HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Angel of Empire will head to Churchill Downs on Tuesday to begin preparations for the Kentucky Derby, trainer Brad Cox said Sunday, a day after the horse won his second straight qualifying points race in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Arkansas Derby. Angel of Empire, who also captured the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds, has compiled 154 points for the Kentucky Derby, second on the list behind champion Forte with 190. Angel of Empire settled off the pace and went on to a 4 1/4-length win in the Arkansas Derby, and for the effort he earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 94.  “He looks great – looks good out of his race,” Cox said Sunday. “He seemed a little tired, but overall is sound and moving good. We’ll ship him up Tuesday.” :: Bet the races on DRF Bets! Sign up with code WINNING to get a $250 Deposit Match, $10 Free Bet, and FREE DRF Formulator.  Angel of Empire will have the distinction of winning a pair of 1 1/8-mile points races into the Kentucky Derby, which will be run over 1 1/4 miles. The added ground is something that should suit Angel of Empire, according to Cox. “He’s got a lot of leg, good size, good length, a scopey horse – a classic distance horse based off what I see physically,” Cox said. “He came in as a 2-year-old with a lot of leg underneath him. We debuted him long, never thought he was a horse that would sprint. He’s been really good since we started.” Angel of Empire, a son of champion Classic Empire and the To Honor and Serve mare Armony’s Angel, won at a mile in his first career start last August at Horseshoe Indianapolis. “We started him in Indiana due to him being a Pennsylvania-bred, not being able to run for the whole purse in Kentucky,” Cox said. “We started in Indiana based on that, [rather than] Ellis.” The Arkansas Derby pushed Angel of Empire’s earnings over $1 million. The race was a prep in more ways than one for the horse who was a $70,000 purchase as a yearling at Keeneland September 2021. “He’s got a great mind,” Cox said. “I think he can handle the atmosphere that the [Kentucky] Derby presents. He’s able to not get too worked up. Obviously, the Arkansas Derby is a lot going on with the bands in the infield, and the people in the infield, a big crowd on hand. He handled that all really well. It was a great prep for the Kentucky Derby.” Oaklawn attendance was an estimated 65,000 on Saturday.  Angel of Empire races for Albaugh Family Stables.  Cox said provided all goes well, Angel of Empire will have three works leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Cox has additional 3-year-old prospects on deck for upcoming preps on Saturday. He said Verifying is scheduled to start in the Blue Grass at Keeneland and Hit Show and Slip Mahoney are on target for the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Slip Mahoney was the runner-up in the Gotham last out at Aqueduct and that race produced a winner Saturday at Oaklawn when Cox trainee Eyeing Clover accounted for the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes. Cox said Eyeing Clover, who was fourth in the Gotham, will be considered for the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs or the Lone Star Derby.  King Russell, who closed from next to last for second in the Arkansas Derby, earned 40 points to position himself 17th on the list for Kentucky Derby field that caps at 20. “There’s three big races left, so we have to see how it shakes out,” Ron Moquett, who trains King Russell, said Sunday. “His pedigree and the way he’s coming around right now, it would suggest that he deserves a shot should he have the points to get in. “I don’t think we would try another race with him. I was happy to see the way he came out of the race. It looks like he’s ready to move forward, so we’ll just play it by ear.” Moquett said King Russell will likely ship Friday to Churchill Downs. King Russell is a son of Creative Cause and the mare Believe You Will, who is an unraced full sister to Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can. Brereton Jones bred and raced Believe You Can and also is the breeder and co-owner of King Russell. He owns the horse in partnership with Naber Racing. King Russell won a maiden special weight over 1 1/16 miles Feb. 25 at Oaklawn in what was his fifth career start. He was making his stakes debut in the Arkansas Derby. “I was very proud of him,” Moquett said. “I was happy. I wanted him to run like he’d been training, so I was very happy to see him do that. “His pedigree and style had been screaming for more distance.” King Russell earned a career-high Beyer of 87 Reincarnate finished third, a half-length behind King Russell. Reincarnate prompted the pace in second for much of the race and for the effort earned 30 points to situate himself 13th on the list for the Kentucky Derby. The 3-year-old classic is a consideration for the horse, but plans going forward are to be determined over the next couple of weeks, trainer Tim Yakteen said Sunday. “He came out of his race in great shape,” he said. “We’ll regroup and come up with a game plan, but we’re really happy with the way he’s coming out of his race. “Brad’s colt was very impressive yesterday. He had a great day.” Earlier in the meet, Reincarnate ran third in the Rebel.  Yakteen said the horse was flying back to Santa Anita on Sunday.   :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.