Long before trainer Bob Baffert was inducted into the Hall of Fame, saddled a Triple Crown winner in American Pharoah, and won the world's richest Thoroughbred race with Pegasus hero Arrogate, he spent the occasional weekend at Sunland Park in New Mexico.
Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for March 22
Kentucky Derby pedigree analysis: Malagacy
Notorious bad boy Classic Empire, who on Sunday refused to work at Palm Meadows in south Florida for the second time in less than a month, on Wednesday worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 at Winding Oaks Farm in Ocala, Fla., where he had been sent on Sunday.
Road to the Derby: Rebel Stakes analysis
McCraken and Classic Empire, two of the top-rated contenders for the Kentucky Derby on May 6, appear to be moving in different directions as their next scheduled start, the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 8, approaches.
A solid group of stallions with high hopes entered stud in 2013, lending the possibility of some new blood on this year's Triple Crown trail. So far, the group has delivered. Four different stallions have first-crop representatives in the current Kentucky Derby point standings' top 20 – with others knocking on the door.
When Malagacy kicked clear in the stretch of Saturday's Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park, he put himself near the top of the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard for a rising owner who already has close ties to two Derby winners – Oussama Aboughazale.
Trainer Todd Pletcher could be going for a stakes triple for 3-year-olds next month at Oaklawn Park. He said Sunday that Malagacy is a candidate for the track’s Arkansas Derby after winning the Rebel here Saturday.
Malagacy burst onto the Kentucky Derby trail Saturday at Oaklawn, where he remained undefeated while mastering two turns in the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel Stakes. He won by two lengths over 112-1 maiden Sonneteer.
