Second Euro Road to Derby Race Postponed Due to Weather
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The early leader in the second half of the European Road to the Kentucky Derby is ... "The Beast From the East."
Bitter cold and snow from the aptly named winter storm forced abandonment of all English racing March 1, including the Road to the Kentucky Derby conditions stakes at Kempton, a European Road to the Kentucky Derby points race. The European points races created by Churchill Downs will award one starting spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).
The postponed Kempton race was rescheduled to March 7. Phoenix Thoroughbred's Kentucky-bred Gronkowski was expected to be favored in Thursday's race at Kempton. The previous day's European Derby points event, the Patton Stakes at Dundalk in Ireland, also was abandoned because of the storm. It was rescheduled for March 9.
Among the runners caught up in the scramble is Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) winner Mendelssohn, a Scat Daddy colt trained by Aidan O'Brien. O'Brien earlier identified Triple Crown-nominated Mendelssohn as a likely candidate for the Run for the Roses, but his way forward now is not as obvious.
The Dundalk and Kempton races offer qualifying points on a 20-8-4-2 schedule. The final event in the series, the Burradon conditions stakes at Newcastle March 30, ups the ante for the top four finishers to 30-12-6-3.
Another option would be the March 31 UAE Derby Sponsored by the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2) at Meydan Racecourse, as part of the North American Road to the Kentucky Derby points series that includes the major U.S. prep races. Mendelssohn is nominated to the UAE Derby.
After the Patton was postponed, Mendelssohn was considered for the 32Red Spring Cup Stakes March 3 at Lingfiled, but he's not among the final entries for that race.
The European series started with four turf races in the fall, but none of the points-earners from those races appears poised to move to all-weather or dirt surfaces to pursue a trip to Louisville.