Exaggerator Seeks Jackpot Score

Exaggerator (Curlin) headlines a field of 10 sophomores set to line up in Saturday's lucrative $1-million GIII Delta Jackpot. A second-out Del Mar maiden winner in July, he overcame some traffic trouble to annex the GII Saratoga Special S. the following month before a brief freshening. The Keith Desormeaux pupil returned to complete the exacta in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. Oct. 3, and was fourth after a pocket trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Oct. 31. Sunny Ridge (Holy Bull) took Monmouth's one-mile Sapling S. in his first route attempt Sept. 6, and looked like he might pull off the 23-1 upset when leading in the stretch of the GI Champagne S. Oct. 3, only to settle for second behind Greenpointcrusader (Bernardini). Click here for a recent feature on Sunny Ridge and owner/breeder Dennis Drazin. Forevamo (Uncle Mo) broke his maiden the hard way in the local prep for this–the Jean Laffitte S. over one mile of slop Oct. 24. Harlan Punch (Harlan's Holiday) and Texas Jambalaya (Notional) rounded out the exacta and trifecta. Reddam Racing and Doug O'Neill have had a stranglehold on the juvenile division this year, and look to land another big race with Found Money (Square Eddie). The chestnut annexed the Santa Anita Juvenile S. in June, but was fifth behind stablemate and champion elect Nyquist (Uncle Mo) in Del Mar's GII Best Pal S. Aug. 8. He has most recently been seen finishing second behind undefeated Smokey Image (Southern Image) in a pair of restricted Del Mar stakes Sept. 4 and Oct. 30. Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) was green, but very good when he aired by 7 1/4 lengths sprinting at Churchill Nov. 6. Robert LaPenta and Harry Rosenblum bought pieces of the chestnut gelding from owner Southern Springs Stable after that debut for trainer Ron Moquett. Moquett, LaPenta and Rosenblum teamed up to take the GIII Southwest S. this past February with 2014 Delta Jackpot third Far Right (Notional). Memories of Winter (Hard Spun), a grandson of MGISW Memories of Silver (Silver Hawk), slipped through the cracks as just an $8,000 KEESEP yearling, but is two-for-two so far. The Anthony Margotta, Jr. pupil earned his diploma at Monmouth Sept. 7 before stretching out for a 2 1/4-length optional claiming success at Laurel Oct. 9.