LOUISVILLE, Ky. – About an hour before trainer Brad Cox sends out a trio of key contenders in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, he will have two more of his top caliber 3-year-old fillies in Heavenly Sunday and Flashy Gem among the key players in the $500,000 Edgewood Stakes. The Grade 2 Edgewood will be decided at a mile and one-sixteenth on the turf.
Jimmy Jerkens will send out his last few runners this weekend before heading to Saudi Arabia later this month to train. Among his final horses will be Weyburn, who starts in Friday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park.
The Westchester, a one-mile race that could lead to the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on June 10, drew a field of eight, but lost a major player in White Abarrio, who shipped to Kentucky on Tuesday to run in Saturday’s Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When it comes to Practical Move’s preparation for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, trainer Tim Yakteen is utilizing the less-is-more approach.
On Wednesday, three days out from Kentucky Derby 149, Practical Move simply jogged one mile around Churchill’s main track. It was at least the second time Practical Move just jogged after arriving from Southern California on Saturday.
Between them, trainers Chad Brown and Christophe Clement have won nine runnings of the Sheepshead Bay. One of them is assured of adding to his trophy collection in Friday’s 64th renewal of the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay. Brown sends out three and Clement two in the five-horse field.
Brown, who has won this 1 3/8-mile turf race for females five times – all in the last seven years – sends out Mylady, Higher Truth, and Virginia Joy, the 1-2-4 finishers of the Grade 3 The Very One at Gulfstream Park on March 4.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Kentucky Oaks is traditionally considered Louisville’s day at the races, with many businesses and schools in the River City closing down to celebrate the event. It’s fitting, then, that a pair of Louisville natives train the top three choices on the morning line for Friday’s 149th edition of the Grade 1, $1.25 million race at Churchill Downs – Brad Cox with Wet Paint and Botanical leading his trio of entrants, and Norm Casse with third choice Southlawn.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Back with her own kind, Caravel figures a tough customer Friday as the solid favorite in the $300,000 Unbridled Sidney over the Churchill Downs turf.
Caravel, a 6-year-old Pennsylvania-bred, ended 2022 with a 42-1 upset of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and began 2023 with a gritty triumph last month in the Grade 2 Shakertown. Both races were against male rivals on the Keeneland turf.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Gary and Mary West watched their colors cross the line first at Churchill Downs, only to have roses literally taken out of their hands. Trainer Brad Cox experienced the opposite, as he saddled a colt to cross the line second in the Kentucky Derby, only to later be promoted to the victory.
Together, the owners and trainer team up in this Saturday’s running of the Derby with Hit Show, hoping for a first-place finish they can celebrate this time.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The millionaire Mr. Wireless appears to be a solid favorite in the inaugural $150,000 Lake Ouachita on Friday at Oaklawn Park, and his form could look even more appealing by the time the race rolls around.
Mr. Wireless comes off a third-place finish behind West Will Power and Art Collector in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds. Both of those horses are set to run back in the Alysheba early Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Me and My Shadow bypassed last Saturday’s Star Shoot Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine and should be favored versus older opposition in Friday’s third race, a nonwinners-of-two allowance with a $50,000 claiming option for 3-year-olds.
Me and My Shadow looked like she could be any kind, graduating with a 78 Beyer Speed Figure on debut here last July while defeating the future Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Cairo Consort. She started one more time last summer, a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Schuylerville on the dirt at Saratoga.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Remember last year’s fast juvenile Cave Rock? A two-time Grade 1 winner, he might have been a hot topic this week as potential pacesetter in the Kentucky Derby.
Cave Rock, however, has not raced since he finished second to Derby favorite Forte last fall in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Cave Rock’s relevance resurfaces Friday. An unraced colt who last summer worked heads-up with Cave Rock appears in a maiden sprint Friday at Santa Anita.
