Encino creeps closer to Kentucky Derby qualification with Lexington score

Apr 13, 2024 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

The Kentucky Derby (G1) is a prize that has eluded Godolphin for years, but the global breeding juggernaut isn't quite out of the running for the 150th edition of the Churchill Downs classic following Encino's wire-to-wire victory in the $365,500 Lexington (G3) at Keeneland on Saturday.

Earning 20 Derby qualifying points for his victory Lexington, as well as for an earlier one in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park, Encino now has a total of 40 points and is ranked 21st on the current Derby leaderboard. That means he would make the Derby field if there were one defection among the top 20 over the next three weeks.

'If that's something [Godolphin] wants to do, we'll prepare him,' trainer Brad Cox said. 'We'll ship over to Churchill Downs in a few days, regardless. I'd say it will be either the Derby or the Preakness (G1).'

Breaking fast and outrunning the other expected speed, Holy Bull (G3) winner Hades and Lucky Jeremy, Encino proved the one to catch throughout the 1 1/16-mile test. Setting a comfortable pace of :23.55, :47.28, and 1:11.94, Encino met his sternest challenge from 3-2 favorite The Wine Steward in the stretch but repelled that rival to score by three parts of a length under Florent Geroux.

#8 ENCINO at 3/1 with @flothejock take advantage from the start and wins the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at #Keeneland for trainer @bradcoxracing.

Encino grabs the last 20 points on the Road to the @KentuckyDerby. 🌹

📺 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/MBOTuqtj47

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) April 13, 2024

This was the third consecutive win in the Lexington for Cox and his fourth in the last five editions of the race. Geroux was aboard three of those winners.

Encino covered one lap of the fast Keeneland strip in 1:43.93 and paid $8.62. The Wine Steward, making his first start since a second-place effort in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) last October, finished 8 1/4 lengths clear of 36-1 longshot Dilger. The order of finish was rounded out by Secret Chat, Footprint, Liberal Arts, Hades, Lucky Jeremy, and How's Ur Attitude.

None of the other Lexington entrants that earned Derby points have a sufficient number to make the Run for the Roses. The Wine Steward earned 10 Derby qualifying points, boosting his total to 15. Dilger earned six, Secret Chat four, and Footprint two, the latter increasing his total to four.

Encino has now won three of four starts. He had competed exclusively over the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park prior to the Lexington, dropping his debut by a neck in December before winning a maiden by a half-length and the Battaglia Memorial by a length, both over 1 1/16 miles.

The Kentucky-bred Encino has about as classic a pedigree as you can find. By 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, he was produced by Glittering Jewel, a half-sister to 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. Glittering Jewel was sired by the late Preakness winner Bernardini.