Welcome to Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, the place we’ll have a look every week at a current winner on the Triple Crown path, often from the Street to the Kentucky Derby schedule that gives qualifying factors to the primary leg of the collection. The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve will likely be held Might 3, 2025, at Churchill Downs.
This week, we’ll take a better have a look at Poster, the winner by a nostril of the $250,000 Remsen Stakes Dec. 7 at Aqueduct. The Munnings colt earned his first 10 factors towards qualifying for the 2025 Kentucky Derby with the win and presently ranks eighth on the Street to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Racing Résumé: Poster gained his first two races going one mile on the grass in Kentucky, so the 1 1/8-mile Remsen Stakes Saturday at Aqueduct was difficult on a number of fronts. Coach Eoin Harty and owner-breeder Godolphin shipped him from Kentucky to New York, began him on dust for the primary time in a race, and examined him an additional eighth of a mile in distance.
That could be a lot to throw at a 2-year-old racehorse however Poster proved as much as the duty.
His Remsen win was in no way an ideal race – successful jockey Flavien Prat stated he idled a bit after attending to the entrance early within the stretch – however Poster held on to nip Aviator Gui by a nostril and did so whereas posting his closing quarter-mile in :24.74 and his closing eighth of a mile in :12.60, each high quality closing fractions for a 2-year-old navigating 1 1/8 miles for the primary time in his third begin.
Poster was final early in Remsen and seemed to be climbing a bit leaving the primary flip, however jockey Flavien Prat requested him to choose up the tempo early on the ultimate flip and the colt swept to the entrance getting into the stretch.
“Going into the primary flip, he was struggling a bit to get right into a rhythm, however then as soon as I acquired into the flip he began touring significantly better. I felt very properly going into the final flip and I assumed [Aviator Gui] was sort of caught inside, so I moved to attempt to get the bounce on him,” Prat stated.
“After I turned for dwelling, I figured it was going to be a good distance on my own. He acquired to the eighth pole and began wanting round and felt just like the job was carried out. He regrouped properly when that horse got here.”
Poster is now 3-for-3 with a Grade 2 win at 1 1/8 miles on the dust to his credit score.
Velocity Figures: Poster has improved his Equibase Velocity Determine and Beyer Velocity Determine with every begin. His 97 Equibase Velocity Determine for the Remsen was a four-point enchancment whereas his 84 Beyer Velocity Determine was 15 factors higher than his earlier prime. Neither pace determine jumps off the web page as an indicator of future stardom. Nonetheless, there are only a few 1 1/8-mile races for 2-year-olds on any floor and the tempo within the Remsen was pretty gradual, so maybe the figures aren’t solely consultant of the standard of the efficiency.
Working Type: Poster led from begin to end in his debut at Ellis Park then stalked from third in a 12-horse subject in his second race at Keeneland. He dropped a bit farther again early in his first begin on dust within the Remsen, however as soon as he acquired acclimated to the floor he moved as much as stalking vary and I’d count on him to settle in as a stalker slightly than a better. Poster has some tactical pace at his disposal.
Connections: When you learn final week’s function on First Resort, you’ll be accustomed to proprietor Godolphin and coach Eoin Harty, who’ve now gained back-to-back Grade 2 Kentucky Derby preps with the aforementioned Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes winner and Remsen winner Poster.
Godolphin is the operation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai who has been concerned in Thoroughbred racing since 1977. Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Steady gained the 2006 Preakness with Bernardini and Godolphin earned a traditional win within the 2021 Belmont Stakes Offered by NYRA Bets with Important High quality. Godolphin has swept the final 4 Eclipse Awards as excellent proprietor (2020-2023) and the final three as excellent breeder (2021-2023). Sheikh Mohammed has not gained the Kentucky Derby.
Harty is a fifth-generation horseman who went out on his personal in 2000 and has gained greater than 650 races, together with the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Tempera.
Jockey Flavien Prat is the front-runner to take dwelling the 2024 Eclipse Award as excellent jockey in North America. He set a report within the Remsen along with his 80th stakes win of the yr, surpassing Irad Ortiz Jr.’s earlier report of 79 set in 2022. He additionally tied Corridor of Fame rider Jerry Bailey along with his 55th graded stakes win of the yr. Prat’s marquee wins this yr embody the Longines Breeders’ Cup Traditional on Sierra Leone. Prat has two wins in U.S. traditional races, taking the 2019 Kentucky Derby on Nation Home and the 2021 Preakness aboard Rombauer.
Pedigree Notes: Poster is from the 11th crop of a number of graded stakes-winning sprinter Munnings, by champion sprinter Speightstown. Like his sire, Munnings is able to siring racehorses that thrive navigating longer distances like a number of Grade 1-winning router I’m a Chatterbox, 2021 Woodbine Oaks winner Munnyfor Ro, 2020 Honest Grounds Oaks winner Bonny South, and 2020 Rachel Alexandra Stakes winner Finite. Munnings has standout runners sprinting and on grass as properly, so he’s developed into a flexible sire.
Poster was produced by Pin Up, by influential stamina sire Tapit. Pin Up’s lone win in 4 begins got here at 1 3/16 miles, however extra notable than her racing report is her shut sibling Bernardini, by Tapit’s sire, A.P. Indy. Bernardini gained the 2006 Preakness, Travers Stakes, and Jockey Membership Gold Cup for Sheikh Mohammed. Love and Pleasure, one other very shut relative of Pin Up, gained the Grade 1 Private Ensign Stakes at 1 1/8 miles and the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes at 1 1/16 miles in 2012.
Derby Potential: I favored Poster fairly a bit getting into the Remsen Stakes and he lived as much as my expectations within the race. He completed properly and aced a troublesome take a look at within the Remsen during which he was requested to navigate a number of variables (distance, floor, transport) for the primary time. Whereas many will have a look at his sire and surprise if Poster may need distance limitations, I view Munnings as a plus total, particularly for a colt from a robust household with loads of stamina influences plus Tapit as his dam’s sire. He’s not quick sufficient but, however Poster is on a promising trajectory with important upside. I’m actually wanting to see if he takes a giant step ahead in his second begin on dust, which I believe is a robust attainable final result and would set up Poster as a significant contender for the 2025 Kentucky Derby. I’m a fan!