In the three weeks since Goldencents finished fourth in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 9, trainer Doug O’Neill has focused on teaching the two-time stakes winner to reserve his speed.
The Florida Derby’s “big three” are big enough to make it the season’s most important prep race to date. The 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points scale aside, you don’t need a numbers racket higher than three to know this is a must-see race. And while the top prospects in the Louisiana Derby don't shine as brightly, the 14-race field is deeper in talent.
With a $600,000 first prize and 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, the Louisiana Derby is a little bit like New Orleans itself: strange, compelling, and with a whole lot of visitors.
Super Ninety Nine and Den’s Legacy worked together Thursday for their respective next starts, the Santa Anita Derby and Arkansas Derby.
Orb, who entered the Kentucky Derby picture with his come-from-behind victory in the Fountain of Youth, will attempt to take trainer Shug McGaughey to the Kentucky Derby for just the second time since 1989 when he meets likely favorite Itsmyluckyday and reigning juvenile champion Shanghai Bobby in the $1 million Florida Derby on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
Ten years ago Barclay Tagg was accused of showing dangerous signs of Kentucky Derby fever for having the gall to publicly suggest that a New York-bred gelding who hdd never won in open company and had lost every start as a 3-year-old still had the right stuff to be a contender on the first Saturday in May.
The best all-around American sire of the first decade of the 21st century, especially on dirt, was 1992 Santa Anita Derby winner A.P. Indy. His success raises an interesting question: Is A.P. Indy’s success as a sire typical of Santa Anita Derby winners or the exception?
Eight thousand miles is a long way to travel for 170 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The math works out to about 47 miles per point. Still, the Derby points in great part compelled the connections of He’s Had Enough to ship the colt from California to Dubai for a start Saturday in the Group 2 UAE Derby.
Orb is in line to receive another favorable setup Saturday in the Florida Derby. And that, combined with the likelihood he will still be a bigger price than Itsmyluckyday and Shanghai Bobby, is why I’m taking Orb to win right back.
Here are the top 55 candidates for the 2013 Kentucky Derby listed in order of graded stakes earnings - the former qualifying system for the 20 starting positions - along with each horse's ranking under the new point system.
