KY Jockey Club J

AMERICAN GRADED STAKES

PREVIEWS

Owner John Oxley and trainer John Ward smelled the Kentucky Derby (G1) roses

with Monarchos in 2001, but their talented colt Sky Mesa missed the Triple Crown

two years later following a solid juvenile campaign. Oxley and Ward now have a

colt by the name of BEETHOVEN (Sky Mesa) who has not had as fruitful a

two-year-old campaign as his sire, but is coming into his own now and is our

selection for Saturday's $150,000 Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill

Downs over 1 1/16 miles.

Unplaced after a slow start in an early season dash, Beethoven emerged from a

summer break at Turfway Park in September and dutifully won over the Polytrack.

A near-miss third in a Keeneland allowance followed, but the bay's late punch

proved more effective in his return to dirt over this track earlier this month

when registering his initial allowance score by a neck. We think he has room for

further improvement and can put himself in the classic discussion with a small

step forward.

BIG SURF (Storm Cat) has the pedigree to be any kind. His dam, Surfside

(Seattle Slew), was

three-year-old filly champion of 2000, the year she beat males to win the Clark H.

(G2) over this track. After a lackluster Polytrack debut, Big Surf overcame a

modest pace to wear down maiden rivals over the dirt going a mile here, and it

appears he won't have to improve too many lengths to make an impact against this

group.

CAPT. CANDYMAN CAN (Candy Ride [Arg]) is the probable favorite based on

dynamite scores in his two dirt outings, including a three-length victory in the

one-mile Iroquois S. (G3) earlier in the meet. It would be no surprise to see

him solidify his claim as one of the top Derby prospects for next year, though

the fact remains that he hasn't run that much faster than some of the rivals

he faces here which have more upside.

JAZZANDTHEMAGICIAN (Birdstone) won his six-furlong debut by a convincing 3

1/4 lengths last time, and there is plenty of stamina in this pedigree to

suggest 8 1/2 furlongs will not prove a hindrance. Conceding experience at the

distance to others, however, may prove a little tricky, and this one will have

to conserve more energy for this longer trip after racing close to a fast pace

in one-turn bow. STORMALORY (Storm Cat) finished only a neck behind Beethoven

last out, and thus could be rated higher if there is a large discrepancy in price

between the two. Out of a three-quarter sister to Blue Grass S. (G2) winner Halory Hunter

among other fine runners, Stormalory has clearly enjoyed running two turns after

nondescript sprint efforts in his first two starts, and could give Darley a

prominent American-based contender for the Derby.

STAR OF DAVID (Bernstein), a non-threatening third in the Iroquois and Summer

S. (Can-G3) in his last two, will need to find a bit more to reverse the

four-length deficit between him and Capt. Candyman Can. BROTHER KEITH (Johar), a

first-out winner on the main track November 8, is in much deeper here and his

pedigree suggests the grass will be his ultimate calling. COAL BARON

(Mineshaft), a 25-1 upset winner of a course-and-distance maiden, should

continue to improve but his BRIS Speed ratings are slightly inferior at the moment.

ZION (Thunder Gulch) weakened to fourth in Beethoven's allowance victory and

will be a longshot to amend for that loss. GIANT OAK (Giant's Causeway), a solid

winner in two of his three starts, tries dirt for the first time here and might

need the experience.