There was one sure thing when it came to Wednesday's all-important post-position draw for Saturday's $750,000 Florida Derby. When Spielberg's name was called, it marked the first time a horse trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert had ever been drawn for Gulfstream Park's cornerstone event for 3-year-olds, which offers 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby on May 1.
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Greatest Honour
Mike Shanley is a Villanova University graduate and a huge fan of the school's basketball program, but pardon the 74-year-old retired attorney if he is preoccupied when the Wildcats face heavily favored Baylor in the NCAA tournament late Saturday afternoon.
Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for March 24, 2021
Big Lake, who was third in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel in his last start March 13 at Oaklawn Park, emerged from the race with an injury and will be sidelined indefinitely, trainer Steve Asmussen said Tuesday.
Eight new names are among the separately listed interests in the fifth and final pool of the 2021 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens Friday at noon Eastern for the customary three-day run.
Medina Spirit and Rock Your World both were scheduled to take on Life Is Good in the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3. Now with Life Is Good out of the race, and the win chances of both significantly upgraded, they worked Monday at Santa Anita in preparation for the West's final prep for the May 1 Kentucky Derby.
Larry Best, who buys, breeds, and races as OXO Equine, has been a Thoroughbred owner since 2017. In less than five years, he has raced a bevy of graded stakes winners, and is now drawing a bead on the Kentucky Oaks with one of those. He also will have a rooting interest in the Kentucky Derby, thanks to the progress of his broodmare band.
The unbeaten Soup and Sandwich will be dunked in the deep end of the pool for the first time in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on Saturday. An easy winner of a January maiden sprint at Gulfstream and a two-turn Februrary allowance at Tampa Bay Downs, the Into Mischief colt will have John Velazquez aboard.
The final round of Derby preps worth 170 points overall, including 100 to the winner, commenced with a terrific effort from Hot Rod Charlie, who got a career-best Beyer of 99, topping the 94 he earned when second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, further indicating he’s continuing to progress from 2 to 3.
