Road to the Kentucky Derby - Arkansas Derby

by Bodog Racebook | Apr 11 2011

The Factor, Sway Away and J P's Gusto are all making a stop at Oaklawn Park for the $1M Gr. 1 Arkansas Derby April 16 on the road to the Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/8 mile race is one of the last chances for 3-year-olds to earn graded stakes prior to the Run for the Roses.

After turning heads with his maiden-breaking 8 ¼ length romp at Santa Anita Park on Dec. 26, The Factor has been near the top of many Kentucky Derby contenders lists. That 1 1/16 mile race set him up well for the 7-furlong San Vicente Stakes, a grade 2 race also at Santa Anita Park on Feb. 20 which he won by ¾ lengths. The Bob Baffert trainee then returned to the 1 1/16 mile distance with his Gr. 2 Rebel Stakes romp on March 19, which he won by 6 ¼ lengths. Distance has always been a question for this War Front colt, and the 1 1/8 mile Arkansas Derby will be his greatest test yet. The Factor went 6 furlongs in 1:11.40 on April 4 at Santa Anita in preparation; he is a career 4-3-0-0 with $304,680 in earnings. San Vicente Stakes-winning jockey Martin Garcia will get the call for Saturday's race.

Needing a big finish to supplement his $61,500 in graded stakes earnings to secure a spot in the top 20 is Sway Away, a highly regarded son of Afleet Alex who has come up short against The Factor twice already this year. Second in his 2011 debut in the San Vicente Stakes, Sway Away then took a step backwards with a sixth-place finish in the Rebel Stakes. Despite those results, trainer Jeff Bonde is counting on a longer race, increased maturity and a promising 6-furlong work on April 7 at Oaklawn Park timed in 1:12.60 translating into valuable graded stakes earnings for his charge. Patrick Valenzuela will be aboard for the Arkansas Derby.

Though he has likely secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby with $541,000 in graded stakes earnings, J P's Gusto has not showed the same form that saw him capture the Gr. 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 8 at Del Mar with a frontrunning effort. The Successful Appeal colt was second in the 1-mile Gr. 3 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 21 and then came in seventh in the Rebel Stakes on March 19. However, his bullet 5-furlong work at Oaklawn Park on April 9 is an encouraging sign, and the combination of a new jockey in Cliff Berry and new equipment in a hood may just be what J P's Gusto needs to turn his season around.  Trained by Joe Petalino, J P's Gusto is a career 4-3-0 from 10 starts and has $578,860 in earnings.

Brethren, Dance City, Truman's Commander and Alternation are also expected for the Arkansas Derby.

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