The son of Constitution responded in the best possible way, earning 20 valuable points on the road to the Kentucky Derby
TAMPA, Florida (Special to Turf Diario) – No colt in history has won the Sam F. Davis Stakes (L-1700m, dirt, US$ 200,000) and gone on to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) after that.
Will John Hancock break that curse? The answer will only come on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs, but no one can deny that the son of Constitution showed more than enough class to win the prep for the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), which was held this past Saturday.
Under the unstoppable duo of jockey Flavien Prat and trainer Brad Cox, the colt responded perfectly to the jump in distance and the change in class, as he was coming off a debut win over 1200 meters and was making his first foray into a higher-level event.
The race came down to an exciting match between the winner and his runner-up, with the most thrilling moment arriving in the final stretch. For a moment, it seemed as though Owen Almighty might have a chance to catch his rival on the outside, but John Hancock came back on the inside, pulling away in the final 100 meters to win by half a length.
A further 2 1/4 lengths behind, Poster (Munnings) finished third, rallying late after struggling for much of the race, and showing that in his next start, and over a longer distance, he could be a tougher opponent for anyone who tries to hold him off.
Owned by China Horse Club in partnership with WinStar Farm LLL, which is also his breeder, John Hancock earned 20 valuable points on the road to the Triple Crown opener, a goal he is undoubtedly targeting as a rising star.
“It was his first time facing winners, it was the second start of his life, and it was his first time going long,” said Coxafter the victory. “It was a lot to ask from a young horse. He took a lot of pressure and stayed on well. I’m very, very impressed with him. He fought off a horse (Owen Almighty) that had multiple starts and was a stakes winner. It was a big, big move forward for him, and I’m very proud of the effort.
“We had a race over this track and broke our maiden on it, but we were a little short on seasoning. Once again, his talent showed up, and it was a very big effort. This is a nice race to win, and the fact that we set a new stakes record on top of it is really nice,” concluded the trainer.
John Hancock, whose time of 1m42s27/100 set a new record for the race, surpassing the 1m42s44/100 set by Flameaway (Scat Daddy) in 2018, is out of Scribbling Sarah, by Freud (Storm Cat), and his third dam, Holy Wish, is a daughter of Argentine champion Lord At War (General).
With a perfect 2-for-2 record, John Hancock took a significant step forward in his campaign, with a probable appearance in the Tampa Bay Derby ahead, as he continues his march toward the ultimate goal.
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