Kevin Blake has put James J Braddock in third place in his Derby 1-2-3 for Saturday’s race at Epsom, with Benvenuto Cellini first and Christmas Day second. The selection matters because Blake is not just talking up a runner from the outside; he is also a co-owner of the horse he has placed behind the other two in the £2 million Classic.
That makes the pick searchable now. The Derby is on Saturday, and Blake’s call comes on the back of a well-timed run of judgment last year, when he pointed viewers to an 8,000-1 tricast that landed with Lambourn, Lady Griff and Tennessee Stud. Lambourn led from start to finish, and the tricast paid £8,294.72, while the trifecta returned £3,431.20. For anyone looking at Blake’s latest view, that record is part of the reason it carries weight.
Blake said James J Braddock has attracted good will and added that the horse “fits the bill a little bit.” He said the runner, named after the boxer who was world heavyweight champion between 1935 and 1937, has shown enough to warrant respect after defeating Aidan O’Brien contender Pierre Bonnard last time out to earn a start. Blake placed him at number three, but he still sounded confident that improvement can come from professionalism and from the step up in trip.
There is another layer to the story that sits just beneath the selection. Blake said a woman in America emailed Joseph O’Brien’s office a few weeks ago to say her husband was James J Braddock’s grandson. The woman, Beverly O’Brien Braddock, was identified by Blake by her first name and maiden name, and the message underlined how the horse’s name has reached beyond the racecourse. It is an unusual touch for a Derby runner, and it helps explain why James J Braddock has become more than just another outsider in the field.
Blake’s confidence, though, stops short of making the horse his top choice. His own co-owned runner is only third in the order, behind Christmas Day and Benvenuto Cellini, which is the sort of detail that cuts against any simple sales pitch. He called Benvenuto Cellini the best bred Derby winner in his mind, said the colt was “absolutely brilliant at Chester,” and added that he should relish the Derby test if the rain stays away. For James J Braddock, the question is whether a 10-1 shot can keep improving fast enough over the distance to justify the faith from one of his owners. Saturday will give the answer.
