Rules
Get ready, everyone! I would like to invite you all to join us in the eighth Unlocking Winners "Road to the Kentucky Derby" informal handicapping challenge!
Starting on Feb. 8 and continuing until Feb. 11 at 1:00 p.m. ET, players may choose a stable of six horses (plus one jockey and one trainer) that will earn points based on their performances in a series of official Kentucky Derby prep races (the list of races is available here; only races held from Feb. 11 onward will be counted in the contest.) Points will be awarded to the top five finishers in each race, in accordance with the number of points each horse officially earns on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, and European Road to the Kentucky Derby.
For example, if a player chooses Forte for their stable and he goes on to win the Florida Derby (G1), that player will earn 100 points, but if Forte were to instead win a race like the Fountain of Youth S. (G2), they would only earn 50 points. Trainer and jockey points will be awarded only if the trainer or jockey in question wins a race and not if they finish second, third, or fourth; 10 points will be awarded for each prep race that a trainer or jockey wins, regardless of the actual points available in the race, while 50 points will be awarded if your jockey or trainer wins the Kentucky Derby.
Also, each week, players will be able to designate one of their horses as a "prime" horse, allowing them to earn double points. For example, if a player were to designate Forte as their prime horse on the week of the Florida Derby and Forte won the race, that player would earn 200 points, double the standard 100 points. Designating a prime horse each week will not be a requirement, but it will add a bit of additional intrigue to the contest, and give players a chance to gain extra points if they think one of their horses is ready to run a big race. To designate your prime horse each week, simply leave a comment on this page with the name of your prime horse and the race in which they are running.
Players will get a chance to add two additional horses to their stables starting on Mar. 12 and ending on Mar. 24. The contest will culminate with the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 6, which will offer points on a 200-80-60-40-20 basis to the top five finishers. Whoever accumulates the most points by the end of the contest wins bragging rights as the Unlocking Winners Kentucky Derby Handicapper of the Year! :)
All contest entries, stable additions, and prime horses must be posted on this contest page; any contest entries, stable additions, and prime horses posted on other pages or blog posts will not be accepted. In addition, players will only be allowed to join the contest during the initial joining period from Feb. 8 through Feb. 11 at 1:00 p.m. ET; any entries submitted after this time will not be accepted. Finally, once your stable has been posted, no changes will be accepted regardless of whether you submit the change before the deadline for entries closes.
To simplify the scoring process, please do not post anything except contest entries, stable additions, and prime horses in the comments on this page.
Good luck to all!
Contest Entries
A Calypso
Arabian Knight
Dubyuhnell
Forte
Giant Mischief
Red Route One
Tapit Trice
Practical Move
Two Eagles River
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Akita Girl
Blazing Sevens
Disarm
Gun Pilot
Practical Move
Red Route One
Tapit's Conquest
Raise Cain
Skinner
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Aluminaut
Arabian Knight
Dubyuhnell
Genius Jimmy
Instant Coffee
Mage
Practical Move
Forte
Reincarnate
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Jockey: Juan Hernandez
Arliss
Hejazi
Instant Coffee
Slip Mahoney
Tapit Trice
Verifying
Victory Formation
Hit Show
Forte
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Luis Saez
Betty S
Arabian Knight
Forte
Instant Coffee
Rocket Can
Tapit Trice
Victory Formation
Reincarnate
Geaux Rocket Ride
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Curlin08
Arabian knight
Blazing Sevens
Dubyuhnell
Forte
Instant Coffee
Tapit Trice
Practical Move
Hit Show
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Luis Saez
Discopartner
Forte
Giant Mischief
Instant Coffee
Major Dude
Reincarnate
Tapit Trice
Practical Move
Slip Mahoney
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
dust commander5
Dubyuhnell
Crupi
Forte
Mage
Litigate
Blazing Sevens
Congruent
Two Phil's
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Footlick
Banishing
Confidence Game
Disarm
Equivoque
Rocket Can
Tapit Trice
Geaux Rocket Ride
Kingsbarns
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr
Fortune Pending
Arabian Knight
Arctic Arrogance
Champion's Dream
Forte
Geaux Rocket Ride
Victory Formation
Practical Move
Reincarnate
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Just Horsin' Around
Arabian Knight
Red Route One
Verifying
Victory Formation
Forte
Giant Mischief
Slip Mahoney
Practical Move
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Kathy Weightman
Disarm
Dubyuhnell
Gun Pilot
Instant Coffee
Practical Move
Tapit Trice
Forte
Hit Show
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Keelerman
Dubyuhnell
Forte
Slip Mahoney
Tapit Trice
Verifying
Victory Formation
Jace's Road
Practical Move
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Trainer: Brad Cox
Kyri Freeman
Arabian Knight
Forte
Kingsbarns
Shopper's Revenge
Tapit Trice
Verifying
Practical Move
Slip Mahoney
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Lady Ann
Arctic Arrogance
Forte
Practical Move
Shadow Dragon
Tapit Trice
Verifying
Angel of Empire
Kingsbarns
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
latenite
Forte
Red Route One
Slip Mahoney
Tapit Trice
Verifying
Victory Formation
Geaux Rocket Ride
Kingsbarns
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Luis Saez
MaryY
Arabian Knight
Carmel Road
Dubyuhnell
Forte
Instant Coffee
Talladega
Cyclone Mischief
Verifying
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Matthew W
Blazing Sevens
Forte
Instant Coffee
National Treasure
Practical Move
Tapit Trice
Skinner
I Don't Get It
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Melanie Thompson
Banishing
Faustin
Red Route One
Victory Formation
Rocket Can
Blazing Sevens
Instant Coffee
Practical Move
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Flavian Prat
mlaw21
Blazing Sevens
Disarm
Dubyuhnell
Forte
Instant Coffee
Tapit Trice
Practical Move
Hit Show
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
mz64
Blazing Sevens
Equivoque
Gun Pilot
Moon Landing
Shadow Dragon
Tapit Trice
Kingsbarns
Geaux Rocket Ride
Patti Pulkowski
Arctic Arrogance
Faustin
Reincarnate
Rocket Can
Shopper's Revenge
Tapit Trice
Forte
Hit Show
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Pedigree Ann
Blazing Sevens
Disarm
Forte
Practical Move
Red Route One
Rocket Can
Congruent
Hit Show
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ortiz Jose
predict
Champions Dream
General Jim
Gun Pilot
Practical Move
Tapit Trice
Verifying
Forte
Interlock Empire
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Luis Saez
Ranagulzion
Banishing
Capture The Flag
Forte
Instant Coffee
Post Time
Wildatlanticstorm
Tapit Trice
Practical Move
Trainer: Shug McGaughey
Jockey: Luis Saez
Riskaverse
Arabian Knight
First Defender
General Jim
Gun Pilot
Practical Move
Tapit Trice
Kingsbarns
Reincarnate
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Saratoga Turf Monster
Banishing
Dubyuhnell
First Defender
Forte
Tapit Trice
Victory Formation
Geaux Rocket Ride
Shopper's Revenge
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
shelmarka
Forte
Arabian Knight
Instant Coffee
Disarm
Hit Show
Verifying
Practical Move
Tapit Trice
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
SR Vegas
Dubyuhnell
Forte
Hit Show
Instant Coffee
Practical Move
Victory Formation
Tall Boy
Angel of Empire
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Standby Painter
Arabian Knight
Blazing Sevens
Instant Coffee
National Treasure
Tapit Trice
Verifying
Forte
Practical Move
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Luis Saez
suzbiscuit
Arctic Arrogance
Blazing Sevens
Forte
Prairie Hawk
Red Route One
Tapit Trice
Practical Move
Rocket Can
thedragonlady59
Dubyuhnell
Forte
Reincarnate
Rocket Can
Tapit Trice
Victory Formation
Major Dude
Kingsbarns
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Luis Saez
The U
Blazing Sevens
Disarm
Forte
Instant Coffee
Practical Move
Tapit Trice
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Thomas McDonald
Tapit Trice
Verifying
Tapit's Conquest
Disarm
Giant Mischief
Forte
Skinner
Hit Show
Jockey: Luis Saez
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Thunderbolt
Forte
Hit Show
Jungfrau
Major Dude
Practical Move
Verifying
Tapit Trice
Instant Coffee
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz
Tomskid
Arctic Arrogance
Blazing Sevens
Confidence Game
Funtastic Again
Gulfport
Tapit Trice
Henry Q
Single Ruler
Jockey: Luis Saez
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
trackjack
Arabian Knight
Forte
Giant Mischief
Reincarnate
Tapit Trice
Victory Formation
Hit Show
Practical Move
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Van Berg
Forte
Gun Pilot
Instant Coffee
Red Route One
Tapit Twice
Victory Formation
Practical Move
Raise Cain
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: L. Saez
Van Horn
Arabian Knight
Disarm
Dubyuhnell
Faustin
National Treasure
Red Route One
Forte
Practical Move
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: John Velazquez
