Derby Weekend Kicks Off with Calgon Turf Sprint
To kick off the weekend of graded stakes here in Kentucky that will lead us up to the first jewel of the Triple Crown series, we will start with a turf sprint, set to take place this Friday. The Calgon Turf Spring (G3) over five furlongs on the turf is set to go off at 2:20 EST. The race will be open to three year olds and up, and as expected, has drawn a full field to kick off the weekend festivities. The track looks to be firm at post time, in what will surely be a fantastic day of racing. Let’s take a look at our contenders.
- Garmondsway (GB) – atw – B. F. Abman – 17/1
Draped in the red saddlecloth of the one slot, this four-year-old bay colt is graded placed, but still looking for his first graded victory. He is the most accomplished son to date of allowance-winning broodmare Cosmic Wire and has finished on the board twelve times out of his nineteen lifetime starts. This will be the colt’s first graded start in quite a while, not having faced a graded field since mid 2021. The most recent start for the colt was over a mile on the turf in an allowance overseas in England. Forwardly placed early on, the colt faded during the latter part of the race to finish just off the board in fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred one. His most recent win was also in a mile long allowance, this time in Japan, in December of last year where the colt took the field gate to wire. The most recent graded start for the colt was in June of last year during the Swedish 2000 Guineas (G3), where he finished third. Despite the recent string of mile long starts, the colt is no stranger to sprint races, racing frequently in sprints as a two- and three-year-old. This will be the colts second start on US soil, and his first since his debut as a two-year-old.
2. Asujabar (ENG) – alibilane55 – M. Ketron – 20/1
Making his first graded start this weekend, the English-bred four-year-old is lightly raced with just twelve lifetime starts. Five of these starts have resulted in wins for the bay colt. The connections of the colt is hoping the colt will rebound in this start after a ninth-place finish in his most recent start, the URC – AI Quoz Sprint at six furlongs in the UAE. While the colt made up a lot of ground coming down the stretch of the race, he crossed the wire in ninth, setting a speed figure of one hundred. The most recent win for the colt was in his prior start during a seven-furlong allowance race in Australia. Out of the gate and trailing early on, the colt started picking off other runners fairly early in the race, before coming home to win at the wire by one- and three-quarter lengths and setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred ten. The colt is listed stakes placed, finishing second in the Barbs Mary Ellen Turf Sprint at six furlongs in the Czech Republic.
3. No Nay Cadet (IRE) – cadetdegan – L. Radzinski – 6/1
The most accomplished to go to the gate on Friday, this five-year-old gelding is ranked #88 in turf sprinters and is out of the grade I winning and million dollar earning broodmare Carraig Aonair and half spring to End of the Year Award winner Crimson And Dead. The Irish-bred will be making his twenty-third start on Friday. The most recent start for this accomplished runner came in February during The Oak Lee Plate (G2) over five and a half furlongs in Australia. Set just off the pace behind the front runner, the gelding crossed the wire a length and a quarter back in third. He saw his last win in a listed stakes over five and a half furlongs in Hong Kong in wire-to-wire fashion while setting a speed figure of one hundred nine. The geldings graded win came in his three-year-old season during The Ascot Vail (G2) at six furlongs in Australia.
4. Major Mustang (JPN) – heavymetal – B. Larsen – 11/1
In the five slot, and making his first graded start, the Japanese-bred five-year-old is also making his twenty-third lifetime start. The most recent start for the bay horse was in a seven-furlong allowance race in Florida. Out of the gate in the back half of the field, the horse started picking off other runners early on, going on to cross the wire in front by a length and a quarter and setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. While the horse has never made a graded start, he has started in several listed stakes, the most recent of which was at five furlongs in West Virginia where the horse finished fourth.
5. Stugots (FR) – kobras4 – H. Head – 10/1
The second of three graded winners in the field for this Friday, the French-bred four-year-old is coming off of a hard-fought win from last month here in Kentucky. This was at five and a half furlongs in The Shakers Town (G3). Rated back at the middle of the field at the break, the colt made his move later in the race as the runners up front started to tire. The colt managed to get by at the wire in front, just a head in front of the closest contender. The colt equaled a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred ten, previously set in his prior race, a six and a half furlong listed stakes race in Colorado.
6. Silver Gurkha (IRE) – rabit8 – V. Jef – 5/1
Under a black saddlecloth, we’ll have this five-year-old horse, who is still looking for his first graded win, though he is graded placed. Despite beginning his career over the turf, the colt has also experienced success on the dirt, though has come back to run on the turf recently. The most recent start for the bay horse was on a listed stakes race over the turf at seven and a half furlongs in Maryland. The horse won the race by a narrow margin of a head bob, taking the field wire to wire and setting a speed figure of one hundred one. The most recent graded start was in just the race prior, this on the dirt in the Florida BB Sprint Championship (G2) at seven furlongs. While making up ground in the stretch, the horse crossed the wire in ninth, five and three-quarter lengths off the pace. The horse has never made a graded start over the turf.
7. Marzo Seis – semental – J. Caves – 10/1
The first of two greys going into the gate on Friday, the connections of the impressively-bred Into Mischief sired four-year-old gelding are hoping the gelding will adjust well to his step up in class to graded competition after setting a career best speed figure in his most recent start. Spanish for March 6, the colt will run on the sixth of May for this start, and most recently won his first listed stakes race, this over seven furlongs in Lousanna. The gelding stalked the pace early on just off the lead and overtook his rival in the stretch to win by a neck, setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred thirteen. This narrowly topped the geldings previous allowance start, which was also won by a neck with a speed figure of one hundred twelve.
8. The Ghozt – mikehusker – J. Selden – 11/1
In the eight slot we will have the second grey in the race, a six-year-old horse sired by Tapit, who will be making his first graded stakes start as well as making a return to the turf. The most recent start for the horse was here in Kentucky, though on the main dirt track during a seven-furlong allowance race. Forwardly placed, the horse crossed the wire in second, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. The most recent turf start was last December at six furlongs, also in an allowance race, where the horse finished fourth, setting a speed figure of one hundred. July of last year was the most recent win for the horse, this coming in a six-and-a-half-furlong allowance race on the turf in Louisiana. The horse won the race by a length after setting off the pace in second since the field broke out of the gate.
9. Extrudis (ENG) – alibilane0 – D. Balderas – 21/1
The second starter in Friday’s race running under the Oakridge Racing Stables banner, along with the colt going into the second slot, this four-year-old bay colt will be one of the longshots for the race at post time Friday. The colt will be making just his second graded start, though he is still looking for his first stakes win, graded or listed. The English-bred horse made his most recent trip to the starting gate in a seven furlong listed stakes race in Japan, where after setting out of the gate and getting placed towards the back in seventh, the colt faded down the stretch to finish thirteenth in the full field. Setting a speed figure of ninety-seven. The most recent win for the colt was during an allowance race at six and a half furlongs in Tasmania. The colt had his only graded start early in his three-year-old season at ten furlongs in The Dee Stakes (G3), in which the colt crossed the wire in tenth.
10. Lucky To The Core – padrebri11 – D. Givins – 16/1
In the tenth slot, this nicely-bred five-year-old horse is already a stakes winner, though has only made one graded start to date and is looking for that first graded win. Sired by Lookin At Lucky and starting his career here in Kentucky on the dirt, the colt was moved to the turf after three dirt starts. The horse has been running on the turf ever since, mostly in overseas starts. The most recent start for the bay horse was in a listed stakes race over five furlongs in Germany. The horse broke out of the gate on the lead and led throughout up into the stretch where other contenders overtook the pacesetter and he crossed the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred two. The horse’s most recent win was in May of last year, also in a listed stakes, this on a yielding course, where the horse won in wire to wire fasion. The only graded start for the horse came last year in the Because I Said So (G3) over six furlongs where the horse finished sixth.
11. Permeteor (NZ) – woonaby – F. Leghorn – 7/2
Nearing the last of our contenders for Friday’s race, this promising colt, bred in New Zealand, has yet to make a graded start, though has earned over half a million in lifetime earnings and is coming off of a string of three consecutive wins. The most recent start for the lightly raced five-year-old was in a listed stakes race over six and a half furlongs in New Jersey. The horse was rated off the pace early on in fifth but made an early move before entering the stretch, overtaking the other horses out in front to win by a length with a speed figure of one hundred seventeen, a lifetime best for the horse. Prior to this the horse also won an allowance race as well as another listed stakes.
12. No Evil Tonight (GB) – alibilane33 – B. Sipe – 20/1
Going to the gate at 20/1, this six-year-old horse will be returning to graded stakes company this weekend after taking a detour to try a few allowance caliber races. Though graded placed, it has been a while since the horse has run in a graded start. The most recent start for the bay horse was in a five-furlong allowance race over five furlongs, held over a yielding course. The horse settled back towards the rear of the field and made a move in the stretch, though crossing the wire just off the board in fourth. The horse set a speed figure of the race of ninety-two. The most recent win for the horse was in 2020 in an allowance race over five furlongs in Oklahoma. The lone graded placement for the horse came last year in this very race, where the horse finished second by one of the narrowest of margins, a head bob at the wire.
13. Kazansky (AUS) – playstable – A. Blackmore – 9/1
The final graded winner going into the gate on Friday, the six-year-old gelding will be making his twenty second start and is a Grade III winner and out of the graded placed broodmare Goof Hearted. The most recent start for the Australian-bred was in Queensland, Australia during The Cool Lightening Stakes at six furlongs. Set back in the middle of the pack early on out of the gate, the horse faded down the stretch and crossed the wire in tenth, five and a half lengths off the pace of the winner. The bay horse posted a speed figure of ninety-nine. The most recent win for the horse was also in Australia, this coming in The Mr. Salinger Stakes (G3), also at six furlongs.
14. Guardsman (IRE) – atw2 – J. Drozd – 21/1
The finial horse in the field on the far outside slot will be this Irish-bred four-year-old gelding who will be making his first graded start. The most recent start for the bay gelding was over seven furlongs in an allowance race across country in California. The gelding went straight to the front of the pack but was caught in the stretch and finished third, posting a speed figure of one hundred three. The gelding saw his most recent win in his prior start, also in an allowance race, this one in New York and also at seven furlongs. The gelding won in wire to wire fashion.
Flrancho’s Picks
Win: No Nay Cadet (IRE)
Place: Stugots (FR)
Show: Permeteor (NZ)