Airoforce Tries Dirt in Kentucky Jockey Club

Airoforce is one of two graded stakes winners and the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs.

Raced by the power duo of owner John Oxley and trainer Mark Casse, Airoforce comes into the race off a second by a neck in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) to European challenger Hit It a Bomb. The son of Colonel John  —Chocolate Pop, by Cuvee, will be making his first start on dirt in the Kentucky Jockey Club but his pedigree indicates that is unlikely to be hindrance. Colonel John is a multiple grade I winner on dirt, having won the CashCall Futurity at 2 and the Santa Anita Derby and the Travers Stakes at 3. At 4, Colonel John also won the Wickerr Stakes on the Del Mar turf course.

Airoforce, bred in Kentucky by Stewart Madison, has won twice in three starts. After breaking his maiden by 3 1/4 lengths, he won the 1 1/16-mile Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland in early October. He will be ridden by Julien Leparoux, who has been aboard for every start.

The other graded stakes winner in the full field of 14 is Godolphin Racing's Annual Report. The son of Harlan's Holiday is undefeated in two starts, having won the grade II Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park Oct. 17 in his last outing.

While Annual Report has not raced over six furlongs, pedigree again seems to indicate the longer distance won't be a problem. Harlan's Holiday won the grade I Florida Derby and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, and the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. III), all at 1 1/8 miles. His dam Pension, by Seeking the Gold, has also produced stakes-placed Flores Island, who won twice at a mile and finished a close second in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Racing Media Stakes . 

Annual Report is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin and will be ridden by Joe Bravo.

Other contenders who have won stakes or fared well in graded stakes include Rated R Superstar, who finished second in the 1 1/16-mile  Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill and third in the grade I Breeders' Futurity Stakes at Keeneland; Mo Tom, by leading juvenile sire Uncle Mo   and winner of the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs Nov. 1; and, multiple stakes winner Derby Express, who has won four times in six starts, including consecutive wins in the Crown Ambassador Stakes and the Indiana Futurity at Indiana Grand Race Course.

The Kentucky Jockey Club is worth 10-4-2-1 points to the top four finishers on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby," as runners begin to climb the standings in search of a place in the starting gate for the 2016 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).