Winner of Lexington can make the Kentucky Derby
by Greg Melikov
Winner of the $300,000 Lexington Stakes automatically makes the 20-horse field for the 135th Kentucky Derby. First is worth $180,000.
For another horse just a good performance will suffice since he has enough graded stakes earnings.
Another 3-year-old can end up the runner-up and qualify because second money would boost his graded earnings enough to satisfy the requisite.
The Lexington usually sends at least one starter to Louisville, but the past two winners didn’t make the trip. The 2006 victor Showing Up ran sixth behind Barbaro at Churchill Downs.
Only Charismatic in ’99 won both races. In ’84, Lexington runner-up Swale won the Derby. Both won two legs of the Triple Crown. Other winners that hit the board at Churchill Downs were Proud Citizen, second, ’02; Risen Star, third, ’88; and Our Native, third, ’73.
Square Eddie, the likely favorite, just needs the work because he ranks fifth on the graded earnings list. He hasn’t run since Jan. 17 when finishing second to The Pamplemousse in the $100,000 San Rafael at Santa Anita.
The son of Smart Strike, which earned most of his $756,000 during a successful juvenile season, has been training well the past two months since suffering a cannon bone injury.
After Square Eddie breezed six furlongs in 1:13 on April 5 at Hollywood Park, trainer Doug O’Neill told the Daily Racing Form:
“He galloped out with so much energy and came out of the work so well. I think it makes sense now. He’s ready for that. We had talked of doing a simulated race in the morning and we all know a race is more useful. Realistically to win a mile-and-a-quarter race off a layoff, we’ll need a good prep.”
Last Saturday, Square Eddie worked even better covering the six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 at Hollywood.
Two other contenders also are traveling from the Left Coast: Mythical Power, runner-up in the Sunland Derby, and Jeranimo, third behind Pioneer of the Nile in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita in his stakes debut.
Mythical Power on Sunday went five furlongs handily in a minute on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface. Jeranimo worked Monday at Santa Anita covering four furlongs in 49 seconds handily.
Another starter, Conservative, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 at Keeneland on Monday, galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 3/5, according to track clockers.
The son of Unbridled’s Song is coming off two straight victories at Gulfstream: a turf maiden contest and an off-the-turf allowance race. Three starts back he was runner-up to El Crespo in a maiden affair.
El Crespo subsequently captured the 1 1/8-mile Palm Beach on the grass and banked $90,000. He breezed five furlongs in 1:01 4/5 on Sunday over the Polytrack.
The son of A. P. Indy could make it to the Derby if he’s second in the Lexington because he’d earn $60,000.
Among others that must win are:
His Greatness, third in the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne; Masala, fourth in the Gotham at Aqueduct; Parade Clown, second in Turfway’s John Battaglia and fourth in the Lane’s End; Pitched Perfect, fourth in the Count Fleet at Aqueduct; and Brave Victory, fourth in Gulfstream’s Swale.
