Kentucky Derby Graded Earners List Changes
I Want Revenge Clear Leader in Thoroughbred and Popular Polls
Apr 14, 2009 BarbaraAnne Helberg
Papa Clem's Arkansas Derby victory April 11 earned him the season's fifth spot in graded stakes earners scrambling for Kentucky Derby eligibility. I Want Revenge remained No. 1 in the Thoroughbred Times KD favorites rankings while he scooted to No. 4 in graded stakes earnings.
The Pamplemousse and Old Fashioned, two of the season's early stars, have both been declared off the Derby trail with injuries. They appear in their earned places on the graded stakes list.
Public popular rankings polls list I Want Revenge as getting 15 percent of the votes cast, with Friesan Fire second in the running at 14 percent, and Pioneerof The Nile coming in third with 11 percent. Quality Road garners 9 percent, and all others are below 7 percent.
Top Twenty KD Rankings by Thoroughbred Times
- I Want Revenge
- Pioneerof The Nile
- Quality Road
- Friesan Fire
- Papa Clem
- Dunkirk
- Musket Man
- General Quarters
- Chocolate Candy
- Regal Ranson
- Hold Me Back
- Desert Party
- West Side Bernie
- Terrain
- Mr. Hot Stuff
- Win Willy
- Giant Oak
- Square Eddie
- Theregoesjojo
- Massone
Few voting points separate No. 2 and No. 3 KD favorites Pioneerof The Nile and Quality Road, respectively. They are No. 3 and No. 7 in graded stakes earnings.
In his second place finish in the April 11 Arkansas Derby, Old Fashioned suffered a slab fracture in his right knee. His racing career may be over. The Pamplemousse went off the contenders list with a bruised tendon.
The shuffle and expected absence of other KD qualified graded stakes earners in the Derby has pushed Dunkirk onto the Top Twenty qualifiers list. However, trainer Todd Pletcher, known for his conservative approach to the classics, has kept Dunkirk on the "to be determined" race list.
Graded Stakes Earnings Qualified for KD
- Mafaaz...automatic berth with Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes win in England (Win-and-You're-In race)
- Regal Ransom...$1,250,000
- Pioneerof The Nile...$1,193,250
- I Want Revenge...$774,000
- Papa Clem...$760,000
- Square Eddie...$756,000
- Quality Road...$600,000
- General Quarters...$595,645
- Friesan Fire...$570,465
- Old Fashioned...(out)...$530,000
- Desert Party...$491,667
- Musket Man...$485,000
- Big Drama...(out)...$480,000
- Terrain...$448,330
- Hold Me Back...$438,000
- Vineyard Haven...(out)...$417,000
- West Side Bernie...$385,160
- Chocolate Candy...$370,000
- Win Willy...$230,000
- Bittel Road...(out)...$211,000
- Azul Leon...(out)...$203,600
- Crowded House (GB)...(out)...$195,020
- Run Away and HIde...(out)...$193,429
- The Pamplemousse...(out)...$180,000
- Giant Oak...$169,256
- Dunkirk...$150,000
- Charitable Man...$150,000
- Mine That Bird...$138,705
Eight of the above graded stakes earnings qualified horses have been declared out of the Derby because of injury, or other specific condition. So, the next eight on the list of those who are graded stakes qualified each move up a notch. The current, and near final, limited qualified earners list looks like this:
- Mafaaz
- Regal Ransom
- Pioneerof The Nile
- I Want Revenge
- Papa Clem
- Square Eddie
- Quality Road
- General Quarters
- Friesan Fire
- Desert Party
- Musket Man
- Terrain
- Hold Me Back
- West Side Bernie
- Chocolate Candy
- Win Willy
- Giant Oak
- Dunkirk
- Charitable Man
- Mine That Bird
The only notable KD graded stakes prep left on the season's schedule is the Coolmore Lexington Stakes coming up April 18. Square Eddie, already earnings qualified, is pointed to that contest.
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