INDIANTOWN, Fla. – Three times in the last seven years, as the field turned into the stretch of the Kentucky Derby, trainer Chad Brown thought his horses were in position to win the race.

It wasn’t to be.

In 2018, Good Magic had to settle for second, 2 1/2 lengths behind Justify. In 2022, the late-running Zandon couldn’t see out the 1 1/4 miles and finished third, 1 1/2 lengths behind longshot winner Rich Strike.

Then, in 2024, Sierra Leone couldn’t maintain a straight course through the stretch and fell a nose short of the rail-skimming Mystik Dan.

East Avenue came into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile the first weekend in November looking like the leading member of his generation. Coming into the second weekend of March, his generation less than two months away from their turn at the Kentucky Derby, East Avenue essentially has fallen off the radar.

There are no quiet weekends for the remainder of March for Flavien Prat, the champion jockey of 2024.

After riding at Santa Anita last Saturday, Prat will be on planes each weekend for the rest of the month. This Saturday in the Tampa Bay Derby, he is scheduled to ride Chancer McPatrick, who won the Grade 1 Hopeful and Grade 1 Champagne Stakes last year before finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 1 in his last start.

Gaming, who finished eighth in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn in his 3-year-old debut, will make his next start in the $500,000 Virginia Derby on March 15 at Colonial Downs, trainer Bob Baffert said.

“It’s a mile and an eighth, one turn, we’ll give him one more crack at it,” said Baffert, who has Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride. “The Oaklawn race was horrendous. He didn’t get anything out of that. He’s come back and worked well.”

Disappointed, but not discouraged, trainer Ian Wilkes said Burnham Square, fourth as the favorite in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, will continue down the Triple Crown trail and be pointed to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 5.

“It’s back home,” Wilkes said “He’s run three times [in Florida]. We’ll get back to Kentucky and just plan on the Blue Grass and see if we can rebound.”

The connections of impressive maiden winner Baeza hope the Santa Anita Derby has at least six starters, which means the full allotment of Kentucky Derby qualifying points will be awarded. Regardless, trainer John Shirreffs will not fret. He said, “There’s nothing I can do about it.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Mark Glatt is a native of Washington state best known for his success in California, where he is the leading trainer at the current Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.

Glatt began his career in more modest surroundings, winning his first race at tiny Yakima Meadows in Washington in 1994. For his accomplishments in the last 30 years, Glatt will be inducted into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame this summer. The ceremony will be held Aug. 16, the eve of the $125,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

WHO’S HOT

Journalism rockets to favoritism on the Derby Watch Top 20 following a decisive 108 Beyer Speed Figure comeback victory over heavily favored Barnes in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita. Journalism’s price was lowered to 9-2 by Daily Racing Form linemaker David Aragona. Barnes, who finished more than nine lengths clear of third, drops slightly to 8-1.