Trainer Brad Cox has the favorite Saturday in the Troy Stakes at Saratoga, Caravel, and in the Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth in Squire Creek, but that hardly means he has left barren his Kentucky string. Cox has entrants in six races Saturday at Ellis Park, including two of the three $200,000 turf stakes serving as preps for extremely lucrative opportunities at the Kentucky Downs meet later this summer. The Cox-trained Wadsworth will be favored in the Kentucky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby, a nine-furlong grass race for 3-year-olds. A deserving favorite, but perhaps underlaid. Wadsworth, the mount of Florent Geroux, is saddled with post 10, not a deal breaker with a long enough run to the first of two turns, but not an ideal draw, either. What was ideal, was the trip Wadsworth got winning the American Derby last month at Ellis. Tucked behind a trio of pacesetters, Wadsworth galloped along in their wake, was tipped outside with nothing to prevent his getting into the clear, and ran down the pacemakers to win by one length. That marked the second turf start for Wadsworth, a Godolphin homebred, who probably was best in his grass debut when beaten a nose in Caesars Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis. :: Bet with the Best! Get Free DRF PPs and Cashback when you wager. Join DRF Bets. That said, Wadsworth has been racing steadily since December and the active schedule could cap his upside. He has tried a distance as long as 1 1/8 miles only once, running below his best form finishing a distant fourth in the Jeff Ruby Steaks. On the plus side, Wadsworth, despite his post, could work out a decent trip, with plenty of pace entered, including the Cox-trained longshot Manciata d’Oro. Desert Duke, Sharar, and Hidden Path, respectively third, fourth, and fifth, also come out of the American Derby. Desert Duke has the best chance among that group having stumbled badly at the start, placing a habitual front-runner well off the speed. Desert Duke finished decently, all things considered, and on Saturday could slot in just behind quicker rivals like Golden Bandit. Golden Bandit, trained by Coty Rosin, was claimed over the winter from the Cox barn for just $12,500 and has won two straight, including the $100,000 Canterbury Derby on June 21, since being switched to turf. He’ll struggle to stay nine furlongs with pace pressure on his outside but could outrun his odds if able to find his way to a clear lead. Act a Fool shook loose and won the Hawthorne Derby in his most recent start but got an easy lead on a slow pace in so doing and might not be able to keep up with Golden Bandit. Lincoln Highway will have a chance at a price if the leaders go quick enough. Lincoln Highway was a second-start maiden winner over nine furlongs on turf two races ago and faced winners for the first time in a one-mile allowance at Ellis. Coming from last, he made an eye-catching wide turn move to reach contention and sustained his run to the wire, finishing a competitive third while facing older horses. Lincoln Highway is out of Frivolous, a multiple Grade 2 winner over nine furlongs, and is a sister to Flippant, a stakes winner at 1 1/8 miles on grass. Bay Storm favored in sprint The stakes action starts with race 7, the $200,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Ladies Turf Sprint, a highly competitive 5 1/2 furlong-dash that drew 10 entrants. Cox has an understudy to Caravel, the nation’s top turf sprinter, in Goin Good, who is drawn in post 2 just outside morning-line favorite Bay Storm. Trained by Jonathan Thomas for George Strawbridge’s Augustin Stable, Bay Storm has lost five races in a row while running well in all those starts, none more so than the Unbridled Sidney two back at Churchill, where she was second to Caravel. But Bay Storm lacks the speed to make the lead and will need a hole to open at some point if she’s locked behind quicker rivals and stuck down at the fence. Love and Money could revert to front-running tactics after breaking poorly last month in the $100,000 Clarksville at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Despite being taken out of her game, Love and Money rallied bravely to win over Goin Good and a similar performance will put her in strong contention. With a clean break, Love and Money could make the lead over Miner’s Queen and Quaria Comet, the latter a danger despite a wide draw. Campaigned over Tapeta at Turfway Park this past winter and spring, Quaria Comet ran the race of her life when switched to turf May 27 in a Churchill Downs sprint allowance. Like Love and Money, Quaria Comet broke slowly and in a tactical shift was off the pace instead of on it, but she finished full of run to win by three lengths while posting a 95 Beyer Speed Figure that likely would win this race. The filly hasn’t started since but has worked steadily for trainer Paulo Lobo beginning July 7. Mile madness The $200,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Millions Turf Mile drew a dozen older horses and is an absolute crapshoot. Fuerteventura was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite over 3-1 Gray’s Fable, who won this race a year ago, but it will be no surprise if the favorite here winds up in the 4-1 range. Fuerteventura won’t be favored and probably has a lesser chance than several others, though it is difficult to make a strong case for any of these horses. A new face in the Kentucky turf mile division is Heaven Street, who makes his first start for trainer Mike Maker, who also runs Max K. O. Heaven Street has been turf sprinting in New York while showing speed; he’s the likely early leader and has won half his six starts over this one-mile trip. But the pick is Minnesota Ready, overlooked at least on the morning line at a listed price of 20-1. Trained by Neil Pessin, 4-year-old Minnesota Ready, by grass influence More Than Ready, was slow to come around and is a far better horse now than when he last tried a turf route in April 2022. Already in good form, Minnesota Ready was stretched from sprints out to a dirt mile June 22, hitting a career-best 95 Beyer while winning a second-level allowance by six lengths. Quietly, the gelding just might be ready for his stakes debut. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.