Next-race plans are pending for My Boy Jack, who was to be flown to his Southern California base Wednesday following a dominant performance in the Grade 3 $500,000 Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds Monday at Oaklawn Park.
My Boy Jack earned a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 93 -- a career high -- after winning the 1 1/16-mile race by 4 ½ lengths, equaling the second-largest margin of victory in the Southwest since 2003. The race was lengthened from a mile to 1 1/16 miles in 2013.
Trainer Keith Desormeaux said Monday night his challenge now is to find the best route to the Kentucky Derby for My Boy Jack, who is owned by Don't Tell My Wife Stables (Kirk Godbey and Rob Slack) and Monomoy Stables, LLC (Sol Kumin).
My Boy Jack has 12 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, including 10 for his Southwest victory, to rank 13th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard through Monday. The Kentucky Derby, to be run May 5 at Churchill Downs, is limited to 20 starters, with points earned in designated races like the Southwest used to determine starting preference if the race overfills.
Where My Boy Jack will attempt to increase his total next is up in the air, Desormeaux said. The trainer noted the Grade 2 $400,000 Risen Star Stakes Saturday at Fair Grounds awarded 50 points to the winner, Bravazo, trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas
"What it does to me, it kind of puts me in a tight spot because as a trainer, my first instinct, off of this race, and the body of work that this horse has -- he's had plenty of starts, he's dead fit -- I would totally just give him one more start before the Derby," Desormeaux said. "But, because of this point system, I have to think about a fallback plan."
Bravazo, a Jan. 13 allowance/optional claiming winner at Oaklawn, secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby with his victory in the Risen Star. Lukas said Sunday morning his initial thought is to send Bravazo back to Fair Grounds for the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) March 24.
Bravazo (54 points) tops the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Other Oaklawn-based horses on the list are No. 14 Combatant (12), for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, and No. 26 Sporting Chance (2), also trained by Lukas.
Combatant finished second in the Southwest, 2 ½ lengths ahead of Sporting Chance, who was making his first start since winning the Grade 1 $350,000 Hopeful Stakes Sept. 4 at Saratoga. If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker is earnings in non-restricted stakes races.
Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby prep series continues with the Grade 2 $900,000 Rebel Stakes on March 17 and the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 14. The Rebel, like the Risen Star, awards 85 points to the top four finishers (50-20-10-5).
The Arkansas Derby offers 170 (100-40-20-10).
"If I do plan that one race, it wouldn't be the Rebel," Desormeaux said. "I would plan it like the Arkansas Derby or the Louisiana Derby, let's say. If I did that, then I wouldn't have time to get another race in him.
"It gets a little complicated. We'll get together with the ownership and talk about all the pros and cons. Hopefully, we make the right decision."
My Boy Jack, who was making his third start on dirt Monday, has a 2-3-1 record from eight career starts and earnings of $425,145.
The son of Creative Cause, in his return to dirt, was coming off of a third-place finish in the Grade 3 $100,000 Sham Stakes Jan. 6 at Santa Anita. My Boy Jack was already a stakes winner on grass and ran seventh, beaten three lengths, in the Grade 1 $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Nov. 3 at Del Mar.
Under a ground-saving ride Monday by the trainer's younger brother, Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, My Boy Jack ran 1 1/16 miles over a muddy track in 1:46 and paid $19.60.
Sonneteer entered the Grade 3 $500,000 Razorback Handicap Monday as the 4-1 program favorite, but ran 10th. Desormeaux said Sonneteer did not handle the muddy surface and would avoid racing over off tracks in the future.
Sports on 02/23/2018