One Mile on the Dirt – Purse $300,000
We’re headed to Oklahoma City for The Springboard Mile. The one-mile contest awards Kentucky Derby qualification points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis to the top five finishers. Nine horses have joined the field, including previous Road to the Kentucky Derby points earners Gettysburg Address and Raging Torrent. Let’s break down the contenders for the Race 10 Springboard Mile.
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#1 Fidget (8-1) is trained by Brad Cox, who I hear is pretty good with 2-year-olds. Additionally, sired by More Than Ready, this colt is 2 for 3 to start his career. Furthermore, his recent win at the Horseshoe, although impressive, was against 37k allowance competition. However, he faces a significant jump in class this week.
#2 My Buddy Mel (20-1) is a Texas-bred colt trained by Danny Pish. Meanwhile, #4 Magic Grant (8-1) is sired by Good Magic and guided by Eddie Milligan. These two ran 1-2 in the 7F Cleaver Trevor Stakes at Remington Park for a purse of 75k. Initially, they were both unhurried out of the gate and settled in the back. My Buddy Mel stayed inside, saving ground, while Magic Grant went 5 wide into the turn. Clearly, Magic Grant was the superior horse, drawing away to win.
#3 is Gettysburg Address (6-1), trained by Brad Cox. This colt is the stronger of his two entries. He showed the way in the G3 Street Sense Stakes on October 29th at Churchill Downs. Going a mile & a 16th on a sloppy sealed track he took the lead into the stretch only to weaken late to a couple of notable Derby trailers Liberal Arts & Moonlight.
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The Top Jockeys Showing Up
Jockeys Tyler Gaffalione, Flavien Prat, and Luis Saez are among the riders who will be at Remington Park in Oklahoma City next Friday night for the $300,000 Springboard Mile. This race for 2-year-olds awards eligibility points for the Kentucky Derby. The first five finishers will earn them on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1.
Gaffalione has the mount on Otto the Conqueror, who will break from post 8 in the nine-horse Springboard Mile. Additionally, Prat has been named on Gettysburg Address, who starts from post 3. Meanwhile, Saez will team up with Glengarry from post 5.
#4 Magic Grant is sired by Good Magic and guided by Eddie Milligan. Good Magic has produced many winners including the 2023 KY Derby winner Mage. His 2-year-old crop is looking sharp with graded stakes winners Muth and Dornoch already on the Derby Trail.
#5 Glengarry (7-2) is 3 for 3 to start his career. Notably, the Doug Anderson-trained gray colt was particularly impressive in his convincing win at Keeneland in the Bowman Mill Stakes. When assessing these horses, I often use the eyeball test to see how they run, and Glengarry looks remarkably mature for his age.
#6 Raging Torrent (3-1) has faced some Grade 1 competition to begin his career. Previously, he ran 3rd behind Muth and Prince of Monaco in the G3 Best Pal in August at Del Mar. In his last two Grade 1 efforts, he secured 4th place finishes. The American Pharoah was a mile and a 16th on the fast Santa Anita track & Raging Torrent showed some good early speed. BLINKERS OFF
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#7 Rhino Runner (20-1) showed some good form breaking his maiden stretching out to a mile at Remington, but he’ll be facing a much stronger field in this one. I do like that Trainer Sean Williams will have Remington’s leading jockey Stewart Elliot in the saddle. He nearly road Smarty Jones to a Triple crown in 2004.
#8 Otto the Conqueror (5-2), trained by Steve Asmussen and sired by Street Sense, has secured back-to-back wins. His Allowance win at Churchill Downs was impressive b/c he defeated Honor Marie, who wheeled back to win the G2 KY Jockey Club. He went wire-to-wire on the sloppy sealed track & it wasn’t close.
#9 Third Street (20-1) was shot out of a cannon in the Clever Trevor Stakes at Remington, but he quit rounding the turn for the finish line. However, he did bounce back a month later to score a win against allowance company, backing up to 5 and a half furlongs. He is sired by Yoshida (JPN), a multiple graded stakes winner.
Springboard Mile Early Leans
My top contenders in order are #3 Gettysburg Address, #5 Glengarry, #8 Otto the Conqueror & #6 Raging Torrent. My top Values/Sleepers are #4 Magic Grant & #7 Rhino Runner.
