It’s about that time of year when Kentucky Derby nostalgia starts to surface. Carl Nafzger already is drawing inquiries about the 25th anniversary of Unbridled winning both the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby on his way to winning the Eclipse Award for top 3-year-old male of 1990.
The comeback victory by the Bob Baffert-trained American Pharoah in the Rebel Stakes last Saturday caused Mike Watchmaker, Daily Racing Form’s national handicapper, to make him the favorite for the May 2 Kentucky Derby at 5-1.
Firing Line has dropped two straight tight finishes to Dortmund, one of the Kentucky Derby favorites. This Sunday, Firing Line aims to play the heavy. He is heading to Sunland Park for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby, in which he will be the favorite this time.
On Saturday, Rodney Prescott will be riding Royal Son in the Grade 3, $550,000 Spiral Stakes at Turfway, giving him an opportunity to fill a hole in his racing résumé.
Gulfstream Park racing officials are hoping to get a sizable field for the March 28 Florida Derby, although it looks like Upstart and two Todd Pletcher horses will tower over an otherwise undistinguished group of 3-year-olds.
Texas Red has been declared off the Kentucky Derby trail because of a lingering issue with a foot abscess, trainer Keith Desormeaux said Tuesday from Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.
Handicapper Marcus Hersh ranks the top 3-year-old males and fillies pointing to races at Fair Grounds.
One only has to think back to this past Saturday to find the last California shipper to win Oaklawn’s Rebel Stakes, a race champion American Pharoah dominated in the slop. But to recall the last California invader to win the Spiral at Turfway Park requires a much long memory or an expansive Internet search.
Handicapper David Grening ranks the top 3-year-old males and fillies pointing to races in New York.
In the aftermath of champion American Pharoah starting his 3-year-old season Saturday with a 6 1/4-length win in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, trainer Bob Baffert said he was pleased with how the race developed for the comebacking American Pharoah and how the horse emerged from the Rebel.
