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Blazing Sevens, who finished eighth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on March 4, will look to rebound and potentially earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby by running in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 8, trainer Chad Brown confirmed Wednesday.
Although Japan offers a series of Kentucky Derby points races, Japanese-bred Triple Crown nominee Mandarin Hero is eyeing the spring classic from a different route, and is targeting next month's Santa Anita Derby.
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2023 Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Angel of Empire
2023 Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for March 15, 2023
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There have been many years Todd Pletcher spent March and April moving 3-year-olds all over the chessboard. This year, Pletcher has fewer pawns in the game. But he has the reigning king stabled at his winter base, the Palm Beach Downs training center in Florida, and another piece that showed his power this past weekend.
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An overflow field is appearing likely for the Grade 3, $700,000 Jeff Ruby, Turfway's major Kentucky Derby prep, on March 25, with 83 horses nominated by the closing deadline.
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Mage, the fourth-place finisher in the Fountain of Youth in just his second career start, will have his first workout since that March 4 race when breezing Friday at Gulfstream Park, assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said early this week.
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Brad Cox, who trains a slew of 3-year-old males at least Kentucky Derby trail-adjacent, if not already travelling the road to the Derby, is solidifying plans for this bevy of horses.
The imposing presence of reigning juvenile champion Forte in the lineup for the $1 million Florida Derby on April 1 could result in several other top 3-year-old prospects being re-routed elsewhere for their final Kentucky Derby prep. Among them is Holy Bull winner and Fountain of Youth runner-up Rocket Can, who will most likely make his next start the same day at Oaklawn Park in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby.
The April 8 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland is next for Tapit Trice, whose last-to-first triumph here Saturday in the annual meet showcase, the Tampa Bay Derby, made him the 8-1 second choice in Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that closed Sunday.
