If you fall into the camp of those looking outside the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for potential Kentucky Derby future-book bets or pickups for fantasy-stable leagues, here’s a short list of seven non-Juvenile participants that could become Derby players next year.
Two-time stakes winner Riker will look to remain unbeaten while trying two turns for the first time in Sunday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Grey Stakes for 2-year-olds at Woodbine. The winner of the 1 1/16-mile Grey will earn 10 points toward qualifying for next year’s Kentucky Derby.
The Grade 3, $150,000 Iroquois Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs is the first of 35 points races toward the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Similarly, the Grade 2, $200,000 Pocahontas Stakes – the richest race of the September meet – is the first of 31 points races to the 2016 Kentucky Oaks.
Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., has reached a deal that allows Ticketmaster to offer tickets for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks and the track’s other live-racing events, the companies announced on Monday.
Churchill Downs on Wednesday released the schedule of points races that will determine eligibility for the 2016 Kentucky Derby, with the lone change being a doubling in points for the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile from 10 to 20.
Homebred champion American Pharoah – who had delivered his own dose of heartbreak last fall when injury forced him to miss the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – ended the Zayat family’s streak of frustration in America’s most famed race, surging clear late to capture the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
As Kentucky Derbies go, the 141st edition last Saturday was a satisfying one on several counts, whether or not you cashed a ticket.
I settled down on Saturday night and watched with a blank stare as the images flashed across the TV screen. The chyron at the bottom of the screen posted updates on the big fight in Las Vegas between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao – a boxing match sure to end in a decision, unlike the knockout I experienced during the day at Churchill Downs.
Chief steward Barbara Borden said Wednesday that the Churchill Downs stewards intend to further scrutinize replays of the Kentucky Derby in response to questions about jockey Victor Espinoza having used his whip 32 times in urging American Pharoah to victory.
NBC Sports reported that its coverage of the Kentucky Derby averaged 16 million viewers, up 4 percent from 15.3 million who viewed California Chrome last year. According to final data provided by The Nielsen Company, the telecast posted a 9.6 national rating with a share of 23, up from 9.4 and 22 last year.
