Dash Attack’s stock is rising quickly. He picked up 10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, when he swept through the lane for a two-length victory over Barber Road in the $250,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park.
Simplification made amends and then some for his third as the 1-5 favorite in his 2-year-old finale, kicking off his 3-year-old season with a convincing four-length victory over 4-5 favorite Strike Hard in Saturday’s $150,000 Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park.
Courvoisier certainly has a pedigree to get one excited. Saturday, at soggy and foggy Aqueduct, Courvoisier gave his connections a performance to perhaps start getting excited about as well.
Erik Johnson's regular job as defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche finds him pursuing a Stanley Cup. His other job, fully invested horse owner, could have him headed down the Kentucky Derby trail if Mackinnon can transfer his sharp turf form to dirt Saturday at Santa Anita in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sham Stakes.
Saturday's 152nd Jerome at Aqueduct drew a field of eight 3-year-olds, some with the pedigree and talent to suggest they could bcome graded stakes winners. Whether they turn out to be Kentucky Derby contenders is something that likely won't be known until later on.
Seven 3-year-olds will take their first step on the road to the $1 million Florida Derby on April 2, Gulfstream Park's marquee event, when they square off at a mile in Saturday's $150,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes. The Mucho Macho Man is the last of five stakes on Saturday's card, all for 3-year-olds, and the first of three major 3-year-old preps here prior to the Florida Derby.
Rockefeller, the winner of the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 7, and Mackinnon, third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 5, are part of an expected small field in Saturday's Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.
On New Year's Day 2020, trainer Michael Trombetta won the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct with a 3-year-old son of Constitution named Independence Hall. On New Year's Day 2022, Trombetta try to pen some more Jerome history in the 152nd running of the race with another 3-year-old son of Constitution, named Mr Jefferson.
Epicenter left his rivals quaking in their shoes as he rolled to an authoritative victory here, his second straight and, importantly, in his first try going two turns.
Seven of the last 10 horses to finish first in the Kentucky Derby spent the bulk of their winter racing or training at Santa Anita, and this year's crop of locally based Derby prospects offers similar possibilities, with a deep group underscored by uncertainty of the plans for some of the marquee names.
