OLDSMAR, Fla. - Now that The Puma has confirmed his connections’ belief that he is a Kentucky Derby horse, they will spend the coming week or so figuring out the best route to get him to the May 2 Run for the Roses. 

The Puma earned his way into the Kentucky Derby with a three-quarter-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs. With 56 qualifying points - he also got six points for his third in the Sam Davis - The Puma, a maiden entering the Tampa Bay Derby, should comfortably make the Churchill Downs starting gate. 

ARCADIA, Calif. – A second-time starter whose $2.4 million auction price as a yearling suggested he could be more than just a maiden sprint winner jumped onto the Kentucky Derby trail Saturday at Santa Anita.

Potente ($18.20) upset the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes under Juan Hernandez, giving trainer Bob Baffert his record-extending 10th victory in the 1 1/16-mile race. Potente won by a head over 67-1 longshot Robusta.

So Happy finished 2 1/4 lengths back in third; Secured Freedom finished fourth; Baffert-trained favorite Brant set the pace and tired to fifth.

If Hugo Padilla claimed that the sky was falling before the $75,000 City of Brotherly Love Stakes at Parx Racing on Tuesday, one might be inclined to believe him.

The confidence with which the trainer spoke of Red Zone Runner ahead of his 3-year-old debut suggested all but absolute certainty in the colt’s prospects. Even then, he wasn’t prepared for the final result.

“I thought he was good, but not that good,” Padilla said. “He really impressed everybody.”

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Class President likely locked up a spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby on Sunday when he fought for a nose win over Silent Tactic in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel at Oaklawn Park.

It was another 5 1/4 lengths back in third to favorite Litmus Test.

The Rebel rewarded its winner with 50 points for the Kentucky Derby. The prep was showcased on a 12-race card run under clear skies and temperatures in the 70s. The attendance ontrack was an estimated 29,000, according to Oaklawn.  

Trainer Chad Brown believes there’s more than meets the eye to Iron Honor after he had to work harder than expected to beat an Ohio-bred stakes winner in Saturday’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – If the rest of the run-up to the 2026 Kentucky Derby is as exciting as Saturday’s $425,000 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, it’s going to be a very fun spring. 

The filly Blanc de Blanc maintained her perfect record after two starts with a three-length win in Friday’s $47,200 Patton Race at Dundalk Racecourse in Ireland, part of the European-Middle East Kentucky Derby qualifying series.

Ridden by Donagh O’Connor, Blanc de Blanc stalked stablemate Flanker Jet before taking the lead with more than a furlong remaining in the one-mile race.

Blanc De Blanc was not urged in the final strides. She paid $5.40 as the favorite in American pools in a field of nine.