McCraken One to Beat in Kentucky Jockey Club

Horsemen never like to look too far into the future. 

So as much as trainer Ian Wilkes appreciates Janis Whitham's rising star McCraken being tabbed as the one to beat in the Nov. 26 $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs, he is the first to point out his charge is hardly part of a one-horse race.

"It may appear that way but they still have to run the race," Wilkes said. "Whether there are 10 or 12 horses in the starting gate, they still have to run. He's a nice colt, but you still got to break good, get a good trip. He always has worked well, always showed that he had a lot of talent, but how good he is you never know until you put him in that starting gate."

Eleven challengers are expected to provide a latest litmus test on McCraken's quality in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, one of two graded stakes on Churchill's "Stars of Tomorrow II" card.

Having to temper one's enthusiasm is a good problem to have, and McCraken has forced that issue with buzz-worthy victories in his first two starts.

Deemed the 7-2 morning-line favorite for his latest test, the son of Ghostzapper   put himself on the radar with his 2 1/2-length victory in his Oct. 2 maiden outing at Churchill Downs and created even more talk when he wheeled back 28 days later to win the one-mile Street Sense Stakes, rallying from next-to-last in the nine-horse field to score a 3 3/4-length triumph. 

Out of the Seeking the Gold mare Ivory Empress, McCraken has bloodlines and a turn of foot that suggests the stretch out beyond eight furlongs and to two turns for the first time will not be an issue. Raw talent is also something Wilkes knows the bay colt has plenty to draw upon. 

"He's always showed how talented he is but you just never know until they start racing," Wilkes said. "One race at a time, it's a long way to go and anything can happen. We haven't won the Jockey Club yet. Everyone seems to be handing it to him but he hasn't won it yet. He's got to go out and do it and go out and earn it. There are a lot of good 2-year-olds out there right now. You can't let yourself get too far ahead."

Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas has never been afraid to think big with his babies, and brings fan-favorite and 8-1 morning line shot Warrior's Club into the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes off a victory in the Oct. 30 Spendthrift Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs—his first win in six career starts. The Warrior's Reward colt is owned by 200 members of the Churchill Downs Racing Club.

"I think that his best races are probably still in front of him," Lukas said. "He continues every week to get us a little bit higher on him. It's amazing to think that we bought different horses in the sale and now the Racing Club horse is catching all the attention in the barn but that's great because we're making a lot more people happy than we had anticipated."

Calumet Farm’s Wild Shot, the 4-1 second choice, will bid for his first graded stakes victory following a strong third-place run behind Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Classic Empire in the Oct. 8 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I).