The next chance to place some horse racing wagers – as well as the next stop in the 2017 Road to the Kentucky Derby – will be the Smarty Jones stakes on Monday, January 16th at Oakland Park. According to the Kentucky Derby official website, “the Smarty Jones will be used as a spring board into other stakes races during the Oaklawn meet.” As a spring board? Didn’t they ban horse diving like in the 70s? This race awards RTTKD points in the following configuration: 10-4-2-1 to the top four places. Below is more information about the participants for online horse racing fans.
Petrov. Ridden by Jose L. Ortiz. Trained by Ron Moquett. This horse is named after ballet dancer Eugene Petrov. He came in second in the King’s Swan Stakes at Aqueduct in December, 2016. The horse, not the ballet dancer. Petrov was a first-out winner in Kentucky, coming from behind to win going away. This will be Petrov’s first trip around two-turns.
Warrior’s Club. Ridden by Robby Albarado. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas. This horse has only win once in seven lifetime starts, but has always performed solidly. To wit, he has finished in the money in his last six starts, and popped his horse racing cherry – otherwise known as breaking one’s maiden – in the Spendthrift Stallion Stakes, getting the better of multiple stakes winner Cool Arrow two starts back. Finally, he came back for a respectable third in the Kentucky Jockey Club.
Cu Rahy. Ridden by Glenn W. Corbett. Trained by Danele Durham. The son of National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Famer Curlin may actually have been adopted. If Curlin was Ric Flair, Cu Rahy would be David. Or maybe Reid. But definitely not Charlotte. He finished third in the Kip Deville Stakes in September, but then underperformed in the 2016 Springboard Mile at Remington Park, where he finished 9th out of 12. Not a good horse racing betting proposition for fans interested in horse racing wagers.
Rowdy the Warrior. Ridden by Luis S. Quinonez. Trained by Donnie K. Von Hemel. Hemel enjoyed a fair share of success last year with Suddenbreakingnews, but Rowdy is no Suddenbreakingnews. Though he’s not yesterday’s news either. What he is is a late-running go-getter deserving of better luck.
Unbridled Eagle. Ridden by Ramon A. Vazquez. Trained by Steven M. Asmussen. This horse broke his maiden in his fourth start in September, 2016. That may have been a fluke, however, seeing as how Eagle has failed to hit his stride before or after that. Switching from turf to dirt and back again doesn’t seem to have helped his chances either.
Uncontested. Ridden by Channing Hill. Trained by Wayne M. Catalano. Tiz Wonderful’s son might fare better in shorter distances than he did in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, where he finished fourth. The favorite of people placing horse racing wagers.
Romeo O Romeo. Ridden by Chris Landeros. Trained by Brian Williamson. Romeo O Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Nah, ROR would never deny Macho Uno.
Love That Lute. Ridden by Alex Birzer. Trained by Jack C. Van Berg. Coincidentally, “love that lute” is what Carrie My Love said to Midnight Lute when they were about to conceive LTL. People placing horse racing wagers do not Love That Lute, though.
