The Jockey Club

The feature race this weekend in Deauville, France will be The Jockey Club (G1), held over a mile and five sixteenths on the turf on Sunday. The post time is set for the race at 3:00 PM EST. The race will be open to three-year-olds only and the race will offer up a total purse of $1,500,000. Despite a low chance of rain earlier in the week, the skies have cleared for Sunday’s race and the race is set to be run over a firm track. This year the Group I event has attracted a total of twelve runners. Let’s take a look through this year’s contenders. 

1. Joined The Aussies (IRE) – teamasr2 – A. Craig – 10/1 

Drawing the inside rail and making his second Group I start of his seven-race career, this bay colt by Australia most recently started in the Sydney Derby (G1) over a mile and a half in Australia. The colt was one of the last out of the starting gate, lost some ground at the midway point, but then was asked in the stretch. The colt responded but only came home to finish seventh, setting a speed figure of eighty-nine. The most recent win for the colt came in the start prior to this in the Super Hero Role Playing Stakes (G3) over a mile and five-sixteenths in New Zealand last February. The turf was rated as good in this race and the colt was off sharply out of the gate, much closer to the pace early in third. He began making his move much earlier in the race as well, going on to win the race by half a length. The colt has never finished off the board in any of his races held on an off track. 

2. Woette’s Pointer (IRE) – woette8 – D. Fendlay Jr. – 11/1 

Making his eleventh career start and first against Group I company this Sunday, the three-year-old gelding is sired by Blue Point (IRE). The most recent start for the gelding came in April during an allowance race in New Zealand over a mile. Coming out of the gate last in the seven-horse field the gelding never seemed to recover and crossed the wire in seventh while setting a speed figure of ninety-three. He was more to form in his prior start, which took place in his homeland of Ireland in an allowance race over the same distance. The bay gelding was still late out of the gate early but started to kick in midway through the race before going on to win by a length and three-quarters while setting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-nine. 

3. Sugar Point (JPN) – serenasong – T. Small – 4/1 

Taking a step up in class this weekend as well as stretching out in distance, this colt is the most experienced in the field with a total of thirteen lifetime starts. The son of Cape Blanco will be making his second start against Group company. The most recent start for the bay colt came in a listed stakes race over a mile in Germany. The colt went straight to the lead out of the gate but would be caught by late closers in the stretch to cross the wire in third, setting a speed figure of one hundred, a lifetime best for the colt. Prior to this the colt made is only Group start in The Premium Pairing (G3) in Italy at a mile where he crossed the wire seventh. His most recent win was in October of his two-year-old season during a listed stakes race at six and a half furlongs in Sweden. 

4. Repedezo Ember (GB) – astinator30 – K. Ledwith – 6/1 

Coming into this race off of four consecutive wins this three-year-old gelding by Cracksman will certainly be one to watch on Sunday. The bay gelding will be making his eighth career start in the race and he is already a Group winner, though will be making his first start against Group II company in this race. The most recent start for the gelding came in the South African Classic (G2) at a mile and one-eighth last March. The gelding came out of the gate towards the rear of the field, made his move at the halfway point of the race and went on to win with a speed figure of one hundred six, a lifetime best for the gelding. His other three consecutive wins are rounded out with a listed stakes on a good turf track over eight and a half furlongs and two allowance races. 

5. Coconut Mushroom (ENG) – marky45775 – D. Ledwith – 9/1 

Seeking his first Group win, the bay colt by Sea The Moon will be making his seventh lifetime start this weekend. Never finishing off the board in any of his starts, the scratch bred most recently started in late March in the Sydney Derby (G1) at a mile and a half in Australia. Out of the gate and settling into the middle of the pack early, the colt made his move towards the middle of the race and went on to cross the wire in third, setting a speed figure of ninety-eight, which is a lifetime best speed figure for the colt. His start before this was the colt’s most recent win, which came in an allowance race over nine and a half furlongs in the United States.  The colt was closer to the pace in this race, held just off the pace in second at the start.  

6. Mobb Vengeance (JPN) – twirlingcandy – Z. Kentucky – 9/1 

Halfway through our field and taking a big step up in class for his start this Sunday, the Japanese-bred colt is sired by Kitasan Black and out of an EOY and Group I winning broodmare Vengeance Of Pain, who has produced two listed stakes winners. The bay gelding will be taking on Group company for the first time in his career after making his last start in an allowance race over nine and a half furlongs in his native Japan over a track listed as good at post time. The gelding recorded a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred five after winning the race going away in the stretch after lurking near the back of the pack of the five-horse field early. His only other win to date was in a $150,000 claiming race. 

7. Landris (IRE) – eminc4 – R. Harzheim – 6/1 

Finishing off the board just once in his career, this bay colt is coming into the race off of two consecutive wins. Sired by Sea The Stars, the colt is and out of a Group I winning and million-dollar earning broodmare It’s Problematic, who has produced one other Group winner. The most recent start for the colt was in The Force Stakes (G3) held in Paris over a mile and quarter. He was sent out quickly from the gate to set just off the pace in fourth early. He began moving up on other contenders early in the race and had overtaken the front runner by the time the field reached the stretch. He went on to win the race by three-quarters of a length with a speed figure of one hundred three, a lifetime best for the colt. That race was his Group stakes debut, his other races coming in allowance races after he broke his maiden in his second start. 

8. Bago Mo (JPN) – undercover – N. Lawton – 7/1 

Making his first group start of his career, the three-year-old Japanese-bred gelding is listed placed and has made a total of eight lifetime starts. The most recent start for the chestnut came during a listed stakes race in the UAE over nine and a half furlongs on a yielding turf course. One of the last out of the gate in the ten-horse field, the gelding lingered in eighth until the field reached the stretch and made his bid for the front. He would come up short to finish second, setting a speed figure of ninety-seven. This was his second listed start, his first coming in a race in Turkey in February at eight and a half furlongs and also on an off track. The gelding would only finish fourth in this race, though securing a higher speed figure of one hundred, equaling a lifetime best for the gelding. 

9. Kitten’s Order (IRE) – teamasr1 – A. Rolling – 12/1 

Making just his fifth career start this weekend, the Irish-bred colt is coming back to Group company after making his debut in that class during his most recent start in the Sydney Derby (G1) at a mile and a half. The chestnut colt settled into the middle of the pack out of the gate but started to lose ground as the field reached the midway point in the race. The three-year-old ultimately crossed the wire in eighth, setting a speed figure of eighty-nine. The most recent win for the colt also came in Australia, through during an allowance race over nine and a half furlongs in his race preceding his only attempt at Group I company. He was much closer to the pace in his allowance start, stalking the pace in second before taking over the lead early on in the race and going on to win by two and a quarter lengths. 

10. Azetca Mocha – donnyb – J. Ledwith – 37/1 

This light grey gelding will be the longshot for the race. By the obscure sire Venezuelan Hug but out of the listed stakes winning broodmare Fantastic Form (JPN) who has produced two group placed horses, this gelding is the youngest of her fourteen offspring to race. The gelding has only made four career starts but is so far undefeated on the turf. His most recent start came in early April in Germany in an allowance race over nine and a half furlongs. The light grey came out of the gate sharply and settled just off the pace in second behind the front runner. He made his bid for the front as the field entered the stretch and went on to win opening up by two and three-quarter lengths and setting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-five. The gelding’s other turf start was also in an allowance race, though over eight and a half furlongs. We caught up with owner and trainer donnyb who was visibly excited around the backside with the gelding running in Sunday’s race. For him, there is quite an attachment to the light grey, named after the trainer’s favorite drink at a Sacramento coffee shop, who is descended through his second dam to AP Form, the first stakes winner for the trainer and one of his original five horses when he began his training career. His first dam, as previously mentioned has produced other stakes winners, these were sired by stallions that may not necessarily grab the headlines in the bloodstock books, but have lent to good runners. As the mare’s last foal, the owner decided to give the little-known New York sire a try, and it seems to have paid off with getting into the starting gate of a Group I race. 

11. Escaping Fate (AUS) – sacredheart – V. Casey – 5/1 

Never finishing off the board in a single start, the Australian-bred colt will be making his first start against Group company this weekend. The bay son of top sire I Am Invincible (AUS) most recently started in a listed stakes race in Norway over a mile and a quarter. Out of the gate sharply, he was held just off the pace in second but moved into the lead at the halfway point of the race and went on to win going away by three and three-quarters. He also recorded a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred five and recorded his first triple digit speed figure in his prior race, an allowance start at nine and a half furlongs. 

12. Solid Bonepact (IRE) – whalebone – J. Sands – 26/1 

The finial horse to go into the gate for Sunday’s race is the second longest shot on the board, just recently haven broken his maiden. The son of Kodiac (GB) is lightly raced with four career starts. The most recent race for the bay colt came in the United States in late April during an allowance race over nine and a half furlongs. Just off the pace in second early, the three-year-old took over the lead midway through the race and went on to win by two and three-quarter lengths while setting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-three. In his prior race he broke his maiden at seven and a half furlongs in Iowa and has only finished off the board once in his career.  

Flrancho’s Picks: 

Win: Repedezo Ember (GB) 

Place: Landris (IRE) 

Show: Escaping Fate (AUS)