Overanalyze and Vyjack are the two favorites in the Gotham Stakes, but they face an improving 3-year-old who showed versatility in his last start and who might be able to pull off the upset.
No, there aren’t any Kentucky Derby points available Saturday in the $75,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes over the Polytrack surface at Turfway Park. But for some folks working backward from the May 4 Derby – such as Ken Ramsey – it seems like an ideal place to get in some useful practice for Polytrack races with points.
Code West, Ive Struck a Nerve, and Orb are the three newcomers to this week’s Derby Watch Top 20. Orb, who won the Fountain of Youth last Saturday, is the co-fifth choice at 12-1 on the Kentucky Derby future line set by Mike Watchmaker.
Mike Repole took a roller-coaster ride with Uncle Mo, and his passion for racing is as fervent as ever. And why not? Repole has a strong contingent of runners right now, headed by Remsen winner Overanalyze and the unbeaten filly Unlimited Budget.
Six new horses are in the lineup of 23 separately listed wagering interests in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens its customary three-day run Friday at noon Eastern.
Sunbean could be in line for a Louisiana Derby run after another good-looking two-turn victory on Saturday’s card at Fair Grounds.
Oxbow could have two more starts before the Kentucky Derby depending how many qualifiying points it apears he will need, trainer, D. Wayne Lukas said Tuesday.
David Wilkenfeld is on the cusp of being able to live the dream that virtually every horse owner wants to experience. As the owner of Vyjack, Wilkenfeld has an undefeated 3-year-old who could be on his way to the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Todd Pletcher was back at work on Monday, overseeing workouts of five of his potential Kentucky Derby prospects at the Palm Meadows training center. But he still hadn’t recovered from the body blow of Sunday, when he reported that Violence, the futurebook favorite for the May 4 Kentucky Derby, had come out of Saturday’s Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park with a career-ending injury.
Trainer Eddie Kenneally said he is leaning toward turning Majestic Hussar back to one-turn races after the speedy colt set lightning-fast fractions before tiring to finish fourth while making his two-turn debut in the Fountain of Youth. Majestic Hussar ran a 45.45-second opening half-mile and a 1:08.85 three-quarters before fading to finish 9 1/4 lengths behind Orb.
