The last two Kentucky Derby prep points races will be run Saturday, with one having a tangible impact on the composition of the Kentucky Derby field, and the other having no impact whatsoever. The Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn is a 170-point prep. American Pharoah, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, easy winner of the Rebel in his 3-year-old bow, and future-book favorite for the Kentucky Derby, for which he is already safely in, really should romp Saturday. But the 40 points for second in the Arkansas Derby will be enough to put the runner-up into the starting gate at Churchill Downs. The other Derby prep points race Saturday is the Grade 3, $250,000 Lexington at Keeneland, which at best shares the spotlight with the Grade 1, $300,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes. But the Lexington offers only 10 points to the winner, and that will not be enough to put any of the seven entered into the Derby without a number of defections. Oaklawn Handicap This is the primary supporting feature to the Arkansas Derby, and Race Day will be favored to win his fifth race from his last six starts. I have no issues with Race Day other than I was a little surprised he had to work as hard as he did to win the Razorback over Midnight Hawk, who has a touch of hang in him. But the Beyer Figure was there – it was Race Day’s third straight triple digit Beyer – and Race Day will take some beating. :: DRF Live: Watch live handicapping analysis of Saturday’s biggest races, starting at 2:00 p.m. Eastern But this is the time to take Tapiture. Tapiture didn’t lift a hoof when a soundly beaten fifth behind Race Day in the Razorback in his first start in 4 1/2 months. In his defense, Tapiture did catch a deepish off track that he might not have cared for that day. More importantly, though, he is second start off the layoff, which historically was always a big move for his trainer, Steve Asmussen, even if it hasn’t been as strong in recent years. Most importantly, however, Tapiture is good enough to win off his final three starts last year. He won the West Virginia Derby by only a nose, but was stopped cold in the stretch, had to take up and angle out, and was far better than his narrow win margin would suggest. Tapiture followed with a second while against an inside-speed bias in the Pennsylvania Derby to Bayern, who came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic. And he closed out his 2014 campaign by being easily second best in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. As for the Arkansas Derby, American Pharoah could regress off his Rebel romp and still win. But he has trained brilliantly since and figures to only improve, which means he should dominate. I’m not taken with Far Right and Madefromlucky, the second and third choices. The Truth Or Else and Bold Conquest are bigger prices and should be used underneath. Las Cienegas Stakes Go West Marie and Living The Life will have their supporters in this downhill event at Santa Anita, one of two stakes on the card. It was ridiculous how much the best Go West Marie was winning the Irish O’Brien last time, her third straight win, and Living The Life is this field’s only graded stakes winner. However, Go West Marie is facing tougher here, and Living The Life’s turf record of 1-0-0 from 6 starts is uninspiring. :: DRF Live: Get real-time updates and insights from DRF reporters and handicappers on Saturday I like Blingismything. The cutback in distance from routes is ideal for Blingismything, and she won her only previous outing on the downhill course. Her game third in the Buena Vista in her most recent appearance proved she can contend at this level. Ben Ali Stakes Even though he was eased in the Donn Handicap, I’m not against Protonico here. His best-of-93 workout at Keeneland last Sunday says he’s okay, and even though he found himself late last year as a closer, he has the speed to be close in what is a paceless race. I just prefer Farhaan. Yes, I know Farhaan had a great pace setup when he won the Alydar Stakes last summer at Saratoga, and he hasn’t raced since. Neither is a big concern. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who won with three of his first six starters at Keeneland, is tremendous with layoff horses. Farhaan, who runs well fresh, has won his last three starts on dirt, and has enough positional speed to be close early.