Saturday night’s $125,000 Turfway Prevue, for 3-year-olds sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs, is not technically part of the local Kentucky Derby prep series, but it is a preview of things to come.
Both the Turfway Prevue and the $125,000 Leonatus Stakes, at a mile on Jan. 17, often produce starters for the $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race on Feb. 21 awarding points toward the Kentucky Derby on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis. Two of the past three Prevue winners attempted to stretch out in the Battaglia. Scoobie Quando finished second in 2023, while Coming in Hot finished sixth last year.
The Battaglia is the local prep toward the Grade 3, $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 21, awarding Derby points on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis. But there are other lucrative options for 3-year-olds on that day’s marquee card. Those who want to cut back in distance will have the $250,000 Animal Kingdom, while those who haven’t progressed to graded level have the $250,000 Rushaway at 1 1/16 miles.
The cast of eight lining up to look toward those future options in Saturday’s Prevue includes stakes-seasoned Jupiter, who had a promising 2-year-old campaign in one-turn races at Woodbine for D. J. Stable and Mark Casse. The gelding won the Display Stakes and was second in the Victoria Stakes. His only unplaced effort came when he moved from the Tapeta to turf for the Soaring Free Stakes, when he also was bumped at the start and improved position late to finish fifth.
D. J. Stable held a curated reduction of some of its stock at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale. A few weeks later, Jupiter was dropped into optional-claiming company on Dec. 5 at Turfway, trying two turns for the first time at a mile. He finished third behind the well-meant Valiant, a $1 million yearling who has now won back-to-back races. Jupiter was claimed for $62,500 off that race by trainer Nestor Rivera, and he cuts back in distance as he debuts for that barn Saturday.
The other stakes winner in this field is Trendsetter, who won the Hickory Tree sprinting on dirt at Colonial Downs. He has been well-beaten in two turf stakes tries for Ben Colebrook.
Hometown Bound and Shipmate will attract attention shipping in off sharp maiden wins. Hometown Bound drew off to win his debut on a muddy track at Laurel Park. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86, easily the best in this field. Muddy-track form often translates to turf or synthetic, and Hometown Bound has had time to become acquainted with Turfway, breezing on the Tapeta here through December for Jorge Duarte Jr., including a bullet move.
Shipmate earned a solid Beyer of 73 when wiring his second start, a sprint on the synthetic track at Gulfstream for Nolan Ramsey. He proceeded to finish fourth in the Pulpit Stakes while trying a mile and 70 yards, and he now cuts back again.
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