Major Kentucky Derby preps continue across country
If history has taught us anything about the Kentucky Derby, it’s that the entries at Churchill Downs can be tweaked by post time Derby Day.
Rich Strike, the 80-1 Derby winner last year, earned a spot in the field on Derby Eve after Oaklawn-raced Ethereal Road was scratched. A onetime winner, that of a one-turn mile at the host track, trainer Eric Reed’s unlikely hero blew up the toteboard, so to speak, with a rail charge off a hyperactive pace. His name is listed along with Secretariat and the 148 other race winners, no matter how famous or obscure.
The last three 200-point Derby preps (100 to the winner) are today, a week after the Grade 1 $1.25 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
From east to west is the Grade 2 $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York, the Grade 1 $1 million Blue Grass at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, and the Grade 1 $750,000 Santa Anita Derby in Arcadia, California. All are a mile and an eighth with the May 6 Kentucky Derby at a mile and a quarter. Because of the time difference, the Blue Grass is first (4:15 p.m.) with 11 entered. Oaklawn-raced winner Verifying, trained by Brad Cox, is the early 3-1 second choice from post three with Tyler Gaffalione aboard. The Justify colt won his seasonal debut Jan. 14 and was fourth in the roughly-run Grade 2 Rebel Feb. 25 in the slop. A Saratoga debut winner, Verifying placed second in the Grade 1 Champagne last fall at Aqueduct.
Mendelssohns March, 2-for-2, and fellow Oaklawn winner Sun Thunder are among three Blue Grass runners entered by trainer Ken McPeek. Major Blue has two meet wins for Hall of Famer Wayne Lukas. Tapit Trice, yet another Derby contender for the man who trains champion and likely heavy favorite Forte, is favored from the rail post.
Second is the SA Derby (4:30 p.m, race 6) with nine 3-year-olds entered. Two were moved from Bob Baffert’s barn to Tim Yakteen’s so they may be eligible for Derby qualifying points; another in Yakteen’s name, formerly with Baffert, is two-time Oaklawn graded-placed Reincarnate.
Thirteen entered the Wood (5:16 p.m., race 11). Cox is represented by Hit Show, the early 5-2 choice after
pairing victories at Oaklawn and in Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Withers; with Manny Franco riding, Gary and Mary West’s Candy Ride colt is saddled with the outside post, the field including three Pletcher trainees.
A race of interest to local fans is the Grade 1 $600,000 Madison (3 p.m., race 7) at Keeneland. Two-time Oaklawn winner Yuugiri, the 2022 Grade 3 Fantasy and March 12 Grade 2 Azeri winner for Rodolphe Brissett, keeps Ricardo Santana Jr. up for the seven-furlong prep for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Champion and sixtime winner Goodnight Olive is 2-5 for trainer Chad Brown and five-time winner Society goes for Steve Asmussen, with Yuugiri 10-1 in the five-horse field.
Cox won the Madison last year with Just One Time during the chestnut’s four-race win streak last year. Wesley Ward took the 2021 race with multiple Oaklawn stakes winner and international star Kimari.