Brad Free’s top 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Feb. 23

While 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner TEXAS RED rehabs at Premier Equine Center in Oakdale, Calif., the only changes among the local 3-year-olds are plans by two to ship out (see below).

Meanwhile, Texas Red is recovering from a foot abscess after a runner-up comeback Feb. 1. Trainer Keith Desormeaux hopes a steady exercise pattern of swimming will allow the colt to maintain fitness. The Santa Anita Derby on April 4 has not been ruled out. Meanwhile, the next major local stakes for Kentucky Derby candidates is the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 7. At least seven are considered probable: PROSPECT PARK, OCHO OCHO OCHO, LORD NELSON, BOLO, CYRUS ALEXANDER, THE GOMPER, and PAIN AND MISERY.

The 3-year-old filly division in Southern California remains unexceptional. That could change Saturday, when at least seven are expected for the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes. Those include flashy maiden winner CURLIN’S FOX and stakes-placed GLORY. Others expected are ACHIEVER’S LEGACY, ENCHANTING LADY, LIGHT THE CITY, RATTATAPTAP and STELLAR WIND, a recent blowout maiden winner at Laurel. The leader of the local filly division is Grade 1 winner CALLBACK, expected to make her next start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 4.
Top 3-year-old males

1 – DORTMUND
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Pedigree: Big Brown—Our Josephine, by Tale of the Cat
Last race: 1st in Robert B. Lewis on Feb. 7 at Santa Anita
Last Beyer/Best Beyer: 103/103
Target race: Santa Anita Derby, April 4 at Santa Anita
Comment: The large-sized colt returned to the work tab Feb. 19, posting an easy half-mile work in 49 seconds that was his first since a tenacious stakes victory Feb. 7. After being passed in the stretch, Dortmund re-rallied inside to defeat Firing Line for a second time. Dortmund has won all four starts.

:: TOP 3-YEAR-OLDS: Aqueduct | Fair Grounds | Gulfstream | Oaklawn

2 – PROSPECT PARK
Trainer: Cliff Sise
Pedigree: Tapit—Quiet Romance, by Bertrando
Last race: 1st in allowance race Jan. 30 at Santa Anita
Last Beyer/Best Beyer: 93/93
Target race: San Felipe, March 7 at Santa Anita
Comment: This well-bred colt finally figured things out in his fifth start, a sparkling allowance win Jan. 30. He was stalled into the lane, then burst away to win by more than five lengths. The win was validated Feb. 21 when the colt he beat, St. Joe Bay, returned with a deceptively good fourth in the Risen Star at Fair Grounds. Prospect Park has worked every Sunday since his win and will be among the favorites in the San Felipe.

3 – AMERICAN PHAROAH
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Pedigree: Pioneerof the Nile—Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman
Last race: 1st in FrontRunner on Sept. 27 at Santa Anita
Last Beyer/Best Beyer: 101/101
Target race: Rebel Stakes, March 14 at Oaklawn
Comment: Time is not on American Pharoah’s side. The blowout winner of successive Grade 1s at 2, he has not raced since September. It will be more than five months between starts when he ships to Oaklawn Park for the Rebel. That leaves time for only one more prep race into the Kentucky Derby. American Pharoah worked six furlongs in 1:12.40 on Feb. 21.

:: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays

4 – FIRING LINE
Trainer: Simon Callaghan
Pedigree: Line of David—Sister Girl Blues, by Hold for Gold
Last race: 2nd in Robert B. Lewis on Feb. 7 at Santa Anita
Last Beyer/Best Beyer: 103/103
Target race: Sunland Derby, March 22 at Sunland Park
Comment: A fast colt whose speed figures have improved in each start, he will have only one more start before the Kentucky Derby. He will ship to the Sunland Derby on March 22. The best part of the plan is that he will not face Dortmund, who defeated Firing Line twice in California. Firing Line worked an easy half-mile Feb. 21 in 48.20, his first work since a gut-wrenching loss to Dortmund.

5 – LORD NELSON
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Pedigree: Pulpit—African Jade, by Seeking the Gold
Last race: 1st in San Vicente on Feb. 1 at Santa Anita
Last Beyer/Best Beyer: 91/92
Target race: San Felipe on March 7 at Santa Anita
Comment: After working five furlongs Feb. 17, Lord Nelson came back with a six-furlong work in 1:13.40 on Feb. 22. It’s an ambitious work pattern that suggests the colt is doing well. He is 3 for 3 sprinting but unplaced in both routes. He had trouble in those route losses. Gut feeling is that he is a notch below the best, but his current form is sharp, and he will be among the favorites in the San Felipe.

Honorable mention: BOLO, OCHO OCHO OCHO, TEXAS RED

:: DERBY WATCH: Top 20 from Jay Privman and Mike Watchmaker

Top 3-year-old fillies

1 – CALLBACK
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Pedigree: Street Sense—Quickest, by Forest Wildcat
Last race: 1st in Las Virgenes on Jan. 31 at Santa Anita
Last Beyer/Best Beyer: 85/90
Target race: Santa Anita Oaks, April 4 at Santa Anita
Comment: A steady pattern of improvement produced a front-running win last out in a Grade 1 route, albeit over a suspect field. Sired by Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, her dam is a sibling to Derby winner Super Saver. Callback is versatile, has speed, and likely will continue to improve.

2 – GLORY
Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
Pedigree: Tapit—Ki Maniere, by Sadler’s Wells
Last race: 2nd in California Oaks on Feb. 7 at Golden Gate Fields
Last Beyer/Best Beyer: 81/86
Target race: Santa Ysabel Stakes, Feb. 28 at Santa Anita
Comment: This lightly raced filly followed a sharp maiden-sprint win with a good runner-up finish in her first route try in a $50,000 stakes on synthetic at Golden Gate Fields. Her maiden win was validated when the runner-up won next out; the filly who beat her last time, Sharla Rae, has won three stakes.

3 – FANTASTIC STYLE
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Pedigree: Harlan’s Holiday—Ruby Summer, by Mr. Greeley
Last race: 1st in maiden special weight Jan. 19 at Santa Anita
Last Beyer/Best Beyer: 93/93
Target race: Allowance, Feb. 26 at Santa Anita
Comment: A highly rated maiden win will propel this talented filly to favoritism Thursday in an allowance sprint at Santa Anita (race 7). Her front-running maiden win was in fast time, validated when the runner-up, Never Ends, returned to run well. If she wins the allowance as expected, Fantastic Style could be seen soon in a stakes.

Honorable mention: ENTRECHAT, SENSITIVELY, SEDUIRE, SHARLA RAE