The $100,000 Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs scheduled for Sunday at Santa Anita failed to draw sufficient entries and was canceled.

The Barrera was intended as the stakes debut for High Connection, the 10-length winner of a maiden special weight race at 6 1/2 furlongs in his debut on March 26. At the time, High Connection was trained by Bob Baffert, who is serving a 90-day suspension for a medication violation found in a post-race test taken from 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit.

California jockey Diego Herrera turned 18 on Wednesday and the upstart rider is well aware of what he might be doing on his birthday as soon as 2023.

Could there be a better birthday present than a Kentucky Derby mount, or even a win?

“That would be fun to ride,” Herrera said on Friday. “Hopefully I can find a good 2-year-old that can take me to the first Saturday in May.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky.– Loves Only You surged late, overtook favored War Like Goddess, and won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Her victory marked a breakthrough, the first for a Japanese horse in a Breeders’ Cup race. That happened at 2 o’clock. Two hours later, Marche Lorraine, a 50-1 shot, held on by a nose to capture the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Make that two Breeders’ Cup wins for Japan – in one day.

Five weeks later in Hong Kong, Loves Only You won the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup and another Japanese horse, Glory Vase, won the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It was the calm before the storm – literally – for the fillies of the Kentucky Oaks as race day dawned on Churchill Downs. 

Only one of the entrants, Bourbonette Oaks winner Candy Raid, was out for a gallop on the sealed track Friday morning, some 11 hours before post time. The rest of the field walked their respective shed rows, as is the standard practice for many trainers on race day. 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jockey Flavien Prat’s lone victory in the Kentucky Derby didn’t come with the typical fanfare associated with such an achievement.

In 2019, Prat was the rider of Country House, who crossed the wire second, 1 3/4 lengths behind Maximum Security. After a 22-minute inquiry, the stewards disqualified Maximum Security from first for interference and Country House was elevated to first.

“It’s a hard way to win,” Prat said recently on the Churchill Downs backside. “I’m pretty sure it’s not the same feeling as crossing the line first, that’s for sure.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Amr Zedan walked out of Churchill Downs one year ago as the winning owner of the Kentucky Derby, his Medina Spirit having crossed the wire first. He’ll walk back in on Saturday trying to win the Derby with Taiba, as an odyssey that has included extreme highs and crushing lows continues to play out.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Zandon may be trainer Chad Brown’s best 3-year-old dirt horse. Jack Christopher was definitely his best 2-year-old dirt horse.

About five hours before Brown sends out Zandon as the likely favorite in Saturday’s 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, he’ll bring Jack Christopher back to the races for his 3-year-old debut as the probable favorite in the Grade 2, $500,000 Pat Day Mile.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The chaos of Kentucky Derby week can be a major gauntlet for young, inexperienced horses - even those who have raced in this country. Summer Is Tomorrow has extra hurdles. Not only has he traversed the globe to get here, but his base is the private Zabeel Stables in the U.A.E., a much more serene setting than the typical American backstretch. 

Trainer Bhupat Seemar expresses optimistim that his colt, who has been stabled at Churchill Downs since April 23, can adapt to the challenges. 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The expected full field for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby will create a scenario none of the 20 who go into battle have ever seen before, or will again. Young nerves will be tested in such a large field by the jostling for position, tight spaces, and fierce challenges. 

The experience is impossible to replicate or fully prepare for, although most youngsters get traffic training in company as part of their basic education. John Ortiz, who will send out his first Derby starter in Barber Road, explained the process of instilling competitiveness and confidence. 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s been 21 years since a Derby starter was 99-1 on the Churchill toteboard, and it appears unlikely that drought will end this year.

Maybe Rich Strike would reach triple-digit odds if he was to somehow draw into the race as No. 21 before the Friday morning scratch deadline, but otherwise it seems unlikely any of the other 20 starters will reach that threshold. Without Rich Strike, maybe the longest shot will be Summer Is Tomorrow, although Happy Jack, Pioneer of Medina, and Ethereal Road also should be big numbers.