With Saturday’s win in the 1/16 mile stakes race for 3-year-olds, Strategic Risk claimed 10 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. Strategic Risk’s stablemate Silent Tactic finished second, taking five qualifying points.
The winner and runners-up are owned by John Oxley and trained by Mark Casse. The outcome marks a return to the Kentucky Derby trail at Oaklawn Park for Casse, who saddled Sandman to victory in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby last year. Oxley captured the 2001 Kentucky Derby with Monarchos.
Longshot Scar Ship led the field over a quarter mile in:24.48 and a half mile in:49.72, while Strategic Risk Tracking was second under jockey Javier Castellano. Strategic Risk then launched a sustained rally into the far corner, which would allow him to grab the lead at the quarter pole and break free at the top of the stretch.
The top two finishers were followed home by longshot Baytown Dreamer in third place (three points), Sleepingonfreedom in fourth (two points) and Rancho Santa Fe in fifth (one point). Universe, who was favored at 2.30-1 after a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs, was dead last and never counted as he finished seventh of eight.
The victory gave Strategic Risk his first stakes victory against open company after finishing his junior season with a striking nine-length score over other Florida-breds in the $300,000 FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality Stakes on Nov. 29 at Gulfstream Park. With Saturday’s victory, the son of Noble Bird secured his second victory in as many starts at two corners on dirt tracks.
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