Study Guide: 2023 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes
Dec 11, 2023
Gettysburg Address (Photo by Coady Photography)
Following a one-week hiatus, the Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes on Friday with the running of the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile S. at Remington Park.
The one-mile contest awards Kentucky Derby qualification points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis to the top five finishers. Nine horses have joined the field, including previous Road to the Kentucky Derby points earners Gettysburg Address and Raging Torrent.
Let’s take a horse-by-horse look at the field:
Fidget
Fidget (Photo by Coady Photography)
Start(s): 3
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Calumet Farm
Breeder: Dixiana Farms
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Marcelino Pedroza Jr.
Top Speed Rating: (82) when winning a Horseshoe Indianapolis allowance.
Total Earnings: $42,340
Sire: More Than Ready
Dam: Tinabud
Color: Dark bay/brown
After battling to a tenacious victory in a one-mile maiden special weight over the Horseshoe Indianapolis turf course, Fidget switched to the dirt and comfortably won a one-mile allowance over the same track. He’s progressing in the right direction for two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and can’t be counted out of the mix.
My Buddy Mel
Start(s): 5
Wins: 2
Place: 2
Show: 0
Owner: Heider Racing Stables, Duffy’s Racing Stable, and Striking Stables
Breeder: Charles W. Eddy and Myra Sue York-Eddy
Trainer: Danny Pish
Jockey: Jermaine Bridgmohan
Top Speed Rating: (75) when breaking his maiden at Lone Star Park.
Total Earnings: $68,100
Sire: Tonalist
Dam: Tilde
Color: Swiss Yodeler
My Buddy Mel unleashed a nice rally to finish second in the seven-furlong Clever Trevor S. at Remington Park last time out, but his career-best 75 Brisnet Speed rating suggests he’ll need improvement to challenge against tougher competition on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address (Photo by Coady Photography)
Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Siena Farm and WinStar Farm
Breeder: WinStar Farm
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Top Speed Rating: (84) when finishing fourth in the Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $50,600
Sire: Constitution
Dam: Jojo Warrior
Color: Bay
Gettysburg Address already has experience on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, having finished fourth after setting the pace in the 1 1/16-mile Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs. Gettysburg Address was beaten 7 1/4 lengths, but the track was sloppy that day. He won his debut over a fast track and may rebound if he encounters dry footing at Remington Park.
Magic Grant
Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Willis Horton Racing
Breeder: Hill N Dale Equine Holdings
Trainer: Eddie Milligan Jr.
Jockey: Richard Eramia
Top Speed Rating: (74) when winning the Clever Trevor S. at Remington Park.
Total Earnings: $45,085
Sire: Good Magic
Dam: Holiday Bertie
Color: Bay
Magic Grant never factored in his debut, finishing sixth, but subsequently unleashed a giant rally from a dozen lengths behind to win the Clever Trevor by 4 1/2 lengths over My Buddy Mel. A fast pace helped Magic Grant’s chances, and his 74 Brisnet Speed rating was modest, but the son of champion Good Magic is heading in the right direction for hot trainer Eddie Milligan Jr. and is eligible to take another step forward.
Glengarry
Glengarry (Photo by Coady Photography / Credit to Renee Torbit)
Start(s): 3
Wins: 3
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Aaron Kennedy, Toby Joseph, and Doug Anderson
Breeder: Highpoint Bloodstock
Trainer: Doug Anderson
Jockey: Luis Saez
Top Speed Rating: (90) when winning the Iowa Cradle S. at Prairie Meadows.
Total Earnings: $177,501
Sire: Maximus Mischief
Dam: L. A. Way
Color: Gray/roan
Glengarry is unbeaten in three starts sprinting, most notably employing pace-tracking tactics to win the Bowman Mill S. at Keeneland. But the speedy son of Maximus Mischief has yet to run farther than six furlongs, so while his talent is obvious, stretching out a quarter-mile in distance for the Remington Springboard Mile is a meaningful obstacle to overcome.
Raging Torrent
Raging Torrent (Photo by Benoit Photography)
Start(s): 4
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 1
Owner: Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis
Breeder: Rodney J. Winkler and Alfonso Mazzetti
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Antonio Fresu
Top Speed Rating: (88) when finishing third in the Best Pal (G3) at Del Mar.
Total Earnings: $109,200
Sire: Maximus Mischief
Dam: Violent Wave
Color: Violence
Raging Torrent has been squaring off against tough competition in California, finishing third in the Best Pal (G3) and fourth in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and American Pharoah (G1). The latter race was won by next-out Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Muth. Raging Torrent enters the Springboard Mile off sharp workouts and has every chance to factor while dropping in class, though you can make a case the one-mile distance is farther than Raging Torrent wants to run.
Rhino Runner
Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Robertino Diodoro
Breeder: Stewart M. Madison
Trainer: Sean Williams
Jockey: Stewart Elliott
Top Speed Rating: (80) when breaking his maiden at Remington Park.
Total Earnings: $20,332
Sire: Cairo Prince
Dam: Sole Miss
Color: Gray/roan
Rhino Runner never challenged when finishing seventh in his debut sprinting, but improved dramatically when stretching out for a one-mile maiden special weight at Remington Park, romping by 5 1/4 lengths. However, that victory produced a modest 80 Brisnet Speed rating, indicating Rhino Runner needs another step forward to challenge in the Springboard Mile.
Otto the Conqueror
Otto the Conqueror (Photo by Coady Photography)
Start(s): 3
Wins: 2
Place: 1
Show: 0
Owner: Three Chimneys Farm
Breeder: Hoolie Racing Stable
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Top Speed Rating: (96) when winning a Churchill Downs allowance optional claimer.
Total Earnings: $157,360
Sire: Street Sense
Dam: Dream It Is
Color: Bay
The horse to beat in the Springboard Mile is Otto the Conqueror. After finishing second in his debut behind future Street Sense (G3) winner Liberal Arts, Otto the Conqueror won a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs by a neck and a $100,000 allowance optional claimer over the same track and distance by four lengths. In the latter race, Otto the Conqueror earned a strong 96 Brisnet Speed rating (the highest number in the Springboard Mile field) while counting next-out Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) winner Honor Marie and subsequent Ed Brown S. winner Just Steel among his beaten rivals. A repeat of that performance should land Otto the Conqueror in the Remington Park winner’s circle for trainer Steve Asmussen, who has won the Springboard Mile a record six times.
Third Street
Start(s): 5
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: Shawn H. Davis and Bill Carnes
Breeder: Bryon Henderson
Trainer: Shawn H. Davis
Jockey: Jose Alvarez
Top Speed Rating: (81) when finishing fourth in the Kip Deville S. at Remington Park.
Total Earnings: $45,948
Sire: Yoshida
Dam: Abbey Street
Color: Bay
Third Street enters off a victory in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance at Remington Park, but previously finished out of the top three in the Kip Deville S. and Clever Trevor S. at Remington. Jumping back into the stakes ranks could be a tricky task.
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