Four weeks removed from a disappointing effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar, Rigney Racing's Jonathan's Way is back home and ready to run in the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs Nov. 30.
The Juvenile was turned upside down when favored East Avenue stumbled badly at the break and did not take up position among the pacesetters, allowing Citizen Bull to lead every step of the way.
"You have a plan going in and then when the gates open, how you figured the race would develop was not complete," trainer Phil Bauer said of Jonathan Way's seventh-place effort. "I think (jockey) Joel (Rosario) was maybe wondering where (East Avenue) was. Then going into the turn you either send through horses or just let him rate. I just think the horse didn't cooperate as well as hoped and maybe it was a little overwhelming mentally for him."
Video: FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1)
Returning to Churchill Downs with no plans in mind for the Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner's next start, the Kentucky Jockey Club came on Bauer's radar simply due to how much energy the Vekoma colt displayed.
"We gave him a couple easy days to jog and he was sky-leaping and showing really high-level energy," Bauer said. "We just started marching toward (the Kentucky Jockey Club) and said if he takes us there, we'll run."
Jonathan's Way hit the work tab twice after the Breeders' Cup, including a Nov. 16 five-furlong bullet in :58 4/5. It was the fastest of 76 workers at the distance that day despite being designed as an educational breeze behind horses.
"We tried to polish him off since (the Breeders' Cup)," Bauer said. "We tried to educate him a little more with his first breeze back behind horses and was happy with the way he handled it. I think the horse has moved forward mentally from the race and I think on paper is the best horse in it."
Contenders Look to Add to Derby Point Totals
Victory will be no easy feat as nine challengers line up beside him with qualifying points up for grabs on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The top five finishers will earn points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale. Including Jonathan's Way, four of Saturday's contenders already have points on their résumé.
One of those is Gold Square's Filoso for trainer Chad Summers. Following his Saratoga Race Course maiden victory in August, the City of Light colt showed an impressive turn of foot closing from eighth at the top of Keeneland's short stretch to finish third in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 5.
Winchell Thoroughbreds, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith's Tiztastic is the highest earner in the field, having banked $781,000 through four starts for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. A stakes winner on turf at Kentucky Downs, he returned to dirt in the Oct. 27 Street Sense Stakes (G3), prevailing in a three-horse battle for second five lengths behind Sovereignty.
Caught late by Tiztastic and finishing fourth was Valene Farms' Dapper Moon, who was also fourth in the Breeders' Futurity.
"He ran a great race against some good horses. We got beat a neck for second," trainer Dallas Stewart said of Dapper Moon's Street Sense. "It looks like he's improving and maintaining. We'll give him another shot."
Stewart also entered Redacted, who finished second by 4 1/2 lengths in his only race, over 7 furlongs at Churchill Downs Nov. 14. Stewart said the Honor Code colt's owners and breeders, Stacy and Rob Mitchell of Briland Farm, wanted to take a shot and that Redacted's bullet Nov. 25 half-mile breeze in :47 was "phenomenal."
"It's a big ask. We want to get him stretched out," Stewart said. "We're just going to take a shot and see how he fits with these kinds of horses, just looking down the road with him. I can guarantee this: he's a very nice horse. He could get a piece of it and that would be very satisfying and gratifying."
Asmussen and Stewart don't need to worry about Sovereignty this time, but there is another Godolphin homebred in the mix. Trained by Eoin Harty, First Resort was fourth on turf in the Sept. 14 Summer Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine in his last start. Prior to that on dirt, he was runner-up in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) in August.
Also returning to dirt is Mrs. Fitri Hay's Clock Tower, who will likely show some early foot after setting the pace and finishing third in the Oct. 6 Bourbon Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland.
Rounding out the field are Grey Stakes (G3) winner He's Not Joking and last-out maiden victors Sonic Skidaddle and Render Judgment.
Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 30, 2024, Race 11Entries: Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 He's Not Joking (KY) Florent Geroux 122 Josie Carroll - 2 Jonathan's Way (OH) Joel Rosario 122 Philip A. Bauer - 3 Tiztastic (KY) Cristian A. Torres 122 Steven M. Asmussen - 4 Dapper Moon (LA) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 122 Dallas Stewart - 5 Filoso (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Chad Summers - 6 Clock Tower (KY) Gerardo Corrales 122 Wesley A. Ward - 7 Sonic Skidaddle (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Brendan P. Walsh - 8 First Resort (KY) Luis Saez 122 Eoin G. Harty - 9 Render Judgment (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 122 Kenneth G. McPeek - 10 Redacted (KY) Edgar Morales 122 Dallas Stewart -
