Class-Dropping Fort Bragg Has Pat Day Mile in Sights

The 3-year-old males in the Kentucky Derby (G1) are not the only horses to make it to Churchill Downs for a dirt stakes race on the first Saturday in May.

Roughly four hours before the Derby, 14 sophomores compete in the $500,000 Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2), a race that serves as a lucrative consolation prize for those horses that fell short of earning sufficient qualifying Derby points. A number of shorter-distance types are also in the one-turn mile dirt race.

Southern California-based trainer Tim Yakteen, who runs Practical Move  and Reincarnate  in the Derby, has a pair of Pat Day Mile entrants in California-bred stakes winner Kangaroo Court  and Fort Bragg , who twice ran fifth in graded stakes in March and April on the Derby Trail.

Fort Bragg, a Tapit   colt who races for SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan, was outrun against some of the Kentucky Derby favorites. He finished 5 1/2 lengths behind stablemate Practical Move in the San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park before losing to Forte  by 9 1/2 lengths when traveling to Gulfstream Park for the Florida Derby (G1).

Away poorly in the latter race, he rushed up to take the lead from post 10 and faded in the 1 1/8-mile contest after a quick opening half-mile in :46.71.

"That was a hell of a move" to take the lead, said Starlight Racing co-founder Jack Wolf.

"I think this distance will suit him better than the Florida Derby distance," he added.

Last year at age 2, Fort Bragg defeated Derby longshot Reincarnate in a maiden race at Santa Anita and ran third behind Practical Move in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), both of which came at 1 1/16 miles. He is 1-1-2 in six overall starts.

Joel Rosario, aboard in the Florida Derby, returns in the irons in Saturday's race, which has a long half-mile run to the turn.

The same ownership starts Bay Shore Stakes (G3) runner-up Gilmore  in the Pat Day Mile with trainer Brendan Walsh. Irad Ortiz Jr. is up. 

George Sharp's Kangaroo Court , drawn on the inside, stretches out after winning the April 8 Echo Eddie Stakes at Santa Anita by a head. He raced 6 1/2 furlongs in the fast-paced Echo Eddie in 1:15.66.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez rides.

Curly Jack , unplaced in two Derby preps this winter and spring at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, is a candidate to improve with a return to Churchill Downs, where he won the Iroquois Stakes (G3) and was a troubled second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2), both last year. He is 12-1 on the morning line.

The favorites in the race are last-out allowance winner Echo Again  at 7-2 and 4-1 General Jim , unraced since winning the Feb. 4 Swale Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Fort Bragg is the third choice on the morning line at 9-2.