The final round of Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races, offering 100 points to the winner, is set to begin March 22 and connections of possible contenders are mapping the final step that will place their 3-year-old in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May.
Godolphin has already clinched one of those gates after Sovereignty’s last-to-first score in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) March 1. The victory increased his point total to 60, well above the usual 40-point ‘bubble’ that’s used as a baseline for qualification each year.
However, Godolphin remains hopeful they could add to their Derby lineup should 2-year-old prep winners Poster and East Avenue perform well enough to qualify and triple the operation’s chances at wearing the rose garland for the first time.
“We’re not in the business of going in there just to have a runner on the day,” Godolphin director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said on March 10 episode of the “BloodHorse Monday” podcast presented by Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company. “If we have horses in (the Derby), they’re going to be in there with live chances.”
“BloodHorse Monday” is a new, hour-long podcast hosted by BloodHorse in partnership with Louisville, Ky.-based radio host Louie Rabaut. The show can be accessed on BloodHorse’s YouTube channel, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, ESPN Louisville+ and espnlouisville.com. The show also airs in Louisville on ESPN 680/105.7, as well as other stations throughout the country.
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Remsen Stakes (G2) winner Poster will be the first to get that opportunity as he targets the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park March 22.
Making his sophomore debut in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 8, Poster closed from off the pace to finish third behind John Hancock and next-out Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Owen Almighty . The pair led for the entire 1 1/16 miles on a surface that appeared to be favoring speed that day. A closer, Poster managed to rally for third.
“Poster was running against the bias that day and he was probably one of the only horses finishing up,” Banahan said. “We were encouraged by his run that day and thought it would put us in a good spot.”
After some consideration of remaining in Tampa for the March 8 Tampa Bay Derby, Banahan and trainer Eoin Harty decided to return to Turfway, where the homebred son of Munnings has been stabled all winter. The timing works best, according to Banahan: six weeks after the Sam F. Davis and, should he run well, six weeks before the Kentucky Derby.
Poster, who won his first two starts on turf before swapping to dirt, will again see a surface change to Turfway’s Tapeta surface, but Banahan is confident the race will set him up well for a date with the Derby. Poster’s first two starts were victories on the turf.
“I think he’ll be better getting back on dirt again, but this we felt was the right opportunity for him to get to the First Saturday in May,” Banahan said.
Godolphin then plans to be back in action the following weekend with Sovereignty , who Banahan said will most likely surface again in the $1.5 million Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park March 29.
Sovereignty wins the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Although highly respected as a 2-year-old following his win in the Street Sense Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, the homebred son of Into Mischief ‘s Fountain of Youth victory was somewhat surprising. Not only was he entering off a layoff, but he also had a deep-closing running style that connections feared wouldn’t translate to the short stretch of Gulfstream’s 1 1/16-mile distance.
However, Sovereignty proved he’s simply a classy individual and won anyway. Banahan believes the colt still has room to improve, a scary thought for his competition.
“He covers everything: physically what he looks like, temperament-wise, ability-wise, pedigree-wise. He has a lot going for him,” Banahan said. “We think we’re in great shape with him. Everything has to happen quickly for him, it’s four weeks back to the Florida Derby, which more than likely is where we’re going to end up. Probably a bit tight, but that’s what it is. If you want to make the Derby, that’s what you have to do.”
The final of Godolphin’s runners to take his shot at the Derby will be the one many considered their best chance exiting 2024: East Avenue . Although, things have not fallen in the homebred Medaglia d’Oro colt’s favor recently.
Following a stumble at the start of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) that eliminated his chances immediately, the colt ran a head scratcher in the Feb. 15 Risen Star Stakes (G2), coming up empty in the stretch and fading far out of contention after sitting a perfect stalking trip.
“We don’t really know why he didn’t run well that day,” Banahan said. “He trained super all winter long, did everything (trainer) Brendan (Walsh) wanted him to do. It was a really disappointing effort for him for sure.”
Banahan said that “no stone has been unturned” in evaluating East Avenue since that performance, and all signs point to him being healthy and in great shape since.
Now Banahan and Walsh are hitting the reset button, planning to take the colt back to Keeneland—where he introduced himself to the world with a dominant frontrunning victory in the Breeders’ Futurtity (G1) last fall—for the $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) April 5.
East Avenue wins the 2024 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland
“We decided maybe that’s the thing to do, go back to where we’ve been successful already and give him another go,” Banahan said. “We’re quietly confident that he’s going to be able to come back and show how good he is. We all feel he’s very talented.
“Two marks against us, so we have to get him back to where he was last fall in the Futurity and give him an opportunity. The horse deserves that—to go back out there and see what he can do.”
During the podcast interview, Banahan also discussed what it would mean to Godolphin to win the Kentucky Derby, star filly Good Cheer ‘s path to the Kentucky Oaks (G1), the pride Godolphin takes in their Eclipse Award-winning operation, and more.
Later in the podcast, OBS president Tom Ventura previewed the March 2-Year-Old in Training Sale, set to begin March 11.
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