By Jalen Santos
Twitter @jalen_santos7
Recently, I wrote a Rebel Stakes Preview article and at the end stated that Verifying was the one to beat with Red Route One as my pick but to watch out for Confidence Game and Gun Pilot as potential upsetters. Well, I was correct about two of the four and one from each category and I was wrong about the other two. Let’s take a look back to the Kentucky Derby points race in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
First, let’s take a look at the trip from runner up Red Route One. The gates were back, and it was a good break for all, but Red Route One soon pulled the same move he did in the Southwest, going detached at the back. This time, he went over double as far back as last time and was off the screen and out of kickback for most of the race, before top young rider Cristian Torres, who is currently dominating the Oaklawn jockey standings, got Red Route One into action as they approached the far turn and he just appeared on the screen with me on my hands and knees in front of the TV begging him to appear on screen.
The son of top stallion and fellow Steve Asmussen trainee Gun Runner switched outside and circled the field at the top of the lane, moving up rapidly and devouring ground on the far outside. He slowed briefly as Bourbon Bash tried to switch out, bumping into Red Route One and pinning Reincarnate in tight between them but right after he got back into gear and in the final 50 meters he was second and moving quickly, but as the leader switched out slightly, he switched in and after a tremendous rally seeing him close in a similar fashion to Ethereal Road for his maiden victory, he flattened out late and just couldn’t catch the winner. Another heartbreaking loss for my co-favorite three-year-old under Cristian Torres.
Now, we can look at the winner who was an 18-1 upsetter, Confidence Game. A horse that I went into great detail about in my preview article and one that I grew fond of while writing that piece, I hoped that he wouldn’t flop after my newfound love for this colt who certainly didn’t disappoint in the river that was Oaklawn Park. T
He broke well, getting involved with a quick early pace he rated kindly for jockey James Graham in a joint fourth. On the turn as the field bunched up and Red Route One rolled into the pack, Confidence Game used the turn to slingshot himself into the lead and open up a few lengths as he drove home, visibly getting tired in the slop late but giving himself enough of a cushion to win it by a length over Red Route One to spring the 18-1 upset in a final time of 1:44.21 and an ecstatic James Graham stated “They went pretty quick when we left the gate. He slotted in real nice, got relaxed, comfortable and traveled well all the way through the bridle. The 3/8ths pole everybody started picking up, so I let him pick up with them and he just ran them to the wire.”
Now, let’s take a look at the steward’s inquiry about the incident mid-stretch between Red Route One, Reincarnate and Bourbon Bash. As they turned for home, Reincarnate switched out and started to roll from the back of the pack at the same time Red Route One found a gap and burst through it with tremendous momentum, they ended up right next to each other at one point and at that point Bourbon Bash was also covered up and trying to switch out to get room as well as Verifying.
Verifying drifted over next to them and then drifted away from them, but Bourbon Bash who was a little less than a length ahead of the pair moved straight over in front of Reincarnate who checked back to try and get outside of Red Route One, as he brushed hard with Red Route One’s hindquarters and bumped off of them, Bourbon Bash was dropping back straight in front of him and Johnny Velazquez, aboard Reincarnate, stood straight up in the irons checking back again to switch outside of Red Route One but by that time Red Route One was a few lengths ahead of him and Bourbon Bash had started drifting back inside. This set Reincarnate a few lengths back and stopped his momentum. Did this really cost him the race? I don’t think so due to Red Route One having so much momentum from the back of the pack, Reincarnate ran on late for third but Red Route One it seems was always going to beat him, just like Confidence Game who was already in front by a few lengths and was holding that advantage soundly.
Who to use from this race going forward for the Kentucky Derby. I’ll take the top three finishers out of this, being Confidence Game, Red Route One and Reincarnate but nobody else for now. There might be ones who come out of this in the Arkansas Derby (Gr.1) or the Louisiana Derby (Gr.2) or other race that I’ll want out of those, but for now, I’ll be boring and just take those top three finishers.
