By J. Keeler Johnson (“Keelerman”) Twitter: @J_Keelerman
Can a single subsidy race contested at Keeneland produce multiple race winners preparing for the Road to Kentucky Derby this Saturday? That is certainly in the realm of possibility.
On November 4, 2022, Keeneland hosted the first day of the Breeders’ Cup. Races like the Juvenile Breeders’ Cup (G1) have caught the attention of racing fans, but the fourth race on the card — who claims a $160,000 child allowance option two-year-old seven-stage sprint — could prove equally influential.
Ten horses face the starter, with Arabian lion head-to-head for top honors for Hall of Fame coach Bob Baffert. The son of 2018 Triple Crown winner, Justify had a three-match debut win at Santa Anita, in which he stopped the clock by six seconds in a short time of 1:09.78.
Another plausible candidate in the Keeneland grant is Giant naughty, the son of three times (soon to be four times) leading the North American male god Into Mischief. Trainee Brad Cox debuted unnoticed at Horseshoe Indianapolis but put on an impressive performance, breaking through to the finish line legally and winning the women’s special weight with a length of 1. 1/2.
Suffice it to say, the Arabian Lion and the Colossal Misery performed at Keeneland. Both showed tactical speed following the Tap leader early in the Squad, and returning home, they locked horns in a fierce battle for supremacy. In the end, the ground-saving Giant Mischief took the lead to win three-quarters of the way with a score of 1:22.30, but the Arabian Lions were less than respectful of the defeat, trailing the spot. Tuesday 17 1/2 the way to the finish line. According to Trakus, the Arabian Lion ran 25 feet (about three lengths) farther than the Colossal Misery.
Giant Mischief and Arabian Lion have gone their separate ways since Keeneland, which means they can both win the Road to Kentucky Derby qualifier this Saturday. The Arabian Lions were the 4-5 morning favorites to win the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) at Los Alamitos, while Giant Mischief was the 3-1 pick in the Remington Springboard Mile. S. at Remington Park.
The Arabian Lion looks formidable in Los Alamitos Futurity. Baffert has totaled 13 wins in the 1/16-mile race, including seven of the eight held since the race moved from Hollywood Park to Los Alamitos. Two of the Arabian Lion’s four competitors are fellow interns of Baffert, and Brisnet’s Speed ratings show the Arabian Lion as the fastest of the trio. With Hall of Fame racer John Velazquez in the saddle, the Arabian Lion seemed ready to set or stalk speed from the outside post before winning.
In second place, the stable friends of the Arabian Lion Carmel Street and Fort Bragg reasonable opponents. In this pairing, I have a slight edge over Fort Bragg. Tapit’s son has performed well against quality opponents (including Beach Speed Boat 3rd winner and Hejazi 1st place winner), and he recently won the overall weight division The first special was 1 1/16 mile long at Santa Anita, overtaking the next winner Reincarnated by 3/4 length. Hot jockey Flavien Prat, with 42 graded North American bet wins this year, is assigned riding.
Meanwhile on the Springboard Mile, the morning odds are in Echo back, who took home a flashy 6 3/4-length victory on his 6 1/2-long sprint debut at Saratoga. Gun Runner’s son then faltered as the favorite in the 1/16-mile Iroquois S. (G3) en route to the Kentucky Derby, lackluster seventh, but he did shows a little more promise in October.30 grants claimants the option to race 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs. The race was postponed at the far end due to an accident (and wasn’t listed in previous performances), but Echo Again seems to be moving well from a speed-squeezing position and ensuring respect. at Remington.
That said, there is less uncertainty surrounding Giant Mischief. He ran as fast as Echo Again on the Brisnet Speed scale (both ponies have career-best 99 ratings) and Giant Mischief racked up a staggering number of front-runners. prove like the Arabian Lion and not the first-born girls. Giant Mischief has a pedigree spanning over a mile and combines tactical speed with control, setting the stage for a perfect ride in the slightly speed-heavy version of Springboard Mile.
Now it’s your turn! Who do you like in Los Alamitos Futurity and Springboard Mile?
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J. Keeler Johnson (also known as “Keelerman”) is a writer, cinematographer, voice actor, disabled athlete, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A huge fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager the greatest racehorse ever made in America, but considers Zenyatta his all-time favorite.
