Baffert 2-year-olds already lead 2019 Derby trail
Bob Baffert is a two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer. He has been training 2-year-olds for almost five months. Fifteen of them won their debuts, another three placed second or third, and 10 have won since their debut. Baddert's 2 year old horses are short-priced for bettors. Game Winner is the 6-1 favorite at William Hill to win next spring's Kentucky Derby. Bidders are already thinking about the same track next May. The first pool of the nationwide Kentucky Derby Future Wager is being conducted by Churchill Downs this long weekend.
Roadster finished third in the Del Mar Futurity in September. Baffert is not in a hurry to bring Roadster back before the important Derby preps in March. Baddert warns that the Derby is a challenge and can be unpredictable.
There are only 22 horses in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, instead of 23. Cairo Cat, Code of Honor, Coliseum, Dunph, Epic Dreamer, Game Winner, Gunmetal Gray, Instagrand, Magic On Tap, Maximus Mischief, Mucho Gusto, Preamble, Roadster, Signalman, Tale Of The Union, Uncle Benny, Vekoma, Candy Ride and Into Mischie are 6-1 on the morning line.
Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes is a 1 1/16-mile points prep for the Kentucky Derby. Four of the 22 horses in the KDFW were drawn into the $200,000 Grade 2 race. Knicks Go, King For A Day, Signalman and Dunph are among the horses who were chosen to run in it. Current, who was caught blowing bubbles in a gate, is not a good bet.
Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens retires. Seeking The Soul will defend his 2017 Clark Handicap victory on Friday at 5:56 p.m. EST. Prime Attraction is likely to set the early pace. Preakness runner-up Bravazo will start his 11th race this year for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Stevens needs surgery to relieve pressure on a vertebra in his neck. He won 5,187 races and totaled purse earnings of $258 million. He also won each of the U.S. classics three times and 11 Breeders’ Cups.
Enable will race in 2019 as a 5-year-old. The prime target is to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the third consecutive year.
The All-Star Mile is scheduled for March 16 at Flemington Racecourse. The fee to enter a horse is only $500. 14 lucky fans will get 10 percent of the purse winnings. Ron Flatter's weekly racing column is posted every Friday morning at VSiN.com and after big races. The Ron Fatter Racing Pod is also posted on VSIN and available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.
