The Prestigious Kentucky Derby Prep that no one talks about: The $400,000 Springboard Mile. This one is for the two-year-olds going one Mile on the dirt at Remington Park. Carded as Race 12, and going to post at 11:19 p.m. (ET), we can possibly see some of these horses the first Saturday in May.
(1) Echo Again- 9/5 Morning Line Odds
This one debuted at Saratoga and blew the doors off the competition winning by over six lengths. They then didn’t perform well in a Grade 3 last out and have been shelved ever since. Ricardo Santana Jr. is winning at 16% and Steve Asmussen is winning at 18% on the year.
(3) Campfire Creed- 5/1 Morning Line Odds
This horse has already won a stakes race and took second by a nose last out in another stakes affair. The running style suits but they haven’t really raced this long before. Gerardo Mora is winning at 14% at Remington while Danny Pish is training at 13% for the meet. They like Remington Park, but I think this one is a bit outclassed compared to the rest of the field.
(5) Giant Mischief- 3/1 Morning Line Odds
This one jumped off the page last out to win an optional claimer at Keeneland, and has the highest last speed figure coming into the race, which almost hit triple digits. With only two races and two wins under their belt, it’s hard to get a grasp at this horse’s ceiling.
Florent Geroux is winning at 14% for the meet, which is the same as trainer Brad Cox. Usually, when this pair teams up, they are doing so on a fierce beast. If this was a filly race, I’d be backing them, but I wonder if their last race will be their career best.
(7) Ghost Hero- 15/1 Morning Line Odds
The odds on this one just don’t make any sense to me. They’ve won back to back stakes races over this course and the last one was a stretch out to a mile. The speed figure came back solid and although the time wasn’t amazing, the odds just don’t make much sense here. Floyd Wethey is winning at 17% for the year while Jayde Gelner is winning at the same rate as the jockey. They can win, but my guess is they go off closer to half their odds.
(9) Wildatlanticstorm- 6/1 Morning Line Odds
This horse has come in first or second in every race they’ve ever run in and is coming off a win at the stakes level here at Remington Park. The speed figures and running style help, but they’ve been running at shorter distances. They’ll be running a route distance for the first time, though. Leandro Goncalves is winning at 18% for the meet, while Ray Ashford is winning at 13% this meet. Trainer Ashford is winning at 20% when running routes for the first time. I am just not sure if this horse has the sustainable speed to keep up with this group.
Pick for the Race: (1) Echo Again
I can forgive their last race, as Asmussen wins at 25% when he was the beaten favorite last out. I like how patient the connections have been on this one, and I think they’ve been training up for a big one for sure. The odds might not be great, but we can see a superstar in the making if they dominate.
