Cupid is already darn good. He proved that by decisively beating 13 opponents in Saturday’s Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. But Cupid also did enough things wrong in the Rebel to create the tantalizing prospect of how good he might actually be when he finally does put it all together.
Cupid gave his Triple Crown-winning trainer, Bob Baffert, a record sixth win in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn on Saturday, when he turned back a bid from Whitmore to win the prep for 3-year-olds by 1 1/4 lengths.
With his trio of Kentucky Derby candidates bedded down at Belmont Park, trainer Chad Brown traveled from Florida to New York for a quick visit to oversee Saturday morning workouts for the three as they prepare for important final prep races.
A field of 11, including the first four finishers from the Risen Star Stakes last month at Fair Grounds, was entered Saturday for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 26 at Fair Grounds.
Adventist, the third-place finisher in both the Withers and Gotham stakes, and Cadeyrn, an 11-length maiden winner here last month, both put in workouts Friday morning as preparations for the Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial on April 9 began to pick up.
Gettysburg and Collected both had run-ins with leading Kentucky Derby candidates last month and as such figure to start as the top two choices Sunday in the $415,000 Sunland Park Festival of Racing Stakes.
Not only are the two top seeds for the 2016 Kentucky Derby, Mohaymen and Nyquist, on a collision course to meet in the $1 million Florida Derby, they are also on a similar training schedule, with each turning in his penultimate work Friday morning for the much-anticipated battle here on April 2.
Airoforce is the most accomplished among a sizable roster of 3-year-olds being pointed to the Grade 3, $500,000 Spiral Stakes on April 2 at Turfway Park, and if he wins, a start in the Kentucky Derby is not out of the question, said trainer Mark Casse.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won the Louisiana Derby three times, will be shipping Battery from Palm Beach Downs for this year’s race next Saturday at Fair Grounds.
Distance was the reason that trainer Mark Casse chose the 1 1/8-mile Louisiana Derby over the 1 1/16-mile Rebel Stakes for Conquest Windycity.
