The unbeaten champion Nyquist returned to the track for the first time since his Florida Derby win on Saturday morning at Keeneland, jogging twice around the main track accompanied by a stable pony.
DRF handicapper Byron King outlines his strategy for playing the Big Apple Blue Grass pick four at Aqueduct and Keeneland.
Post positions for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby will be drawn on Wednesday, and Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope was working with a potential list of 11 runners as of Friday. The Arkansas Derby will be run next Saturday.
Kentucky Derby favorite Nyquist was expected to return to the track for the first time since his Florida Derby victory on Saturday morning at Keeneland.
Swipe is tentatively expected to make his 3-year-old debut in a race in which the colt would surely be the favorite, the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland next Saturday.
On Thursday morning, the prospect of a wet track was very much on the mind of the trainers of the top two contenders in the Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby on Saturday.
Light on experience and seemingly long on potential, eight 3-year-olds with mostly modest accomplishments will try to take the next step toward a possible start in the Kentucky Derby in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.
Hardly anyone is bold enough to flat-out predict a great horse – let alone the winner of the 142nd Kentucky Derby – will emerge from the lineup for the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, but this much is true: what the Blue Grass lineup lacks in accomplishment, it makes up for in potential.
He drew as poorly as possible with post 14, but I'm going with My Man Sam in Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
Nyquist has never lost, and I like his toughness and admire his versatility. But the Beyer Speed Figure of 94 for his win in the Florida Derby does not give me the confidence to feel really comfortable with the Kentucky Derby favorite as he heads for Churchill Downs.
