The talented Tiz the Bomb has a chance to regroup in the $125,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes on Saturday night at Turfway Park, a Kentucky Derby points race on the synthetic Tapeta that could be a first step in a number of directions.
While it is unlikely Saturday's Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct produces a serious Kentucky Derby contender, there are several in here who could be factors in the 3-year-old division at shorter distances. Morello and Rockefeller already have won stakes around one turn and Dean's List and Glider have shown potential to be stakes-caliber.
Having undergone a change in running style and a change in rider since walking into the starting gate for the Grade 3 Holy Bull four weeks earlier, Simplification will try to prove a little change has done him a lot of good Saturday at Gulfstream in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, the major local prep for the $1 million Florida Derby on April 2.
Richard Mandella has never been one to try and put a square peg into a round hole. Mandella wasn't going to try Forbidden Kingdom around two turns until he was good and ready. It took four starts for Forbidden Kingdom to get that chance, but it finally arrives Saturday in the San Felipe at Santa Anita.
David Lyon, his partners in Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, and their partners will be living the dream Saturday at Aqueduct with two 3-year-olds among the 10 entered in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.
Kentucky Derby 2022: Who's hot, who's not for March 2, 2022
Un Ojo sprang a $152.80 upset in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes last Saturday to earn his debut on the Derby Watch list. However, the New York-bred gelding is from a young sireline that has already had its share of classic success, and from a classy family that has produced several dirt route stakes winners.
Making good decisions, moving his many chess pieces to the right spot, has been a rite of spring for Todd Pletcher for more than 20 years now. Per usual, this year he has multiple candidates for the May 7 Kentucky Derby, with four of them – Emmanuel, Major General, Mo Donegal, and Pioneer of Medina – on the current Derby Watch top 20.
Mo Donegal, third most recently in the Holy Bull, had “a low-grade temperature of 102” degrees, trainer Todd Pletcher said, and thus will be scratched from the Fountain of Youth.
Saffie Joseph Jr., who entered this week with a 41-37 lead over perennial leading trainer Todd Pletcher atop the 2021-22 championship meet standings, is looking for a big run in the Fountain of Youth from A. P.'s Secret, a last-out allowance winner making his stakes debut.
