Grade 2, $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes; 1 1/16 miles; Churchill Downs; Nov. 25, 2017 (10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth) Winner: Enticed, by Medaglia d’Oro Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin Jockey: Junior Alvarado Owner: Godolphin, LLC Beyer Speed Figure: 81 ENTICED touted his ability with a third-place finish in the Champagne Stakes, a race from which the second-place finisher, Good Magic, subsequently won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. There were two significant aspects to this race: he won over the track where the Kentucky Derby will be held, and he successfully stretched out around two turns. Thus completed a three-race 2-year-old campaign for Enticed in which he won twice. Although this was a big field, I’m not sure there was much depth. The time of the race was only ordinary. It was .78 of a second slower than the Golden Rod Stakes for 2-year-old fillies run an hour earlier, and thus received a Beyer Speed Figure 10 points lower than the Golden Rod. Enticed will need to improve to compete against divisional leaders like Good Magic and Bolt d’Oro, but there’s plenty of time for that to happen. In this race, Enticed broke half a step slowly but advanced into a stalking position just behind the early leaders while in the two path around the first turn after putting his rivals inside him in tight. He was a bit keen down the backstretch, but Alvarado did a good job of keeping him from advancing too soon while others made premature moves. He wound up in a perfect striking position on the far turn, was asked at that point to make his run, came into the lane in the four path, and just did outrun TIZ MISCHIEF. Tiz Mischief, who was second, raced near the rear of the pack while three paths wide around the first turn, steadily advanced into and around the far turn while three paths wide, angled closer to the rail nearing the quarter pole, angled out a furlong from the wire and split horses to bid for the lead, but just missed. He made an elongated run, from the half-mile pole home, which is not easy to do. :: Get Cyber Monday discounts on PPs, digital subscriptions, and more! PROMISES FULFILLED, who was third, was quickly into gear after a couple of awkward early steps and took the lead into the first turn, was rank and tough to handle into the backstretch, again had trouble cornering when he reached the far turn, shook off challenges from RERIDE and ARRIVAL a quarter-mile out, kicked clear a furlong out but could not stave off the top two. This was his first race around two turns. He needs to figure out how to turn left. HIGH NORTH, who was fourth, bobbled leaving the gate, was bothered twice early on the clubhouse turn when DIAMOND KING lost the rider to lose more position, was taken to the rail down the backstretch and saved ground through much of the far turn, only had to go around the tiring GOTTA GO near the quarter pole, then came up the rail the rest of the way as Corey Lanerie made the best late of a bad situation early in the race. LONE SAILOR, who was fifth, was four paths wide into the first turn and was bothered only slightly by the incident involving Diamond King, was asked to go three furlongs out but was outrun at that point by neighboring High North, was angled to the middle of the track in upper stretch and passed tired rivals. Reride, who was sixth, raced just outside of Promises Fulfilled into the first turn while in the three path, moved to engage Promises Fulfilled three furlongs out, was turned back entering the lane and tired. QUIP, who was seventh, raced three paths while stalking the pace around the first turn, got shuffled back in traffic nearing the far turn, was bothered slightly near the quarter pole, but made zero progress the final quarter-mile while the likes of High North zipped past him. GIVEMEAMINIT, who finished eighth, was squeezed between rivals around the first turn while not far behind the early leaders and might have had his heels clipped by Diamond King, made a mid-race move down the backstretch to get closer, raced four paths wide on the far turn while outside Enticed, but just went evenly through the lane. He had an ambitious campaign and was coming back three weeks after the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and it all might have caught up to him. JOHN TIPPMANN, who was ninth, checked leaving the gate, then checked sharply when Diamond King went down right in front of him, wound up mid-pack saving ground into the backstretch, saved ground into the far turn, was angled to the three path heading into the lane but made no impact. BRAVAZO, who was 10th, bobbled slightly leaving the gate, went into the first turn four paths wide, remained wide down the backstretch and around the far turn and was ridden fairly sympathetically through the lane. Arrival, who was 11th, stumbled leaving the gate then checked sharply near the wire the first turn, was smoothly angled away from the incident on the first turn, made an extended, mid-race move down the backstretch and into the far turn to end up three paths wide vying for the lead three furlongs out, then emptied out through the lane. He can do better next time when not compromised early and allowed to take up his usual forward position. PEPPERED, who was 12th, trailed while wide early and went wider still around the first turn to avoid the commotion inside him, raced wide the rest of the way toward the rear and never got involved. Gotta Go, who was 13th, got bumped on his hindquarters heading into the first turn and came slightly off the rail, putting Diamond King in a bad spot while likely getting his heels clipped. He was second down the backstretch while along the rail, started to lose ground three furlongs out, checked near the quarter pole when being outrun and was pretty much eased through the lane. Diamond King was squeezed between rivals into the first turn, clipped heels, stumbled, and lost his rider.