The Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Tipsheet 2023

A solid field of eight two-year-olds will vie in Saturday’s $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs. The 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series event will reward the top-five finishers with qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis towards the Run for the Roses.  

Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Picks

• #7 Risk It
• #2 Honor Marie
• #1 Awesome Road
• #3 Real Men Violin

Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Wagers

• $20 win and place #7 Risk It
• $5 exacta key box 7 with 1,2,3
• $.50-cent superfecta 7 with 1,2,3 with 1,2,3 with all 

Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Contenders

#1 AWESOME ROAD: Brad Cox trainee was a sharp debut winner at Ellis Park prior to never getting involved while well backed in the Breeders’ Futurity S. (G1) at Keeneland in his second assignment. The $600,000 son of Quality Road is bred to thrive going long and has trained in excellent fashion in preparation for his local debut. Flavien Prat will be in the stirrups. 

#2 HONOR MARIE: Honor Code colt rallied for a game sprint win at first asking and followed that up with a clear second in the allowance ranks for D. Whitworth Beckman. The talented colt likes the surface and is cut out to love running long, and I feel that he will be a danger in the lane at a nice price under Rafael Bejarano. 

#3 REAL MEN VIOLIN: Kenny McPeek pupil has been consistent this season and broke through with a game maiden tally on the oval last time out. The $110,000 yearling purchase smoked a bullet five-eighths on the oval leading up to Saturday, and he is a logical exotics threat with any kind of improvement beneath Brian Hernandez Jr. 

#4 DANCING GROOM: Antonio Sano trainee has improved with each career race to date and rallied late to grab third in the Champagne S. (G1) in his most recent performance. The $60,000 son of Vino Rosso has trained forwardly in advance of his local bow and the chestnut will be running from off the pace with Javier Castellano taking the reins. 

#5 NOMOS: Todd Pletcher pupil was unplaced in the pair of graded races on the lawn as of late and will take a shot on the dirt for the initial time on this occasion. The Uncle Mo homebred has been working well on this main surface in anticipation of Saturday, and the well-bred colt is the wildcard in the cast. Luis Saez will be in the silks atop the colt. 

#6 STRETCH RIDE: Unbeaten son of Street Sense moved his mark to two-for-two with a daylight route tally at Keeneland last time out. The Dale Romans trainee has some early pace and proved capable of carrying his speed two turns most recently, as well. The bay son of Street Sense will be forwardly placed early with regular pilot Martin Chuan in the controls. 

#7 RISK IT: Steve Asmussen's charge romped in sharp fashion at first asking at Saratoga in the summer prior to checking in second in the Iroquois S. (G3) here in his second lifetime try. The $500,000 son of Gun Runner draws outside of the other pace in the heat, and I expect him to show big improvement second time going long on this occasion. Tyler Gaffalione will guide the colt, who I expect to force the pace early and open up in the lane late. 

#8 ONE RED CENT: Dominus gelding defeated maiden claiming foes on the course last time out, but the chestnut has to get a lot faster to challenge this group. The Kentucky-bred must also prove to be capable of running long, and I would be shocked if the two-year-old was in the hunt inside the final furlong.