Santa Anita: The $1 million GI Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau You can also check out Brian’s analysis of the Wood Memorial and the Blue Grass. #1 Instilled Regard (5-1): Fair Grounds’ GIII Lecomte winner was exposed a bit in their GII Risen Star when…
Keeneland: The $1 million GII Blue Grass at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau You can also check out Brian’s analysis of the Wood Memorial and the Santa Anita Derby. #1 Zing Zang (30-1): Deep, deep closer heads north in a last-chance effort to make the Kentucky Derby after failing…
Aqueduct: The $750,000 GII Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau Also check out Brian’s analysis of the Blue Grass and the Santa Anita Derby. #1 Heartfullofstars (20-1): Santa Anita invader was all-out to win a restricted MSW last time after dueling on the lead through fast fractions…
Meydan: The $2 million GII UAE Derby at about 1 3/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10-40-20-10) Like it or not, a race some 7,393 miles away from Churchill Downs could very likely send two horses to the Kentucky Derby, and with Coolmore’s #4 MENDELSSOHN and Godolphin’s #5 GOLD TOWN (GB) having designs on the…
Gulfstream Park: The $1 million GI Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10-40-20-10) #1 Strike Power (4-1): The expected inside speed got caught napping a bit when second in last month’s local prep, the GII Fountain of Youth, when fellow rival Promises Fulfilled broke sharply, was able to get over and…
Sunland Park: The Grade II, $800,000 Sunland Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 50-20-10-5) by Brian Nadeau While this year’s Sunland Derby doesn’t figure to have a lasting impact on the Kentucky Derby, it is an automatic qualifier of sorts, as the winner will be all but guaranteed a spot in the…
Fair Grounds: The $1 million GII Louisiana Derby at 1 1/8 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 10-40-20-10) by Brian Nadeau #1 Bravazo (7-2): Streaking Calumet homebred has turned into a different horse this year for Lukas, as he’s 2-for-2 and enters off an upset win last month in the local prep, the GII Risen Star,…
Oaklawn Park: The Grade II, $900,000 Rebel at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 50-20-10-5 by Brian Nadeau #1 Title Ready (8-1): Price player is the first of three for Asmussen and really impressed in his 3-year-old debut, when he added blinkers and walloped a N1X crew over the track and distance, while far…
Turfway Park: The $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks at 1 1/8 miles (20-8-4-2) by Brian Nadeau While the Polytrack Era has died down in a big way, and the synthetic/turf specialists here probably won’t have a direct impact on this year’s Kentucky Derby, there is an outside chance the winner will qualify with the 20 points…
Santa Anita: The Grade II, $400,000 San Felipe at 1 1/16 miles (Kentucky Derby qualifying points 50-20-10-5) #1 Bolt d’Oro (2-1): The long awaited 3-year-old debut is at hand for this son of Medaglia d’Oro, who was a deserving odds-on favorite when last seen in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar in November but…
Brooklyn Backstretch 