Gormley is named for a famed British sculptor, but it is trainer John Shirreffs who is molding Antony Gormley’s namesake into one of the top prospects for the Kentucky Derby. Gormley disappointed in his final start at age 2, but he rebounded on Saturday with a big effort, out-dueling the well-regarded American Anthem in a thrilling edition of the Grade 3, $100,690 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita.
A maiden winning a stakes race is no longer considered a rare phenomenon, but few have done so as impressively as Hemsworth did when cruising to a 9 1/2-length victory to close out his 2-year-old campaign in the Grade 2 Nashua at Aqueduct. And trainer Tom Albertrani is hoping his homebred will be able to build off that performance when he kicks off his 2017 season in the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man, the last of four stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday's 11-race program at Gulfstream Park.
As much as I respect his achievements, I can't vault El Areeb into the top five leading Kentucky Derby prospects as some other handicappers have done, given his victory came in the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.
Girvin impressed trainer Joe Sharp enough winning his career debut Dec. 16 at Fair Grounds that he plans to give the colt his second start in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 21.
Takaful, who dazzled in his debut before disappointing in the Remsen, will kick off 2017 in Monday's Grade 3, $150,000 Jerome Stakes, the first race on this circuit for New York-based 3-year-olds with hopes of making it to the Kentucky Derby on May 6.
Road to the Derby: CashCall Futurity analysis
Much will be expected in the next six months from Mastery, who gave trainer Bob Baffert a record ninth win in the $300,000 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity on Saturday.
McCRAKEN completed a promising, late-year campaign by winning his third race without a defeat, all at Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby is held. He went from an unstarted maiden in early October to a top Derby prospect in less than two months.
This will be a fascinating race to watch going forward because the top two, MO TOWN and NO DOZING, both have plenty of promise, and it’s entirely possible the Beyer Speed Figure from this race is even faster than the 86 it was initially assigned.
Gunneveraa had proven no match for Classic Empire when finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity in his prior start, but won as much the best against this Grade 3 field in the Delta Downs Jackpot with a stirring last-to-first charge in the field of 10.
