Dream Shake will have a California-based campaign in advance of a potential start in the Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.
Third in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 6, Dream Shake will start in the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 3, trainer Peter Eurton confirmed Friday.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Prevalence earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure when easily passing a second preliminary test Thursday at Gulfstream Park en route to joining the Kentucky Derby trail.
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Prevalence never had a straw in his path after breaking from the outside post in a field of six 3-year-olds in the one-mile, first-level allowance. He prevailed by three lengths in 1:35.82 over a fast track, returning $2.20 as a prohibitive favorite.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Prevalence, the exciting Godolphin homebred on the fast track to the 147th Kentucky Derby, passed another preliminary test en route to joining the Derby trail by easily winning a first-level allowance Thursday at Gulfstream Park.
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Prevalence never had a straw in his path in winning the one-mile race by three lengths in 1:35.82 over a fast track. He returned $2.20 as the prohibitive favorite in a field of six 3-year-olds.
Every day at this time of year is a big day if you’ve got a Kentucky Derby contender. It’ll be so in triplicate for trainer Brad Cox on Saturday.
He’ll arise early in New Orleans and head over to Fair Grounds, where Essential Quality, his unbeaten Eclipse Award winner, will have his first work back following his victory two weeks earlier in the Southwest, and where Mandaloun, winner of the Risen Star, will have his final work in advance of the Louisiana Derby seven days later.
WHO’S HOT
The dazzling victory by Life Is Good in the San Felipe caused Marty McGee, who authors the Derby Watch top 20 betting line for the Kentucky Derby, to make Life Is Good the new favorite, down to 5-2 after being the 6-1 third choice last week. There are three newcomers to this week’s list – Crowded Trade, Helium, and Weyburn – and a returnee in Prevalence. McGee has Prevalence at 30-1, with the other three at 50-1.
The Caddo River splits off from the bigger Ouachita in south central Arkansas south of Hot Springs, about 30 miles or so. Leaving Oaklawn Racing and Casino, head south on Central Avenue, past nearby Lake Hamilton, and continue down Route 7.
On the way there, if you make a little detour, you can visit Prairie Bayou. Farther south on 7, which parallels the course of the Ouachita, you’ll wind up in Camden, not far from Cox’s Ridge, so small it’s not even marked on a map, and where the most famous resident – heck, the only resident – was Charlie Vanlandingham.
Caddo River
Hard Spun – Pangburn, by Congrats
Bred in Kentucky by Shortleaf Stable
Caddo River, who is continuing along Oaklawn Park’s Kentucky Derby prep series, comes from a family with a history of success. Both his sire and dam were hard-knocking racehorses, and there is proven two-turn ability on both those sides of the family.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - The unbeaten Concert Tour will break from post 7 in a field of eight when he makes his two-turn debut Saturday in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
The mile and a sixteenth race that was drawn Tuesday rewards its winner with 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby and anchors a 12-race card that features five stakes. First post is an earlier than usual 12 p.m. Central.
Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby, 1 1/16 miles, Tampa Bay Downs, March 6, 2021
(50 Derby qualifying points for first, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)
Winner: Helium, by Ironicus
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Jose Ferrer
Owner: D J Stable LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 84
Churchill Downs will distribute $10 million in stakes purses during this year’s Kentucky Derby week, including $120,000 in a stakes race re-named for the Hall of Fame rider Isaac Murphy, the son of a former slave who won three of the early runnings of the Kentucky Derby.
