Fountain of Youth Stakes G2 : 50-20-15-10-5
Forte silenced any doubters with a dominate performance in this year’s rendition of the FOY. Coming off an extended layoff, there was a slight concern he might need to get a race under his belt. Forte & Irad Ortiz did nothing but prove why this horse was the 2-year old of the year in 2022. Irad sat back with a nice stalking trip and was able to bring Forte sailing smoothly down the center of the track for what looked like an effortless win. Rocket Can & Cyclone Mischief ran a respectable 2nd & 3rd but ultimately were out classed. It will be interesting to see where Todd Pletcher & the ownership group will send this horse next (I imagine the upcoming FL Derby) but regardless of where it is, I know my eyes will be glued to the TV because this horse could be really special.
San Felipe Stakes G2 : 50-20-15-10-5
After the scratch of #2 National Treasure, this race became a wide-open contest. Practical Move and trainer Tim Yakteen proved that this horse’s win back in December in the Los Alamitos Futurity was no fluke and that this horse appreciates the extra distance. Jockey Ramon Vasquez sat with a perfect pocket trip and had Practical Move firing late down the center of the track holding off a charging #8 Geaux Rocket Ride and Flavien Prat by a couple lengths. The biggest story line for me was the fact that the class of the field proved itself. The top 4 finishers in the race all went off at post-time 4/1 or better, as a bettor I was glad to see the longest of those odds finish on top. Can Practical Move continue to improve as he most likely prepares to run in the Santa Anita Derby? I like his chances.
Gotham Stakes G3 : 50-20-15-10-5
It was the upset of the day at Aqueduct as Raise Cain won going away at 23/1. As a Kentucky native, it makes me happy to see local trainer Ben Colebrook get a massive win on the road the to the Kentucky Derby. At post time I was a little surprised to see this horse was at 23/1, however I admittedly neglected to have him on top in any of my plays. That’s coming back to bite me now, as the exact paid $81.25 and the $.50 Tri paid a whopping $367.25. Leave it to me to play #11 Slip Mahoney on top who decided to do his best running late, but was still nowhere near Raise Cain as he crossed the wire. Lugan Knight, Eyeing Clover & Carmel Road all had extremely disappointing performances at 6/1 or better and I think we might have seen the last of these 3 in terms of this years Kentucky Derby.
John Battaglia Stakes : 20-8-6-4-2
The race that awarded the least amount of Derby Points still provided an exciting race and some HUGE payouts. #12 Congruent pulled the upset for trainer Antonio Sano, taking well to the All Weather Track at Turfway shipping in from Florida. I had yet another pick on top here that decided to run 2nd with #4 Scoobie Quando for trainer Ben Colebrook at 5/1. The $2 Exacta paid out nicely at $242.60 and a $.50 Trifecta paid out $526.39. Not sure we will see any of these horses come the first Saturday in May, but if you want to make some money wagering on horses I’m not sure there is a better place than Turfway Park.
Want to hear more about the 2023 KY Derby Trail? You can find the Decadent & Depraved Podcast on Apple Music & Spotify. Alex, Duncan, Jacob & John Mark provide a preview of every KY Derby prep race leading up to the first Saturday in May. The boys provide a great mix of knowledge & non-sense (mostly non-sense). Like & Subscribe to hear every episode.
