Oaklawn Park: The GI, $1 million Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) #1 Improbable (8-5): The favorite was run down late by fellow rival Long Range Toddy in his return in the slower (by only .07) split division of the local prep, the GII Rebel last month, and will be…
New Yorker Mike Repole arrived at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, April 6, with an entourage of 50 friends and family members. He had horses entered in each of the last five races, four of them in stakes. Standing in the winner’s circle after Life’s a Parlay, co-owned by Repole and St. Elias Stable, won the Grade 3 Excelsior,…
Tacitus may be named for a Roman historian that one encyclopedia calls “the greatest prose stylists who ever wrote in the Latin language,” but it took more grit and guts than elegance to win the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack. Breaking from post 2 under José Ortiz, Tacitus was one of many horses…
Santa Anita: The GI, $1 million Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau #1 Roadster (5-2): The first of two from Baffert looked good winning his comeback here last month, when he settled just off the early pace in an optional-claimer and drew off late, in what…
Keeneland: The GII, $1 million Blue Grass at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) #1 Somelikeithotbrown (10-1): Turf/Poly specialist has been a terror for Maker since a no-show debut sprinting in the slop at Saratoga and will now try to take his graded stakes form to real stuff in the hopes of qualifying…
Aqueduct: The GII, $750,000 Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau #1 Tax (9-2): The 3-year-old version of Rodney Dangerfield has gotten little respect on the Triple Crown Trail this year but has done nothing but impress—and run fast—in his two starts since being claimed by Gargan, which…
Gulfstream Park: The GI, $1 million Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) #1 Hidden Scroll (5-2): The most polarizing horse in training seems to have as many lovers as he does non-believers after he flew on the lead when he tried two turns in the local GII Fountain of Youth…
Sunland Park: The GIII $800,000 Sunland Park Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 50-20-10-5) by Brian Nadeau #1 Mucho Gusto (8-5): Deserving heavy favorite will take all the beating for Baffert off a dominant win in the sloppy GIII Robert Lewis in early February at Santa Anita, while showing a newfound rating…
Fair Grounds: The GII, $1 million Louisiana Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau #1 Roiland (12-1): Deep, deep closer passed some stragglers late in both the local GIII Lecomte and GII Risen Star, when he was third behind today’s heavy favorite War of Will, and is one of…
Oaklawn Park: The $750,000,000 GII Rebel (Division 2) at 1 1/16 (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: (37.5-15-7.5-4) #1 Market King (30-1): Lukas speedster figures to take these as far as he can on the engine, as he stretches out off a close third in a local 6F optional-claimer, and a race removed from pressing and holding…
Brooklyn Backstretch 