The results of week one of Canterbury’s annual Road to Kentucky Handicapping Contest are official. The winner was Ron White with 1,773 points. Ron receives the weekly top prize of a $500 wagering card. He is no stranger to this competition, having won the Road to Kentucky title in 2005 when he tabbed Giacomo to win the Kentucky Derby at a zillion to one. Proof that you can come from page five of the standings to win it all. Check out the full standings here.
While there are no Derby prep races this week, the Road to Kentucky Contest continues nonetheless with a compelling Gulfstream Park 12-race card featuring the G1 Donn Handicap, G1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap, G3 Suwannee River, and G3 Gulfstream Park Sprint.
There are also a couple of intriguing 3-year-old races that could produce eventual Derby prep competitors.
Race 5 is a non-winner of two 6 ½ furlong sprint. Declan’s Warrior, a Nick Zito trainee, broke his maiden at Belmont Oct. 18 with a come-from-behind sprint win and an 80 Beyer Speed Figure. His morning works are regular and sharp. With improvement he runs a Beyer in the 90s and enters the conversation.
Park City broke his maiden at sloppy Saratoga for Todd Pletcher at odds of nearly 7 – 1 on July 27. While his workouts leading up to this race are not dazzling time-wise, Pletcher wins off the layoff. This son of Harlan’s Holiday is bred to go a lot longer. A 2-year-old that records a 75 Beyer in July can easily fire a 90+ in February if well-intended.
Another in that race that should be considered is Little Distorted. He won his debut at Belmont in late October with a 101 Beyer! Favored in the Spectacular Bid on Jan. 1 at Gulfstream, he fizzled, finishing third of six with a 62 fig.
The next Derby prep at Gulfstream is just two weeks away with the Fountain of Youth. That is a quick turnaround but a monster race out of any of those three may be reason to test the waters.
Race 6 is a maiden route for 3-year-olds. Freedom Child draws outside. He has not raced since Nov. 24 when he finished second, sandwiched between Orb, who won a couple weeks back at Gulfstream, and Revolutionary who just won the Withers last week. Freedom Child has a lot to do before his name and Derby are in the same sentence, but he is one to watch. He is 8 to 1 on the morning line.
First post at Gulfstream is 11:45am. The Road to Kentucky Contest is free to enter and is held each week through the Kentucky Derby. Weekly prizes are awarded to the top 5 best scores.
POINTS TO THE DERBY
This year, the Kentucky Derby field will be determined by a points system rather than money earned in graded stakes. You can track the points leaders at www.kentuckyderby.com.
DERBY FUTURE WAGER
If you have a hunch about the Derby winner, you can bet it this weekend at Canterbury Park. Derby Pool 1 is open Feb. 8 – 10.
CANTERBURY RACING CLUB
This is your chance to own a racehorse and learn more about the game. A one-time membership fee of $250 makes you part of the Canterbury Racing Club 2013. Learn more about this exciting opportunity at www.canterburyracingclub.com.
This blog was written by Canterbury Media Relations Manager Jeff Maday. Maday has filled multiple positions including Media Relations and Player Relations Manager since the track’s reopening in 1995.
