The Road to the Kentucky Derby- February 24th – VOLUME 5
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It is a New Year and a whole new season for horse racing as a number of quality Thoroughbreds celebrated their third birthday on January 1st and are poised to make a name for them self on the 2011 Triple Crown Trail.
Leading up to horse racing’s premier event; the Kentucky Derby this May, there are close to 60 prep races between the beginning of the year and mid-April that determine this year’s field. These prep races also provide some solid insight into which horses have the best chance to win the Derby and possibly go on to earn the Triple Crown by winning the Preakness and the Belmont as well. Here is a brief re-cap of a couple of key prep races from last weekend.
The Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds- Saturday, Feb.19
The Risen Star is a grade II stakes race for three year-old Thoroughbreds with a total prize purse of $300,000. It is contested on a dirt track over a distance of 1 1/16 mile. Jockey Rajiv Maragh took over for the injured Eibar Coa and successfully guided Mucho Macho Man to a 1 ¼-length victory over Santiva in Saturday’s Risen Star. He remained near the front of the pack for most of the race, finally taking the lead for good at the eighth pole. The favorite for the race, Rogue Romance finished another 1 ¼-lengths back in third place. 
Trained by Kathy Ritvo, this was Mucho Macho Man’s second victory in seven career starts and puts him on-track for a run in the Louisiana Derby on March 26 as his next test on the Derby trail.
The Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park-Sunday Feb.20
The Southwest is a grade III stakes race for three year-old Thoroughbreds with a total prize purse of $250,000. It is contested on a dirt track over a distance on one mile. J.P. Gusto went off as the 6-5 favorite and Elite Alex was the second choice at 2-1, but it was 14-1 Archarcharch that ended up taking the first-place prize in the Southwest’s crowded 11 horse field. Ridden by jockey Jon Court, he kept pace with leaders in the middle of the pack before surging past the field to take a 2 ½-length lead down the stretch. He held off J.P. Gusto by a length to secure the win with Elite Alex finishing third.
Archarcharch broke his maiden in the Super Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds on Dec.18 and finished fourth in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn on Jan.17. Trainer William Fires is eyeing the Rebel Stakes on March 19 as the next step on the Derby trail.
This upcoming weekend’s big races include the Fountain of Youth Stakes from Gulfstream and the Borderland Derby from Sunland Park.
David Schwab is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog. While not cheering for his beloved Philadelphia Eagles David can be found working on his blog. David wants to hear from you so please comment below.
