By virtue of his victory in the Gotham Stakes four weeks ago, Weyburn earned enough qualifying points to secure his spot in the Kentucky Derby on May 1. His connections, however, do not necessarily have a case of Derby fever.
When Life Is Good was sidelined with an injury, Mike Smith lost his Santa Anita Derby mount. He now will ride Defunded, who like Life Is Good is trained by Bob Baffert.
Chad Brown likens the approach he and owner Seth Klarman take to building Klarman's Klaravich Stables to drafting a team, looking for prospects at every position. Potential contenders for the spring classics – the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont – are an important part of the roster, to be sure, but so is finding horses like Bricks and Mortar, their 2019 Horse of the Year. They want horses who can run short or long, on turf and dirt, be it colts or fillies.
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Risk Taking
The top two finishers from the Florida Derby and the Jeff Ruby Steaks, who earned 100 points for first and 40 for second in each of those races, vaulted onto the Derby Watch top 20, which by necessity becomes more and more point-driven as Derby Day approaches.
Helium, who won the Tampa Bay Derby in his last start and is scheduled to go straight to the Kentucky Derby on May 1, and Weyburn, who won the Gotham in his last start and is scheduled to run in the Wood Memorial on Saturday, are two of the nine 3-year-olds announced on Wednesday as late nominees to the Triple Crown.
Keepmeinmind ran some of the best races of his career last year at Keeneland, and he will be returning to the track for the Grade 2, $800,000 Blue Grass, trainer Robertino Diodoro said Monday.
Trainer Harold Wyner said he wants Capo Kane to be forwardly placed in the Wood Memorial and to help achieve that objective he will add blinkers to the son of Street Sense.
It will be 119 days between starts for Brooklyn Strong when he makes his 3-year-old debut in Saturday's Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, but his trainer, Danny Velazquez, couldn't be more confident in his gelding's chances for success.
Parnelli will have new rider and new equipment as he tries to reverse his recent form when he starts as a longshot in the Grade 1, $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on Saturday.
