Santa Anita: The Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 100-50-20-10) #1 Dortmund (3-5): Deserving heavy chalk just beat a few of these when he ran his record to 5-for-5 in the local GII San Felipe last month and looks like he’s going to be a handful…
Keeneland: The Grade I, $1 million Blue Grass at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 100-50-20-10) #1 Ocho Ocho Ocho (6-1): California invader went undefeated in three starts as a 2-year-old but didn’t run a lick when eight of 10 behind Dortmund and Prospect Park in Santa Anita’s GII San Felipe last month and…
Aqueduct: The Grade I, $1 million Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 100-50-20-10) #1 Tiz Shea D (8-1): Lightly raced runner didn’t disgrace himself in the least when he was second to one of today’s heavyweights El Kabeir in the GIII Gotham in the mud here in March over the inner…
Gulfstream Park: The Grade I, $1 million Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 100-50-20-10) #1 Ami’s Flatter (8-1): If you’re looking for a price alternative to the favorites–and there aren’t too many here–then this is your guy as he added blinkers and Lasix and was a fine second to hotshot Carpe…
Fair Grounds: The Grade II, $750,000 Louisiana Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 100-50-20-10) #1 Stanford (5-1): Pletcher invader has the look of a wise guy horse in a race that seemingly is begging for the fresh new face to come take charge and will likely remind more than a few of…
Sunland Park: The Grade III, $800,000 Sunland Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 50-20-10-5) [Image: 2014 Sunland Derby winner Chitu and jockey Joel Rosario at Santa Anita. Benoit photo] With a boatload of money and 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points up for grabs, the Sunland Derby has become en vogue in recent…
Turfway Park: The Grade III, $550,000 Spiral at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 50-20-10-5) While the Spiral runs the risk of being racing’s version of the Edsel, it did draw a solid field this year with runners from name barns like Amoss, Casse, Maker and Pletcher, so there’s some potential here, no doubt.…
Oaklawn Park: The Grade II, $750,000 Rebel at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 50-20-10-5) #1 The Truth or Else (4-1): Tricky read woke up in a big way when he added Lasix and was second in the local prep, the GIII Southwest last month, and certainly seems as if he’s turned the corner…
Santa Anita: The Grade II, $400,000 San Felipe at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 50-20-10-5) #1 Lord Nelson (4-1): The first of two from Baffert has long been rumored to be a runner and finally showed it last time, when he won the local GII San Vicente last month to secure his first…
Tampa Bay Downs: The Grade II, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 50-20-10-5) #1 Divining Rod (6-1): The wildcard added Lasix, stretched to two turns, and gave one of today’s heavyweights, Ocean Knight, one heck of a tussle in the local prep, the GIII Sam Davis last time, and…
Brooklyn Backstretch 