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Two Phil’s, impressive winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks over the Tapeta surface at Turfway Park, had a major dirt tune-up for the Kentucky Derby on Sunday morning at Hawthorne Racecourse.
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Mandy Pope, who breeds and races as Whisper Hill Farm, is known for being a major player at Thoroughbred auctions in North America. She was ready to play at a high level again when a yearling Tapit colt from the family of Eclipse Award champion Jaywalk stepped into the Keeneland September ring in 2021.
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Mage has already come a long way in a short time, having progressed from a debut maiden victory on Jan. 28 to a second-place finish in the $1 million Florida Derby just nine weeks later while earning a spot in the 2023 Kentucky Derby in the process.
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Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire was among trainer Brad Cox’s workers as he turned in the first of three likely Kentucky Derby works on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs. The colt was credited with a half-mile in 48.20 seconds.
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Todd Pletcher's winter has gone so perfectly even Mother Nature couldn't prevent Forte from remaining right on schedule and getting in his final South Florida workout as planned Friday morning at Palm Beach Downs along with another key Kentucky Derby contender, stablemate Kingsbarns.
Mage, runner-up despite a slow start and wide trip in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, will have the first of his three scheduled pre-Kentucky Derby workouts at Gulfstream Park this weekend, assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said Thursday.
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Next stop, Louisville. Another long series of Kentucky Derby preps will make its traditional final stop Saturday when the Grade 3, $400,000 Lexington Stakes is run for the 41st time at Keeneland. Disarm is the only horse in the field of 11 Lexington starters with a shot to use the 1 1/16-mile race to make the 20-horse cutoff for the May 6 Derby, at least under reasonable scenarios.
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Every single horse in North America and Japan with the qualifying points to make the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field on May 6 is as of Wednesday still on track to race in the Kentucky Derby. And that means horses who in a more typical year would comfortably be in the field will be sweating things out over the next few weeks.
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The status of Blue Grass third-place finisher Blazing Sevens will be monitored quite closely by those on the outside of the Kentucky Derby picture looking in, but don't expect a decision on that colt's status for a few weeks.
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The Lexington Stakes on Saturday often serves as a prep for the Preakness, not the Kentucky Derby. And that would most definitely apply in the case of Arabian Lion, one of 11 3-year-olds confirmed for the final qualifying race toward the May 6 Derby.
