. 6 unveiling at Southwell. The Karl Burke pupil takes a distance hike, though, from six furlongs. Arctic Thunder just got up in time here on Jan. 22 for Andrew Balding, going seven furlongs, and the added ground should suit the son of Night of Thunder. Kevin Ryan’s Only in Jakarta likewise scored his first victory in his latest, a seven-furlong novice at Newcastle, but the mile is an uncertainty for the No Nay Never colt from a speed-oriented family.

The European Road to the Kentucky Derby is the fifth race, with a post time of 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and you can follow along at TwinSpires.com.