Despite winning three graded stakes in his last four starts, El Kabeir still has his fair share of skeptics who need to see him do more before taking him seriously as a Kentucky Derby contender. In Saturday’s Wood Memorial, El Kabeir will have to prove he can get the 1 1/8-mile distance against better competition than he’s faced.
Dortmund’s physical presence is imposing, as is his perfect race record. And now that he gets to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby, his advantage could be more pronounced.
Blue Grass Stakes heavy favorite Carpe Diem brings a strong résumé into his final prep for the Kentucky Derby, having never finished worse than second and sporting a pair of graded stakes victories around two turns. Continued success would be no surprise for WinStar Farm’s and Stonestreet Stables’s colt, who gets high-class routing ability from the top half of his pedigree and dirt ability from the bottom.
Todd Pletcher may have lost one top contender for Saturday’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct when Far From Over got hurt, but he still has another big chance to win the $1 million race with Daredevil.
Trainer Cliff Sise stands a very good chance of winning the Santa Anita Derby, and having a prominent starter in the Kentucky Derby. His hopes ride on Prospect Park, who finished second to the unbeaten Dortmund in last month’s San Felipe Stakes and is set for a rematch on Saturday in the Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby
Muhaajib, Ocho Ocho Ocho, and Stanford are the three additions this week to the Derby Watch top 20.
Jockey Chuck C. Lopez is the nine furlongs of the Wood Memorial from making it to the Kentucky Derby with El Kabeir. Lopez, 54, has never ridden in a Kentucky Derby, and if he were somehow to win it this year, he would match Bill Shoemaker as the oldest rider to accomplish the feat.
Far From Over, winner of the Grade 3 Withers Stakes and among the favorites for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, is injured and off the Kentucky Derby trail, his connections said Tuesday.
David Grening ranks the top 3-year-old males and fillies pointing to races at Aqueduct.
Handicapper Brad Free ranks the top 3-year-old males and fillies pointing to races at Santa Anita.
