Uncontested splashes to easy Smarty Jones score

Jan 16, 2017 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Uncontested, the 6-5 favorite against seven rivals, rolled to a 5 1/4-length victory in Monday's $150,000 Smarty Jones, opening leg of Oaklawn Park's four-race series of Kentucky Derby (G1) preps.

A son of Tiz Wonderful, Uncontested was sent to the lead by Channing Hill and set fractions of :23.04, :46.21, and 1:10.70. Easily turning back a brief bid from second choice Petrov approaching the quarter pole, Uncontested opened back up and won in a time of 1:36.32 for a mile on the sloppy going.

Owned by Harry Rosenblum and Robert LaPenta, the Wayne Catalano trainee returned $4.40. Petrov easily held second and was followed by Rowdy the Warrior and Warrior's Club, the colt owned by the Churchill Downs Racing Club. Kentucky Derby eligibility points of 10-4-2-1 were distributed to the top four finishers.

Uncontested has now accumulated 11 Kentucky Derby points. A six-length debut winner at Keeneland in October, he earned one point for his fourth-place effort in the November 26 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill.

Uncontested is expected to move on to the $500,000 Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn on February 20. That 1 1/16-mile test, also worth 10 points to the winner, is second in Oaklawn's series and is followed by the $900,000 Rebel (G2) on March 18 (50 points) and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 15 (100 points).

(Photo: Coady Photography)