Tag: Road to the Kentucky Derby

Emmanuel's last victory came in this allowance optional-claimer at Tampa Bay Downs three starts ago in January. He makes his turf debut in Saturday's Grade 2 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park. (Image: SV Photography)

Former Derby Prospect Emmanuel Ready for His Turf Close-Up

- 3 min read

One week before several of his former Triple Crown trail rivals tackle the “Test of the Champion:” the Belmont Stakes, Emmanuel tackles his first turf test in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pennine Ridge at Belmont Park. The 1 1/8-mile trek along Belmont Park’s inner turf course serves as a key prep […]

Early Voting won the Grade 3 Withers in February. But the front-running Gun Runner colt is likely to skip the Kentucky Derby for the Preakness Stakes, according to his trainer, Chad Brown. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Janet Garaguso)

Early Voting May Give Up His Kentucky Derby Spot, Wait for Preakness

- 3 min read

Trainer Chad Brown said Wednesday that Early Voting will likely skip the Kentucky Derby and head straight to Baltimore for the May 21 Preakness Stakes. This, despite the fact Early Voting has the points for a starting gate berth in the May 7 Derby. This, despite the fact that Brown hedged […]

Slow Down Andy (4), seen here beating Bye Bye Bobby to win March's Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby, bowed out of the May 7 Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever. (Image: Coady Photography)

Due to Untimely Fever, Slow Down Andy Stops Short of Kentucky Derby

- 2 min read

Slow Down Andy, trainer Doug O’Neill’s top Kentucky Derby prospect, spiked a fever in his Keeneland stall and will miss the Derby, O’Neill confirmed to OG News. “Andy got a cold, he’ll be fine, just won’t be ready for the Derby,” O’Neill said via text to OG News. A two-time […]

Campanelle works out before her 4-year-old debut awaits in Saturday's Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland. That is the opening leg to this week's Cross Country Pick 5. (Image: Coady Photography)

Salty Kentucky Derby Prep, Ascot Winner Head Cross Country Pick 5

- 3 min read

The last stop on the 2022 Kentucky Derby trail and a Royal Ascot winner making her season debut headline this week’s New York Racing Association Cross Country Pick 5 wager. This week’s Cross Country Pick 5 features races from Keeneland and Aqueduct. Two of the five races are stakes events. That […]

Nest and Irad Ortiz Jr. enjoyed an 8 1/4-length romp in Saturday's Grade 1 Ashland Oaks at Keeneland. The 3-year-old will attempt to give Todd Pletcher his second consecutive Kentucky Oaks victory and fifth overall. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Colt Mo Donegal, Filly Nest Give Pletcher 1-2 Derby/Oaks Punch

- 3 min read

As training days go, Todd Pletcher would take a lot more weekends like this. Days where he puts out a potential Kentucky Derby winner and a potential Kentucky Oaks winner. The Hall of Fame trainer’s Derby contender? Mo Donegal, who provided Pletcher with his record-tying seventh Wood Memorial title and […]

Zandon captured the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes shortly after he closed at 18/1 in the final Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Epicenter Finishes as Final Favorite in Last KDFW Pool

- 2 min read

With four weeks remaining until the May 7 Kentucky Derby, horseplayers stuck by Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter, making him the 9/2 favorite in the fifth and final Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) pool. That pool closed Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, prior to the running of the final 170-point Kentucky […]

Morello's resounding Gotham Stakes victory played a role in his 8/5 favorite status for Saturday's Grade 2 Wood Memorial. He is one of the few horses running Saturday who has a Kentucky Derby berth sewn up. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher)

Unbeatens Morello, Early Voting Set to Settle Matters in Wood Memorial

- 4 min read

The Grade 2 Wood Memorial boasts a winner’s roll that any race in America would proudly sell its soul to own. There’s Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Foolish Pleasure, Genuine Risk, Count Fleet, Omaha and Gallant Fox, to name a few. Yes, with 20 Kentucky Derby winners, Aqueduct’s marquee stop on the Kentucky […]

Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter took 5/1 favored status going into the final Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool. That pool ends Saturday before the final major Derby preps begin. (Image: Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir)

Epicenter Your KDFW Favorite, Newcomer Messier Looms Large

- 3 min read

The fifth and final Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) pool opens on Thursday with Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter the 5/1 favorite among the 23 individual and “All Other 3-Year-Olds” (aka The Field) choices. But, a newcomer to the pool should take plenty of money. That would be Messier, who makes […]

Cyberknife captured the Arkansas Derby Saturday, vaulting him into the Kentucky Derby. (Image: Coady Photography)

Kentucky Derby Prep Stretch Run: Who’s Rising, Who’s Falling

- 4 min read

Saturday’s penultimate wave of Kentucky Derby prep races brought four horses into the Derby field and taught us plenty about several others who either evolved into Derby contenders or devolved into Derby pretenders. There was White Abarrio, winning the Florida Derby in stellar fashion to punch his ticket to the […]

We the People won his first two races by nearly 11 lengths. He is an intriguing 7/2 morning line choice in Saturday's Arkansas Derby. (Image: Coady Photography)

We the People Seeking to Document a Breakout Arkansas Derby

- 3 min read

The colt with the historic name, We the People, is making his stakes preamble in Saturday’s Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. And even this late on the Kentucky Derby trail, We the People is shaking up any form of domestic tranquility among horseplayers and fans. The aptly-named son of Constitution, We […]

Trainer Tim Yakteen has worked for two Hall of Fame trainers in Bob Baffert and Charlie Whittingham. He has never trained a Kentucky Derby horse, a streak that may end this year with the transfer of three Baffert prospects to his barn. (Image: Yakteen Racing)

It’s on: Baffert Transfers Four Derby Prospects to Other Barns

- 3 min read

With a tick more than six weeks remaining until the Kentucky Derby, suspended trainer Bob Baffert finally moved four of his Derby prospects to other trainers. Provided the horses receive enough points in their impending final Derby preps, the move makes them eligible for the May 7 Derby. The Los […]

Smile Happy is the 6/1 individual favorite for the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4. (Image: Coady Photography/Churchill Downs)

The Field Takes Back Favorite Status in the KDFW Pool 4

- 2 min read

The de-facto option for bettors not happy with the individual offerings of 3-year-olds: “All Other 3-Year-Olds,” a.k.a. the Field, closed as the 4/1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) Pool 4. With eight weeks to go before the May 7 Kentucky Derby, that fourth of five pools sponsored […]

Forbidden Kingdom has led at the quarter-mile mark in every race. He's the 8/5 favorite in Saturday's Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park. (Image: Benoit Photo)

San Felipe Relishes its Status as Kentucky Derby Kingmaker

- 3 min read

The San Felipe Stakes is known as one of the top Grade 2 Kentucky Derby preps in the country, the alma mater of Triple Crown race winners Authentic, California Chrome, Point Given, Fusaichi Pegasus and Affirmed. Aside from the 13 Derby champions and recently disqualified Medina Spirit, its alums found […]

Emmanuel won this December debut by daylight. He makes his anticipated stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson)

All Eyes are on Emmanuel to Drink From This Fountain of Youth

- 3 min read

Emmanuel is on many Kentucky Derby watch lists as one of the colts to watch in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. Horseplayers watched him win his first two starts by a combined 11 ¼ lengths. They watched him get bet down to 18/1 in Circa Sports’ Derby futures and […]

Dean's List stretches out from six furlongs to a mile at 7/2 on the morning line in the Grade 3 Gotham Saturday at Aqueduct. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson)

Will Baffert, Pletcher Or Someone Else Take Over Gotham?

- 3 min read

Yes, the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes is a Kentucky Derby prep, which means your eyes naturally gravitate to whatever colt Bob Baffert has in the proceedings. And Derby ban aside, the Hall of Fame trainer does come to Aqueduct with a gilt-edged contender in Rockefeller. But this being the Gotham […]

Unbeaten Newgrange looks to build on his Southwest Stakes win as the 9/5 favorite in Saturday's Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. (Image: Coady Photography)

Favorite Newgrange Gives Rebel Stakes an Old-School Baffert Look

- 3 min read

When it comes to the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes, it doesn’t really matter that Bob Baffert is suspended from Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. All that matters is one question, the answer of which is typically “yes.” Does Baffert have a live candidate in this year’s Rebel? Of course […]

Epicenter's success in winning December's Gun Runner here and finishing second in January's Lecomte at Fair Grounds should serve him well in Saturday's Grade 2 Risen Star. (Image: Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges Jr.)

Risen Star Brings Rising Stars, Rising Stakes to Kentucky Derby Trail

- 4 min read

WIth a nod to Winston Churchill, Saturday’s Grade 2 Risen Star signals both the beginning of the end and the end of the Kentucky Derby trail’s beginning. The prelims are over and we’re now at the beginning of the win-and-you’re-in stretch of the Derby trail. That’s because the 1 1/8-mile […]

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