Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for March 12
Ring Weekend, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, is one of four additions to this week’s Derby Watch Top 20.
Jay PrivmanMar 12, 2014
Ring Weekend, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby, is one of four additions to this week’s Derby Watch Top 20.
Sometimes, you know in November. Many years, it is April, or even Kentucky Derby Week. You see a horse and say, "That is the one."
On Tuesday, Amoss sent Delta Jackpot winner Rise Up out to work a bullet five furlongs in 1:00. It was Rise Up’s second work since he finished seventh in the Feb. 22 Risen Star Stakes, his 3-year-old debut.
The Grade 2-winning 3-year-old Kobe’s Back lost all chance of winning his two-turn debut last December. He’ll get a second chance at the trip at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, when he runs in the Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel.
Throughout his four decades in racing, John DeStefano Jr. has lost countless horses through the claim box, most often without a second thought. But there was something about Kid Cruz that made DeStefano, now the managing partner of Black Swan Stable, think twice.
Trainer Shug McGaughey is hopeful that the road to the Kentucky Derby will be a smooth one from here on out for Honor Code, who makes his long-awaited 3-year-old debut Wednesday at Gulfstream Park against four rivals in a $75,000 allowance race at 1 1/16 miles.
Ring Weekend, a gelded son of Tapit trained by Graham Motion, effectively used his natural speed and inside post to take the lead and improve his position for a straightforward three-length score over Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Vinceremos.
Tapiture was out for a maintenance move Monday at Oaklawn Park, breezing a half-mile in 50.20 seconds in preparation for the Grade 2, $600,000 Rebel on Saturday.
Despite having a runner at Los Alamitos on Saturday night and losing an hour of sleep because of daylight saving time, trainer Art Sherman was at work before anyone at his Los Alamitos barn Sunday morning, still excited over the victory by his colt California Chrome on Saturday at Santa Anita in the San Felipe Stakes.
With the early scratch of the undefeated Bayern and the race-day scratches of Home Run Kitten and Rprettyboyfloyd, seven were left in this important stepping-stone to the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 5. While California Chrome turned in a front-running, 7 1/4-length victory in 1:40.59 to certify his legitimacy as a serious Kentucky Derby threat, his dominant win called into question the Derby credentials of every other horse in the field.