Final Gambit In a Starring Role in Matt Winn

[Wandering Eyes]

One of the pieces to the handicapping puzzle that was this year's GI Kentucky Derby was just how Juddmonte Farm's Final Gambit (Not This Time) would handle a conventional dirt surface, having raced only on turf and synthetic tracks in his four starts prior to that.

The homebred had punched his ticket to the Run for the Roses when exploding through the lane to dominate the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks Mar. 22, and he answered the surface question when making up a stack of ground–albeit behind a strong tempo–to round out the superfecta while finishing just over four lengths behind Sovereignty (Into Mischief). A 17-1 chance five weeks and a day ago, Final Gambit will be a fraction of that price against a maximum of six rivals in Sunday's GIII Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs. The rail-drawn Gaming (Game Winner) will scratch in favor of Sunday's Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert told the TDN's Sue Finley on Saturday.

“He came out of the Derby in really good shape and we were proud of his effort that day,” trainer Brad Cox told the Churchill Downs media office. “We targeted this race to give him another opportunity on dirt without shipping somewhere. He worked three times since the Derby and I thought each one was solid leading into this race.”

Cox said Saturday that Flavien Prat is scheduled to retain the mount despite being named on horses in the postponed GI Manhattan Stakes and GI Jaipur Stakes.

Final Gambit is joined in the field by four other Derby alumnus, including 'TDN Rising Star' East Avenue (Medaglia d'Oro). Eighth after failing to find the front on Derby Day, the Godolphin homebred figures to have an easier time getting to the lead from the outside gate on Sunday in a field void of early speed.

Burnham Square (Liam's Map) was up on the wire to defeat East Avenue in the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on Apr. 8 and turned in a mostly even effort in the Derby, enduring a bit of bumper cars a half-mile from home before passing tiring rivals into sixth.

Coal Battle (Coal Front), upset winner of the GII Rebel Stakes, was a mid-pack 11th in the Derby, while Chunk of Gold (Preservationist), a longshot second in the GII Risen Star Stakes and GII Louisiana Derby, exits a ninth.

The Matt Winn sextet is completed by Just a Fair Shake (Laoban), the distant runner-up to Belmont Stakes participant Crudo (Justify) in the May 17 Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico.

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