The broodmare Lady Samuri has established herself as one of the most noteworthy in production through the first third of 2022. The mare, owned by Stonestreet Farm, is the dam of a pair of stakes winners this season in Last Samurai, winner of the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap over the weekend, and Candy Raid, winner of the Bourbonette Oaks. Should Candy Raid go on to win the Kentucky Oaks, Stonestreet will have bred consecutive Oaks winners, as it also raised 2021 heroine Malathaat.

A.P. Indy and Curlin are among the most successful sires in the modern history of the American classics, and the two have proven a potent pedigree combination. Last year’s Kentucky Oaks heroine, Malathaat, was produced by crossing Curlin over an A.P. Indy mare. Nest, who will attempt to win the Oaks next week, is bred on the same cross.

Indian Miss, the dam of 2019 Eclipse Award champion Mitole and classic-placed Grade 1 winner Hot Rod Charlie, has been honored as Kentucky's Broodmare of the Year.

Epicenter

Not This Time – Silent Candy, by Candy Ride

Bred in Kentucky by Westwind Farms ($260,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Winchell Thoroughbreds)

The young stallion Not This Time has enjoyed a stellar spring with his runners. His leading 3-year-old is Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter, who will be among the favorites in the Kentucky Derby in less than three weeks.

A precious few each year get to say they bred a Kentucky Derby runner. With thousands of Thoroughbreds born each year, it’s a longshot – especially for smaller programs outside of Kentucky that raise a relative handful of foals.

But for Ohio-based Bruce Ryan, who bred Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba, it’s a longshot that he’s around to enjoy this spring at all.

Fillies by Street Boss and War Front held the fastest times at their respective breeze distances as the weeklong under-tack preview show for the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training concluded Saturday.  

Taiba

Gun Runner – Needmore Flattery, by Flatter

Bred in Kentucky by Bruce C. Young ($140,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling purchase by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds; $1.7 million Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-old purchase by Gary Young, agent for Zedan Racing)

Gun Runner has emerged from prep season for the spring classics with an embarrassment of riches. The record-setting young sire added Taiba to his Kentucky Derby candidates last weekend and could wind up with multiple entrants in both the Derby and Kentucky Oaks.

Straight Fire showed promise as a juvenile before being forced into a premature retirement, but some of the partners who raced him supported him as a stallion at Legacy Ranch in California. They are now reaping the rewards of doing so.

Straight Fire’s 3-year-olds swept a pair of California-bred stakes on the Santa Anita Derby undercard Saturday, with Power Surge springing a $155.20 upset in the Evening Jewel Stakes and Smuggler’s Run winning the Echo Eddie Stakes. Another son, What in Blazes, was third in the Echo Eddie.

Pennsylvania-bred Just One Time is the newest Grade 1 winner for the hot young sire Not This Time, running down the classy Bell’s the One to win the Madison Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland.

Brendan Walsh experienced what, to the best of his memory, was a first for his training career Saturday when he sent out a pair of half-siblings to win on the same card. Prevalence won the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland, three races after his younger half-brother Emirates Road won a maiden special weight.

Both colts race as homebreds for Godolphin, for whom Walsh trained multiple Grade 1 winner Maxfield. That son of Street Sense retired to the stallion barn for this year, but Walsh also has a half-sibling to that star in his barn, the filly Loved.