The final Road to the Kentucky Derby series event of 2019, Sunday’s $400,000 Remington Springboard Mile will feature a solid field of 12 soon-to-be sophomores competing over a mile distance. Steve Amussen has won the qualifier a record six times, including with Long Range Toddy last year, and will send out a formidable trio in Shoplifted, Rowdy Yates and Jungle Runner.
The Springboard Mile offers points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers toward a berth in a 20-horse Kentucky Derby field. Asmussen has already secured his 15th trainer title at Remington Park this meet.
Runner-up in the Hopeful (G1), Shoplifted was last seen finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita. An $800,000 tw-year-old purchase by Into Mischief, the bay colt will have go-to rider Ricardo Santana Jr. up.
Ellis Park Juvenile winner Rowdy Yates was sent to Remington following a fifth in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs, and the Oklahoma-bred colt exits a pair of convincing wins over restricted stakes foes. Richard Eramia has the call on the son of Morning Line.
Jungle Runner has reeled off two straight locally, breaking his maiden by daylight before recording a 1 ¼-length decision in the seven-furlong Clever Trevor on November 1. Ramon Vasquez rides the Calumet Farm homebred son of Candy Ride.
Answer In, who missed by a nose to subsequent stakes winner South Bend when making his career debut in mid-September, steps up to face stakes rivals for Brad Cox off an impressive 5 ¼-length maiden score at Churchill Downs on October 27. The Dialed In colt has attracted the services of Javier Castellano after registering an excellent 96 BRIS Speed rating.
Embolden, who exits a pair of consecutive turf stakes placings in New York, will switch surfaces for Michael Stidham. Maximiliano invades for Wesley Ward off a nice tally in a deep maiden race at Keeneland. The Bret Calhoun-trained Alternate Time will receive a class check after opening his career with maiden and entry-level allowance wins at Remington.
