Always Dreaming, the potential favorite for the 2017 Kentucky Derby, turned in the first of his three scheduled breezes leading up to the big event, going an easy half-mile in 49.90 with jockey John Velazquez aboard shortly after dawn Friday morning at Palm Beach Downs.
Classic Empire has a chance to shake things up at the top of the 3-year-old charts Saturday with the right kind of performance in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.
There'll be no Kentucky Derby for whoever wins the Lexington Stakes. The Preakness, maybe, or at least that's the way history has been leaning lately. Regardless, the Grade 3, $200,000 Lexington carries its own measure of import and prestige.
The champion Classic Empire will break from post 2 in a field of 12 for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday. The race was drawn Wednesday and picked up a few new faces following the Monday defection of One Liner.
The connections of Classic Empire have walked a tightrope all spring trying to get the colt to the Kentucky Derby, and now they've got one major hurdle to clear – having Classic Empire earn sufficient points and run well enough in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday to merit a Kentucky Derby start.
Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for April 12
Tiznow is the most prominent stallion continuing the Man o' War line at stud, tracing his male line directly back to the great racehorse. This year, which marks the centennial anniversary of Man o' War's birth, Tiznow will represent the line in the Kentucky Derby with Irap.
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Blinkers off worked well for Irap last weekend in the Blue Grass and his trainer, Doug O'Neill, hopes the same equipment change will benefit Rockin Rudy when the promising 3-year-old runs Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby.
