The Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Tipsheet

A cast of nine 2-year-old prospects will travel 1 1/16 miles on the Churchill Downs dirt in Saturday’s $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). The 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby event will reward the top four finishers with qualifying points on a 10-4-2-1 basis towards the Run for the Roses on May 1.

Jockey Club Picks

• #1 Sittin On Go
• #5 Inspector Frost
• #2 Swill
• #4 Keepmeinmind

Jockey Club Wagers

• $10 Exacta 1 with 2,4,5
• $1 Superfecta 1 with 2,4,5 with 2,4,5 with all

Jockey Club Contenders

#1 SITTIN ON GO is one of three in the field for conditioner Dale Romans. The Kentucky-bred son of Brody’s Cause took the first two starts of his career in sharp fashion, led by a going-away victory in the Iroquois (G3) on this oval. Chestnut colt will save ground throughout with Corey Lanerie in the silks.

#1A SMILEY SOBOTKA powered home an impressive maiden winner at Keeneland when going two turns in his second lifetime showing for Romans. $185,000 yearling purchase overcame a wide post in that tally, and he comes in fresh with six solid local drills at Churchill in preparation of his stakes debut on Saturday. The Ontario-bred will stalk the pace from the outset.

#2 SWILL was last seen driving home a wire-to-wire winner on the oval going seven-eighths on Sept. 24. The Brad Cox trainee has trained in swift fashion in the interim, and the $265,000 son of Munnings could be the pacesetter from his rail post. Florent Geroux retains the mount atop the March foal.

#3 ARABIAN PRINCE has run two solid races to kick start his career for conditioner Dallas Stewart. The $235,000 son of Mshawish broke his maiden on this surface prior to running an even fourth in the subsequent Street Sense S. The dark bay colt will benefit from a fast early tempo with Gaffalione in the stirrups.

#4 KEEPMEINMIND has registered a trio of fine off-the-pace performances to date for trainer Robertino Diodoro. The Laoban colt was second on debut over this course prior to placing in both the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). The bay has improved in each showing and could be the one under David Cohen.

#5 INSPECTOR FROST is the second of two from the Brad Cox shedrow. Frosted homebred was sharp in victory in his second appearance, and distance will surely aid the developing colt going forward. The gray has good early pace and is training like a horse sitting on a big race as well. John Velazquez inherits the mount atop the Godolphin color bearer.

#6 ONCOMING TRAIN checked in third in the Street Sense when making his stakes debut for DiVito. Capable son of Mineshaft has flashed potential in each of his pair of races to this stage of his development, and he could be a factor with another move in the right direction.

#7 KING FURY ran the best race of his life when annexing the Street Sense here for McPeek. The $950,000 Curlin colt showed little in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile most recently, but he is 2-for-2 beneath the Twin Spires, and he will also wear blinkers for the initial time on Saturday. Brian Hernandez Jr. will be in the silks.

#8 ULTIMATE BADGER has shown steady improvement this season for Romans, which includes a game allowance victory at Churchill Downs last time out. The son of Commissioner will need another step forward to challenge this field late, but he rates a top-four chance for sure under Talamo.