Gulfstream Park: The $400,000 GII Fountain of Youth at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 50-20-10-5) by Brian Nadeau #1 Code of Honor (6-1): Well-regarded son of Noble Mission has some Jekyll and Hyde in him, as he made a lot of friends when second in the GI Champagne at Belmont Park in October,…
Oaklawn Park: The $500,000 Southwest at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) Oaklawn’s path to the Arkansas Derby begins with the pricey Southwest, which figures to be a key launching pad to the local GII Rebel next month. A potentially aggressive pace should aid the chances of California invader #7 SUENO (7-2), a…
Golden Gate Fields: The $100,000 El Camino Real Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau With synthetic racing falling out of favor over the past several years, Northern California’s top Kentucky Derby prep hasn’t been much of a feeding ground to Louisville, though there are still 17 points up…
Fair Grounds: The GII, $400,000 Risen Star at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 50-20-10-5) by Brian Nadeau #1 Plus Que Parfait (10-1): The first of six who exit last month’s local prep, the GIII Lecomte, was a middling fifth in his 3-year-old debut for Walsh, after a 2-year-old campaign that ended with a…
Tampa Bay Downs: The Grade III, $250,000 Sam F. Davis at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau A cast of relative unknowns tries to prove their worth at Tampa, with the local Tampa Bay Derby, as well as the Florida Derby, likely to attract those who run well. Stepping up…
Santa Anita: The $150,000 Robert Lewis at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau A short field kicks off the path to the Santa Anita Derby and it’s favored #5 MUCHO GUSTO (8-5) who looks tough to beat for Baffert off a clear second to stablemate Improbable in the GI Los…
Gulfstream Park: The $350,000 GII Holy Bull at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau #1 Garter and Tie (12-1): Working-class Florida-bred has used his stretch run to pick up some good checks in his career and will get a positive race flow today, too, as he hopes to build off…
Aqueduct: The $250,000 GIII Withers at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau #1 Tax (2-1): The chalk improved open lengths off the Gargan claim and with Lasix added when last seen in a sharp third-place run behind prime Derby contender Maximus Mischief (who runs later in Gulfstream Park’s GII Holy…
Oaklawn Park: The $150,000 Smarty Jones at 1-mile (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 10-4-2-1) by Brian Nadeau Oaklawn Park opens, as does the path to the Arkansas Derby, though this year’s Smarty Jones looks more like a sorting out process than a major Kentucky Derby prep. Two turns is a question mark for #3 SUPER STEED…
Brian Nadeau of Capital OTB and Horseplayer Now returns to take us through the major races on the road to this year’s Triple Crown. He’ll offer analysis and selections of Derby points races, hoping to make us all a little money as we head to the Belmont Stakes. Follow him on Twitter here. Fair Grounds:…
Brooklyn Backstretch 