Kentucky Derby Prep Race - Lexington Stakes
by Bodog Racebook | Apr 18 2011
The
$200,000 Gr. 3 Lexington Stakes on Saturday, April 23, at Keeneland, is one of the last prep races for those on the
Kentucky Derby trail. For Jaycito and Silver Medallion, who are on the bubble of graded stakes earnings, this is their last chance to secure berths to the Kentucky Derby.
With just $250,000 in graded stakes earnings and a shaky start to his 3-year-old campaign, talented colt Jaycito has yet to secure a berth to the Kentucky Derby. A son of Victory Gallop, Jaycito earned most of those graded stakes in the Gr. 1 Norfolk Stakes, a race he won by one length at the Oak Tree meet at Hollywood Park on Oct. 2. Then trained by Mike Mitchell, Jaycito then ran a disappointing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile; owner Ahmed Zayat then transferred him to Bob Baffert's barn for his 2011 season. Jaycito's first start for Baffert was in the Gr. 2 San Felipe Stakes, a 1 1/16 mile test at Santa Anita Park on March 12, which netted a runner-up result. A sore foot necessitated a scratch from the Gr. 1 Santa Anita Derby April 9, which means that the Lexington Stakes is Jaycito's last chance to ensure he stays Derby-eligible; he has earned $260,000 from five career starts and is 1-3-0. Jaycito's most recent workout, a 6-furlong work at Santa Anita Park on April 2, was timed in 1:13.40.
Also needing a graded stakes boost is Silver Medallion, who has earned $184,334 thus far from seven starts with a record of 3-1-0. A Steve Asmussen trainee, Silver Medallion was fourth last out in the Santa Anita Derby; his only other start of 2011 was in the Gr. 3 El Camino Real Derby, hosted by Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 12, a 1 1/8 mile race he won by 1 ¼ lengths. Aside from the dirt-run Santa Anita Derby, this son of Badge of Silver has raced exclusively on either turf or synthetic tracks; that experience will serve him well on Keeneland's Polytrack surface. Conditioning will be a factor if Silver Medallion's connections decide to run him in the Lexington Stakes; the Santa Anita Derby was just two weeks ago and the Kentucky Derby is just two weeks away.
Not on the Kentucky Derby trail but looking to play spoiler to Jaycito and Silver Mediallion is Prime Cut, a recent allowance race winner at Fair Grounds Racecourse over race favorite Bind. A son of Bernstein trained by Neil Howard, Prime Cut went 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 at Keeneland on April 12; he is 5-2-1-1 and has $63,685 in career earnings for owner Courtlandt Farms.
Get set for the Kentucky Derby!
Bet on horse racing at the Bodog Racebook.
