Chad Brown-trained pair who chased home Tampa Bay Derby winner Owen Almighty caught the eye – find out why in Ron Wood’s weekly update Kentucky Derby update
The Tampa Bay Derby was the sole Kentucky Derby prep last weekend and the winner isn’t even sure to go for the main race at Churchill Downs in May – but one of the beaten runners is very much worthy of Triple Crown consideration.
Owen Almighty made all of the running in Saturday's G3 points race, setting modest fractions before clearing away from his rivals around a speed-favouring track, building on his runner-up finish in February’s Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
However, it’s third-placed Hill Road who is of most interest with the major three-year-old contests in mind. This one was having his first start since catching the eye when filling the same spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, a race won by Citizen Bull, one of the Derby favourites.
Hill Road was trained in Ireland last year and the Breeders’ Cup made for a fine first effort on dirt – one that belied a starting price of 61-1, which shows how little respect he was accorded.
He reportedly had some issues afterwards, but he is now with leading US trainer Chad Brown, who felt the horse was a couple of works short going into the weekend’s comeback race.
Such a sharp test – 8½ furlongs around a quick circuit like Tampa, never mind the lack of pace in the race – was never going to suit Hill Road, even in his newly fitted blinkers. But he kept on for third and that’s as much as could have been expected in the circumstances.
He should improve a lot for the run and will benefit from a greater test of stamina. His dam won over ten furlongs in Argentina and she is by 1999 Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid.
The same barn also had the runner-up at Tampa in the shape of Chancer McPatrick, having his first start since finishing behind Hill Road in sixth at the Breeders’ Cup, and he was blinkered for the first time as well.
A dual G1 winner at two, Chancer McPatrick was thought to be one work short so he is also open to improvement from the run. But the suspicion is that Hill Road is the one who can really take a big step forward as he gets fitter and gets a more suitable test.
“I would say both horses, the way they galloped out, are legitimate Kentucky Derby contenders now,” Brown told the Daily Racing Form. “The way they accelerated on the gallop-out, along with how they came into the race physically, both horses were just a picture of health. I’m excited about their chances at a mile-and-a-quarter, if I can get them there.”
Hill Road is around 50-1 for the Kentucky Derby in international books, yet it’s a race that looks like bringing out the best in him. Of course, he still has to qualify for a start as he is currently only 17th on the leaderboard with 24 points but he’ll get his chance next month in either the Blue Grass at Keeneland or the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 5. Chancer McPatrick is under consideration for the same two races and they’ll likely be kept apart next time.
Which of them goes to Keeneland might be telling, seeing as the same trainer’s Sierra Leone won the Blue Grass before his nose second in the Kentucky Derby last year, the closest Brown has come to winning America’s most famous race.
Worth remembering perhaps, is that in 2010 Super Saver was only third in the Tampa Bay Derby on his reappearance before finishing second in the Arkansas Derby – and he progressed to land the Kentucky Derby.
Owen Almighty makes limited appeal
Back to Owen Almighty, who won the Tampa race by 3½ lengths despite not really being considered beforehand for the Kentucky Derby. Indeed, trainer Brian Lynch said before Saturday’s race that he was prepping the horse for the G2 Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard.
Given the horse has now won a recognised prep in emphatic style, and that 60 Derby qualifying points will almost certainly be enough for a place in the big race, there could well be a change of heart.
If that is indeed the case, Owen Almighty won’t make any appeal for the Kentucky Derby.
He had everything in his favour at the weekend, with his easy lead and the race-fitness over the second and third. Trying to boss 19 rivals through much hotter splits over an extra furlong and a half at Churchill Downs would be quite the contrast. His his 92 Beyer speed figure from the weekend is well short of what will be required
What is more, Owen Almighty’s sire is Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Speightstown, so he's not getting much help in the stamina department from the old man. The dam, Tempers Rising, ran in the 2020 Kentucky Oaks – but she was only fifth past the post (promoted to fourth), beaten 11 lengths.
Lynch is leaving the door open. “The race didn’t take a ton out of him,” he said. “Now we’ll train on him this week and see what kind of energy he has and take time to digest everything before we put a schedule together that enables us to do the best thing by the horse. And if that means going to the Kentucky Derby, that’s what we’ll do.”
Virginia Derby: Flavien Pray deserts John Hancock
Brad Cox-trained John Hancock was the horse who defeated Owen Almighty in last month’s Sam F. Davis at Tampa, when having just his second start, and he’s set for this Saturday’s Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs. This is a new race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and offers 50 qualifying points to the winner, having previously been run on turf later in the year.
However, note that Flavien Prat, who was aboard John Hancock last time, instead sticks with the same trainer's Rapture, having steered that horse to an Oaklawn maiden success in January. Among their prospective rivals at Colonial Downs is Bob Baffert’s Sunland Park Derby winner Getaway Car.
Meanwhile,there was also a Derby points race on the all-weather Dundalk in Ireland on Friday night and it saw a smart-looking winner in Titanium Emperor, who was the sole newcomer in a field of five. He’s based with Adrian Murray, who was Hill Road’s original trainer – and they are both owned by Amo Racing.
On the downside, Titanium Emperor isn’t bred for dirt and he is not currently nominated for the Triple Crown. Look out for him in European Classics instead. The same sentiment applies to Godolphin’s much-touted Opera Ballo, who won the points race on the Kempton all-weather the previous week in tremendous fashion.
• Visit the Kentucky Derby website and the Tampa Bay Downs website
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John Hancock signs in with nice attitude and pedigree – but we shouldn’t buy into Tampa Bay form
Citizen Bull: Plenty to like but champion still lacks the ‘wow’ factor
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