Trainer Steve Asmussen believes he merits a good chance at a third Kentucky Oaks triumph Friday when sending out Lady Apple off three straight victories at Oaklawn Park, the latest in the Grade 3 Fantasy.
Jockey Flavien Prat piloted both Omaha Beach and Gray Magician to their maiden victories. Prat will now get experience with a third horse in this year's Kentucky Derby, as he picks up the mount on Country House.
The youngest horses in this year's Kentucky Derby field are Country House (foaled on May 8), Maximum Security (May 14), Vekoma (May 22), and Code of Honor (May 23).
Mark Casse had always intended to step up the intensity of War of Will's training between the Louisiana Derby, his final prep on March 23, and the Kentucky Derby 42 days later. But after what transpired in the Louisiana Derby, War of Will's subsequent training took on even greater importance.
Win Win Win was up in the last jump to get second from Signalman in the April 6 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, giving Win Win Win a sufficient number of qualifying points to make the 20-horse cutoff for the 145th Derby. In turn, Signalman was relegated to the alternates list by finishing third.
Lani was a bit of a circus sideshow, Epicharis a pre-race casualty. Those are the last two Japan-based horses to travel to America for a Triple Crown race. The latest voyager, Master Fencer, has so far kept a lower profile.
Just a few minor touches were being made on Monday as the Kentucky Derby neared, with a field that looked as though it would be more than the maximum of 20, a development that would keep out several horses who want in. Final works were recorded by Long Range Toddy here at Churchill Downs, and by Bodexpress and Maximum Security in Florida.
The Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, which ran concurrently with the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool from Nov. 22- 25, may have provided an opportunity for pedigree-savvy handicappers to cash in.
Master Fencer will become the first Japanese-bred to start in the Kentucky Derby. But the colt, who is looking to become the first non-North American-bred to win the classic since British-born Tomy Lee in 1959, is not without Kentucky connections.
Horsemen would go anywhere to find a Kentucky Derby horse, and this year's prospective runners come from many avenues – homebreds born as close as Kentucky or as far away as Japan, runners purchased at major North American auction houses such as Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton, and even claiming races.
