Trainer Rick Dutrow has obviously been pleased with what he’s seen from Captain Cook on the racetrack, the 3-year-old having won both of his starts for him, including the Withers Stakes two weeks ago.

Dutrow is only just now starting to like what he’s seeing from Captain Cook at the barn.

Brendan Walsh’s first training job came about 43 years ago. A horse-crazy kid growing up on a farm in Ireland that raised cattle and grew crops, 8-year-old Walsh received as a gift from his father a pony. The creature, unfortunately, as Walsh once described him, was a rogue. A couple years and many challenging lessons later, Walsh had brought the pony to heel.

Hypnus, who announced his presence with an eye-catching debut maiden route win Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds, remains a candidate for the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The colt’s trainer, Kenny McPeek, told Daily Racing Form he was considering the Risen Star Stakes, the Rebel, and a first-level allowance for Hypnus, a son of Into Mischief and Dream Tree who made short work of eight rivals last month while earning an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

Derby Watch member Coal Battle pulled a page out of the Mystik Dan playbook last month when he traveled from his Arkansas base to Louisiana to maintain an uninterrupted training schedule ahead of a major 3-year-old prep at Oaklawn Park.

Mystik Dan traveled from Oaklawn to Fair Grounds in January 2024 just before a major snowstorm hit Arkansas and disrupted training at Oaklawn. He logged three works in Louisiana and returned to win the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn and eventually the Kentucky Derby.

ARCADIA, Calif. – High-profile maiden 3-year-olds could steal the show Friday at Santa Anita. That is, if there is a show to steal.

An ominous forecast called for up to four inches of rain this week at Santa Anita. Conditions are uncertain for Friday racing. Track officials already made a preemptive move by postponing all turf races until the weekend. Due to expected wet weather, all eight races Friday are on dirt.

Santa Anita-based Bullard is headed to Oaklawn for the Rebel, and armchair handicappers might view his past performances and conclude he is merely a late-running sprinter. His first two starts were last-to-first sprint wins, including the Grade 3 Bob Hope on Nov. 17 at Del Mar, followed by an even-paced third in the seven-furlong San Vicente on Jan. 4 at Santa Anita.

“I sprinted him [again in the San Vicente] strictly because I didn’t want to wait another month to run him,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “The winner of the San Vicente [Barnes] is a fast horse.”

Plans are fluid for California 3-year-olds, but well-seasoned Citizen Bull could start just once more before the Kentucky Derby, while lightly raced Barnes and Rodriguez have time for two more starts beginning with the Grade 2 Rebel on Feb. 22 at Oaklawn Park or Grade 2 San Felipe on March 1 at Santa Anita. Citizen Bull, Barnes, and Rodriguez are trained by Bob Baffert.

“I might wait for the Santa Anita Derby with” Citizen Bull, Baffert said last weekend.

East Avenue

Colt by Medaglia d’Oro – Dance Music, by Ghostzapper

Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin

East Avenue won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last fall, but then lost all chance when he stumbled badly at the start of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The Godolphin homebred makes his highly anticipated 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 2 Risen Star. As the colt marches down the classics trail, he will look to check off one more accomplishment for his veteran sire, and to continue to boost the profile of a strong female family.

WHO’S HOT

Sand Devil defeated just four New York-breds in the Damon Runyon Stakes last Saturday at Aqueduct, but the 3-for-3 colt was fast and game. Sand Devil is the only new face this week on the Derby Watch Top 20. Daily Racing Form linemaker David Aragona opens him at 40-1, replacing Poster.