Derby Twenty By Graded Earnings
Filly Roses Qualified; Colonel John, Tale of Ekati Inherit Top Spots
Stars War Pass and Pyro are No.1 and No.2 in graded stakes earnings, but War Pass is out. Colonel John and Tale of Ekati are top prospects. The filly Eight Belles is in.
What the last shuffle of the Kentucky Derby cards will reveal is hard to say, but Colonel John and Tale of Ekati have earned the top spots for the Run for the Roses while War Pass and Pyro, No.1 and No.2 in graded stakes money, faltered in recent races.
Dynamic Leading Duo Lost, Lost, and Placed In Last Races
Although War Pass tried gamely in the Wood Memorial (lasting for second) after a last place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby on Mar.15, he has dropped out of the Kentucky Derby picture with an injury discovered this week. Pyro, who skidded to a dismal 10th place landing in his final prep race, the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes Apr.12, had no place to go to redeem himself.
The big winners in the debacle are Colonel John, who delivered a strong performance in a Santa Anita stretch win,Tale of Ekati, master of the Wood Memorial and conqueror of War Pass, and Big Truck, who moves into No.20 with War Pass dropping out of the No.1 spot. War Pass's $1,470,000 in graded stakes earnings had led the Derby prospects.
A filly, Eight Belles, has also benefitted from the fall of the dynamic duo. She is graded stakes qualified and could get more betting play if she enters the Derby with War Pass out and Pyro becoming a late question mark.
Graded Stakes Earnings Still Hold Up
Regardless of their recent problem races, War Pass and Pyro are the leading graded stakes earners on the season. When more than twenty entries are approved for the Derby, only the first top twenty earners in graded stakes are permitted to run. A field larger than twenty entries isn't allowed for safety and betting concerns.
Top Twenty Graded Stakes Earners Qualified for Kentucky Derby:
- Pyro ----- Winchell Thoroughbreds --- S. Asmussen --- $1,020,000
- Tale of Ekati ----- Charles Fipke --- B. Tagg --- $738,000
- Colonel John ----- WinStar Farms, LLC --- E. Harty --- $720,000
- Gayego ----- Cubanacan Stable --- P. Lobo --- $640,000
- Big Brown ----- IEAH Stables & Paul Pompa --- R. Dutro --- $600,000
- Z Humor ----- Zayat Stable, LLC --- W. Mott --- $579,000
- Monba ----- Starlight Stable, Saylor & Lucarelli --- T. Pletcher --- $515,000
- Kodiak Kowboy ----- Vinery & Fox Hill Farm, Inc. --- Asmussen --- $441,373
- Court Vision ----- IEAH St. & P. Pompa --- Mott --- $331,872
- Z Fortune ----- Zayat Stable, LLC --- Asmussen --- $329,000
- Adriano ----- Courtlandt Farm --- G. Motion --- $310,000
- Recapturetheglory ----- Roussel & Lamarque --- L. Roussel --- $300,000
- Smooth Air ----- Mount Joy Stable, Inc. --- B. Stutts, Jr. --- $290,000
- Salute the Sarge ----- Southern Equine --- E. Guilliot --- $258,940
- Cool Coal Man ----- LaPenta --- Zito --- $212,767
- Anak Nakal ----- Four Roses Thoroughbreds --- Zito --- $212,216
- Eight Belles (f) ----- Fox Hill Farm --- L. Jones --- $210,000
- Cowboy Cal ----- Stonerside Stable, LLC --- Pletcher --- $207,660
- Visionaire ----- Vision Racing & Team Valor --- M. Matz --- $202,500
- Big Truck ----- Eric Fein --- B. Tagg --- $194,500
