The fields for the 14 races that comprise the Breeders’ Cup World Championships actually start to come back into focus in summer time and fall. This common function will supply a snapshot profile of one of many earlier weekend’s standout stars, often a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Problem Sequence winner, and whether or not I’m shopping for or promoting their probabilities to win Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar. This week, $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes winner Kingsbarns earned the best to kick off the collection for 2024.
Accomplishments: Kingsbarns gained three of 5 begins in 2023 as a 3-year-old, together with a breakout front-running win within the $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. He dueled for the lead within the Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve in his subsequent begin however pale to 14th in what’s the solely unplaced end of his profession so far. In actual fact, aside from the Kentucky Derby, Kingsbarns has by no means completed worse than second in 9 races.
The bay Uncle Mo colt out of the Grade 3-placed Tapit mare Girl Tapit has emerged as a power within the older male division this 12 months at age 4 with three wins in 4 begins for Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher, together with the $300,000 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland in April and his 2 ½-length rating over Pyrenees within the Foster at Churchill Downs.
Kingsbarns rebounded within the Stephen Foster from his first defeat of the 12 months – a second to Pyrenees within the $250,000 Pimlico Particular Stakes at Pimlico – with a victory from off the tempo below Luis Saez at 9.95-to-1 odds you almost certainly gained’t see once more any time quickly. He earned a fees-paid berth within the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional Nov. 2 at Del Mar with the victory.
Kingsbarns was a devoted pacesetter/pace-presser as a 3-year-old however has matured right into a racehorse snug close to the lead or rallying from off the tempo, which has helped make him a rising star for proprietor Spendthrift Farm.
“We’re extraordinarily pleased with this horse’s effort and for all the workforce behind him,” Pletcher mentioned. “Clearly profitable a Grade 1 is an incredible accomplishment. I believe we’ve seen this 12 months he’s been in a position to settle higher than when he was a 3-year-old and present that new dimension.”
Pace Figures: In 4 begins this 12 months, Kingsbarns has earned Equibase Pace Figures between 103 and 112, with the best determine a brand new four-point high for his Stephen Foster victory. Likewise, Kingsbarns earned a brand new career-best 100 Beyer Pace Determine for the Stephen Foster win with a spread of 92 to 100 in 4 races this 12 months.
Trying Forward: Kingsbarns seems to be a 4-year-old on the rise with improved maturity and ascending velocity figures for a coach with 15 profession Breeders’ Cup victories, together with the 2019 Longines Traditional with Vino Rosso.
Kingsbarns may be very possible a candidate for lots of the main older male races this summer time and fall main as much as the World Championships, relying upon how he comes out of the Stephen Foster win and what his connections view as an excellent roadmap to the 2024 Traditional. Pletcher outlined one potential state of affairs to David Grening of Every day Racing Kind that would come with a begin within the $1 million, 1 ¼-mile Jockey Membership Gold Cup Stakes Sept. 1 at Saratoga as a prep for the Traditional with the aim maintaining Kingsbarns recent for fall.
No matter the place he winds up operating subsequent, Kingsbarns seems like a reputable menace to win the Breeders’ Cup Traditional. I’m enthusiastically shopping for Kingsbarns inventory.
