Essential Quality, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile finished in the top spot in the Kentucky Derby Points Standings. (Photo credit: Candice Chavez/Breeders’ Cup/Eclipse Sportswire/CSM).
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is complete and the first jewel of the Triple Crown is now just three weeks away with a field of 20 likely to meet up in Louisville.
Adding his name to the list was Super Stock, who pulled off the upset in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
The Steve Asmussen trainee upset the highly regarded duo of Concert Tour and Caddo River, returning his backers $26.40 and picking up 100 points, placing him third in the final Road to the Kentucky Derby points standings.
The colt had run fourth in the Rebel (G2) in his three-year-old debut. The colt was the runner up in the Street Sense in his final start of 2020 at Churchill Downs. The winner of that race was King Fury, who won the $200,000 Lexington (G3) at Keeneland on Saturday.
Concert Tour was sent off at 1-5 in the Arkansas Derby, and a victory would have put him in position to battle Essential Quality for favoritism in the Kentucky Derby.
Super Stock Wins Arkansas Derby
The colt is currently listed at 7-1 at BUSR in early Kentucky Derby wagering, but except that price to drift up. He does have Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in his corner, but there will be plenty of horseplayers jumping off his bandwagon.
In the Lexington, King Fury was making his first start since a fifth-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs last November. The Ken McPeek trainee made a good late rally to pull off the upset and return $38.40 for the win.
The 20 points places him 27th in the Road to the Kentucky Derby points standings. There figures to be some defections, as the connections of Weyburn, Proxy and Crowded Trade have indicated they are doubtful for the Derby.
“We think a mile and a quarter would be great,” McPeek said. “We’ll look at the opposition. The Preakness (G1) is a great race too. It could be either-or, but it would definitely one or the other.”
King Fury Wins the Lexington
Essential Quality is currently the favorite at 5-2 in early Kentucky Derby wagering at BUSR. The colt is perfect in five starts, winning the Toyota Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland in his last outing. The colt finished first in the Derby points standings with 140.
Rock Your World, winner of the Santa Anita Derby (G1) is the current second choice in early Derby wagering at BUSR at 5-1.
Final Road to the Kentucky Derby Points Standings
| Rank |
Horse |
Points |
Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings |
| 1 |
Essential Quality | 140 |
$1,730,000 |
| 2 |
Hot Rod Charlie | 110 |
$962,000 |
| 3 | Super Stock |
104 | $709,000 |
| 4 |
Like the King | 104 |
$164,500 |
| 5 |
Known Agenda |
102 |
$461,100 |
| 6 |
Rock Your World |
100 |
$510,000 |
| 7 |
Bourbonic |
100 |
$400,000 |
| 8 |
Medina Spirit | 74 |
$290,000 |
| 9 |
Concert Tour |
70 |
$820,000 |
| 10 |
Midnight Bourbon |
66 |
$430,000 |
| 11 |
Weyburn |
60 |
$215,000 |
| 12 |
Mandaloun |
52 |
$270,000 |
| 13 |
Caddo River |
50 |
$320,000 |
| 14 |
Highly Motivated | 50 |
$271,000 |
| 15 |
Helium |
50 |
$255,492 |
| 16 |
Panadol |
40 |
$240,000 |
| 17 |
Soup and Sandwich |
40 |
$161,000 |
| 18 |
Dynamic One |
40 |
$140,000 |
| 19 |
Crowded Trade | 40 |
$135,000 |
| 20 |
Sainthood |
40 |
$47,000 |
| 21 |
Proxy |
36 |
$160,000 |
| 22 |
Rombauer |
34 |
$260,500 |
| 23 |
Hidden Stash |
32 |
$130,000 |
| 24 |
Dream Shake |
30 |
$126,000 |
| 25 |
O Besos |
25 |
$116,000 |
| 26 |
Get Her Number |
20 |
$242,667 |
| 27 |
King Fury |
20 |
$18,800 |
| 28 |
Hozier |
20 |
$200,000 |
| 29 |
Hockey Dad |
20 |
$20,000 |
| 30 |
Keepmeinmind |
18 |
$385,707 |
