Welcome to Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, the place we’ll have a look every week at a current winner on the Triple Crown path, often from the Street to the Kentucky Derby schedule from which the racehorses earn factors towards qualifying. The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve will likely be held Might 3, 2025, at Churchill Downs.
This week, we’ll take a better take a look at First Resort, the two ¼-length winner of the $381,250 Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs. The Uncle Mo colt earned his first 10 factors towards qualifying for the 2025 Kentucky Derby with the win and at present ranks seventh on the Street to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Racing Résumé: First Resort dominated his profession debut July 5 at Ellis Park, posting a front-running 3 ½-length victory on a muddy observe. He then set the tempo and pale to second, 3 ½ lengths behind winner Showcase, within the Grade 2 Saratoga Particular Stakes Aug. 10.
Coach Eoin Harty examined him on turf subsequent and he rallied to complete fourth within the Grade 1 bet365 Summer season Stakes at Woodbine. Harty returned First Resort to dust for his fourth begin and the bay colt delivered a breakout efficiency within the Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes.
He pressed the early tempo set by Dapper Moon from second, settling properly beneath Luis Saez behind leisurely fractions earlier than difficult for the lead early on the ultimate flip. First Resort took command coming into the stretch and put the race away by working a last quarter-mile in :23.45 and a last eighth of a mile in :11.95, based on Equibase GPS knowledge.
The tempo was very sluggish within the 1 1/16-mile race, however there isn’t a denying First Resort’s ending fractions had been very sturdy for a two-turn dust race.
“He displayed his versatility right this moment attempting two turns for the primary time,” Harty mentioned. “Initially, I assumed he’d be a little bit farther again however after I noticed the opening quarter I noticed why he was there. He’s a really gifted colt and his mom wasn’t as mentally sound as he appears to be. He was bred to be an excellent one and he actually is.”
Velocity Figures: First Resort earned the very best dust Equibase Velocity Determine (92) of his profession within the Kentucky Jockey Membership – six ticks off the 98 he earned for his Summer season Stakes fourth-place end. Every day Racing Kind’s Beyer Velocity Figures present a extra linear development by 4 races: 73-81-86-88.
Operating Model: First Resort has the pure pace to set the tempo in dash races, which is a pleasant asset to have in a racehorse’s bag, and within the Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes he rated a few size off the tempo by the backstretch earlier than making his transfer. Whereas Harty mentioned he anticipated him to be a bit farther again, given the end result I might anticipate his connections received’t mess with success and can attempt to place him simply in behind the early pace in future races.
Connections: Thoroughbred racing powerhouse Godolphin bred and races First Resort. Godolphin is the operation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the vp and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, who has been concerned in Thoroughbred racing since 1977. Godolphin has swept the final 4 Eclipse Awards as excellent proprietor (2020-2023) and the final three as excellent breeder (2021-2023). Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Steady operation received the Preakness in 2006 with Bernardini and Godolphin netted a traditional win within the 2021 Belmont Stakes Offered by NYRA Bets with Important High quality. Sheikh Mohammed has not received the Kentucky Derby.
Eoin Harty is a fifth-generation horseman whose father, Eddie, received the Grand Nationwide Steeplechase and was an Olympian. Harty went out on his personal in 2000 and has received greater than 650 races, together with the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Tempera. The Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes was his first graded stakes win since taking the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes in 2020 with First Resort’s dam (mom), Honest Maiden.
Luis Saez is the fourth rider in as many begins for First Resort. Saez has ranked within the high 10 by each wins and purse earnings yearly since 2017 and the highest 5 in each classes since 2020. He received the 2021 Belmont Stakes aboard Important High quality and received the Belmont once more in 2024 on Dornoch.
Pedigree Notes: Champion Uncle Mo is the sire (father) of First Resort in addition to 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, 2022 Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal, and a number of Grade 1-winning router Adare Manor amongst many high-quality runners at various distances and on completely different surfaces. Uncle Mo was the main freshman sire of 2015 and has been a high 10 sire yearly since 2020.
Honest Maiden was Grade 1-placed at a mile on turf as a 2-year-old in 2019, overwhelmed by a neck within the Natalma Stakes, and received the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes by 2 ¼ lengths at seven-eighths of a mile on dust in 2020.
Derby Potential: The Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes was solely the seventh U.S. Street to the Kentucky Derby factors race, so it’s very early to make snap judgements. Nonetheless, there are some promising indicators with First Resort. He’s a well-bred homebred from Godolphin with tactical pace and a win on the principle observe going round two turns at Churchill Downs. He additionally completed exceptionally quick within the Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes and seems to be enhancing with expertise and maturity. The runner-up within the Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes, Jonathan’s Method, received the Iroquois Stakes Sept. 14 and completed nicely regardless of some visitors bother within the Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes, so First Resort beat a high quality 2-year-old within the race and appears like a official Kentucky Derby prospect.
