By way of tiny Newcastle Racecourse in the north of England, Gronkowski is bound for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5.
Friday, Gronkowski won his fourth consecutive race in the $140,000 Burradon Stakes at a mile on Newcastle’s Tapeta surface. The victory clinched Gronkowski’s position as the winner of the European Road to the Derby series with 50 qualifying points. This is the first year of the European series, which encompassed seven races in England, France and Ireland.
ARCADIA, Calif. – The Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 7 may have one of its smallest fields in recent history, and the presence of the two leading 3-year-olds in the nation – Bolt d’Oro and McKinzie – is largely to blame.
McKinzie and Bolt d’Oro, both Grade 1 winners as 2-year-olds, were first and second, separated by a head, in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 10. McKinzie was disqualified and placed second behind Bolt d’Oro for causing interference in the stretch.
Turning into the stretch at the Palm Meadows training center Friday morning, Enticed was about a length behind his stablemate First Commander, a maiden, in what was to be Enticed’s final workout before the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 7 at Aqueduct.
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, watching from the clocker’s stand, said of Enticed, “He’s likely to be second.”
Indeed, Enticed was only able to get within a neck of First Commander at the end of the half-mile work. Enticed was timed in 49.91 seconds.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – He’ll never catch your eye when he works in the morning, but every time you look up, there is Audible in the winner’s circle again. On Saturday, trainer Todd Pletcher will have yet another Florida Derby victory squarely in his sights when he sends the New York-bred out as the likely favorite against eight other 3-year-olds in the key Kentucky Derby prep, which highlights an outstanding 14-race program. First post is 11:30 a.m. Eastern.
Enhanced security protocols will be in place for the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 7 at Aqueduct, according to a press release issued by the New York Gaming Commission and the New York Racing Association on Thursday.
According to the release, the protocols were triggered by a purse increase to $1 million from $750,000 because a Grade 1 winner is participating in the race. Firenze Fire, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont, is scheduled to run in the Wood.
It took just 10 points to make the Kentucky Derby field in 2013, at least 20 in 2014 and 2015, and at least 30 the past two years. This is now the sixth year that Churchill Downs has utilized a points list to determine the 20-horse field for the Derby – replacing earnings in graded stakes – and the number of points required to gain entry could continue to rise, owing to more interest from overseas runners, putting several well-regarded horses based in this country in jeopardy of not making the field.
In an unconventional way, Gronkowski has been seeking a spot in the Kentucky Derby since the start of the year.
Instead of running in the traditional prep races throughout the United States, Gronkowski could earn a berth in the Kentucky Derby in faraway Newcastle, England, on Friday.
Gronkowski is part of a field of 10 in the $140,000 Burradon Stakes at a mile on a Tapeta surface.
Trainer Dale Romans on Wednesday entered Promises Fulfilled and Storm Runner in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. After briefly considering running a third horse, Romans decided to point King Zachary to the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 7.
King Zachary, a son of Curlin, is coming off an eye-catching 7 3/4-length maiden victory at Gulfstream on March 18. The Florida Derby, Romans said, would have been too soon after that race.
