Road to the Kentucky Derby

An unintended consequence of moving all of the final, 100-point, nine-furlong preps for the GI Kentucky Derby to four weeks out is that there is now nearly a full month without any meaningful (to the general public) action in the lead-up to America's most historic and important horse race. When viewed alongside other professional sports, which have significantly expanded their playoff structures in recent seasons to capitalize on the immediacy (and bettability) of wild-card  and play-in games with last-chance qualifying berths on the line, the lead-up to the Derby has...

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence), winner of Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby, will remain in South Florida for now to await his next assignment in the GI Kentucky Derby. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher reported Sunday that the champion 2-year-old colt emerged from his one-length victory over Mage (Good Magic) in good order and left Gulfstream Park early Sunday morning to return to Pletcher's winter base at Palm Beach Downs "He's good. He shipped back early this morning and he looks very well," Pletcher said. "We'll...

Even with the expected scratch of Tim Yakteen's Bob Baffert transfer Fort Bragg (Tapit), the GIII Sunland Park Derby has plenty of new connections trying their hand at the available 50- 20-15-10-5 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Baffert himself brings in the non-Derby eligible Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), second to Newgate (Into Mischief) in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita Feb. 4. The local contingent is led by Henry Q (Blame)--winner of the sole local prep in the Mine That Bird Derby Feb....

GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity runner up Loggins (Ghostzapper), who hasn't had a recorded work since before the Breeders' Futurity, was officially removed from Kentucky Derby consideration by trainer Brad Cox Monday. "He's not here," said Cox in reference to where the colt is currently training. "He's off the Derby trail. He's in light training. At this point, it's too late in the season to bring him here (Fair Grounds). We will get more serious with him when we get back to Kentucky."

Al Gold had a few things to look forward to Saturday at the Fair Grounds. Earlier Saturday morning, his multiple Grade I winner Cyberknife (Gun Runner) turned in the final work of his career ahead of next Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., while his Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro) was looking to further cement his status as a leading light for this year's GI Kentucky Derby in the GIII Lecomte S. Cyberknife confirmed that he is on song for his career finale next weekend, and Instant Coffee followed suit...

The first week of January doesn't have much in common with the first Saturday in May--with the exception that the inaugural TDN Top 12 has arrived to herald the coming of the seemingly far-off GI Kentucky Derby season. Get tied on and enjoy the ride. 1) ARABIAN KNIGHT (c, Uncle Mo--Borealis Night, by Astrology) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $2,300,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $86,025. Last start: 1st Keeneland Maiden Special Weight, Nov. 5....

The stakes schedule for the 2023 spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, featuring 14 stakes worth nearly $2.8 million in total purses, was released Friday, Dec. 16 The 19-day spring meet will open Mar. 30 and continue through Apr. 30. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday except for Apr. 9, when live racing and pari-mutuel wagering is prohibited by New York State in observance of Easter Sunday. The $150,000 GIII Distaff H., a seven-furlong contest for older fillies and mares, will kick off the spring meet graded stakes action Friday, Apr....

The "Road to the Kentucky Derby," a series of races awarding points toward a starting gate position in each year's GI Kentucky Derby, will see modifications for the upcoming season, including an increase of points for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile from 20-8-4-2 to 30-12-9-6-3. In addition, other early-season prep races have been elevated from 10-4-2-1 to 20-8-6-4-2 in an effort to increase the importance of those races. They include the GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds, the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park, the GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct,...

Chelmsford City Racecourse, closed since sustaining damage from Storm Eunice in mid-February, opens its gates on Thursday highlighted by the £100,000 Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions S., which offers points (30-12-6-3) on the Road to the GI Kentucky Derby on May 7. A total of £155,996 in prizemoney will be offered throughout the eight-race card, which begins at 3:30 p.m. local time. Held over one-mile on the all-weather, the Cardinal has attracted a field of six 3-year-olds. Leading the sextet is Godolphin's Blue Trail (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who already holds 20...

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter (Not This Time) made up for his close call in the GIII Lecomte S. with a front-running score in the GII Risen Star S. at the Fair Grounds, moving him up in the GI Kentucky Derby points rankings. Winchell Thoroughbreds and winning trainer Steve Asmussen also teamed up to take this event in 2016 with future Horse of the Year Gun Runner. Away a breath slower than the rest, Epicenter quickly got his hooves beneath him and tugged his way up to the front under Joel Rosario....

On the day Coolmore America sire Munnings got a new 'TDN Rising Star' in Dubai with Shahama, he also added a new stakes winner on the Derby trail with Dash Attack in Oaklawn's Smarty Jones S. Earning 10 points on the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' in this one-mile event, Dash Attack broke from the rail, took a little hop out of the gate, and settled midpack behind fractions of :23.03 and :46.38. The chestnut edged closer in earnest on the turn, but was still saving ground in eighth as...

Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and Zandon (Upstart)--the top two choices in Saturday's GII Remsen S. at the Big A--both entered off promising last-out maiden victories and put on a show down the stretch with the former getting there by a hard-fought nose while surviving a stewards' inquiry in the process. The rail-drawn, 7-5 chance Mo Donegal sat the trip in an inside fourth through easy fractions of :25.18 and :51.47 established by longshot Fromanothamutha (Unified). Locked and loaded beneath the hot-handed Irad Ortiz, Jr. rounding the far turn, he swung...