The JC Derby – Grade III
AQU Race #8 1 3/8m InTurf Graded Stake
Purse $500.000 For Three Year Olds.

1 Extreme Super Hero Mb Stables Davis D 122 —

Every week there seems to be one of these three-year-old races with a big purse on the turf and every time they go off with a small field as people don’t seem to have caught on. Mb Stables has certainly taken advantage of that, and this one has already taken one down in the shape of the DMR Derby last time beating just 4 rivals. Prior to that he was third in the National Museum Of Racing and that followed a gradual buildup of form from just an average juvenile season. He looks to be peaking now and can use this inside draw to lead or get handy with little effort and that is a big plus.

2 River Run Nakamura Stables Martinez C 122 —

Won a 5-furlong allowance at BTP in April but is clearly better than that as he has proved with two good thirds in ungraded company recently. This is a step up but these races can see horses improve beyond all recognition in a few months with changes in trip, so I wouldn’t say he is out of this. Drawn nicely, I expect him to drop into mid-pack and try and come late.

3 Back Class TwinTowersRacing Rodriguez Jam 122 —

Ran good races in both the Pennine Ridge and the American Derby when running handy but then a wide gate in the Nashville Derby saw the race engine spit him out the back and he was a non-competitor. He is certainly better than that last effort and I expect him to stay handier today and run a far more competitive race.

4 Manamaulu Fractious Davila J R Jr 122 —

Three races, a maiden winner last time, why not throw him in a graded stake! He is working the times and seemed to want further than the mile last time out so I don’t see why he couldn’t give a good account of himself.

5 Damushi Red Fox Farms Spencer J P 122 —

Another that failed miserably in the Nashville Derby after a good effort prior I certainly don’t expect him to be beaten ten lengths today. A winner on an off track in July so the off track was no excuse in the KD race, I do wonder whether he found the trip beyond him after being fairly handy on a strong pace. The pace shouldn’t be crazy today so I think he will see out the trip OK and if he can reproduce his good effort in the Secretariat then there is no reason why he won’t be involved in the finish.

6 Tap Mb Stables Alvarado J 122 —

Another from the stable who has been slower to find his form, but he has built nicely and was good in taking out the Saranac last time suggesting he is peaking at the right time. His speed figures are good, his works good so he is another who should be there or thereabouts.

7 Proud Devil Team 7 Illusions Pennington F 122 —

You can look at this horse and say he only won a claimer at the free track last time, but he is working as well as anything and we know he loves these long trips. It is baffling that a contender in a big-ticket grade three could only win a free track claimer by two lengths but that is just how close all the horses are these days, and I wouldn’t be writing him off despite the wide draw and the suspect form.

SUMMARY

Proud Devil may just go from the free track winner to a JC Derby winner in the space of 6 weeks and if you look beyond his efforts recently and back to his brilliant and close fifth in the Transylvania as a maiden a good case can be made for him. He is however a stab in the dark and the others all have better track performances to stake their claims. In truth I cannot find too much between any of them and normally in those cases I just go with the best Mb runner so its Extreme Super Hero for me who was bought for just $8.880 as a two-year-old at auction.

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES