With Kentucky continuing to ride out record snowfall and deadly flooding, it sometimes seems as though winter will never end. But horse racing’s ultimate rite of spring, the Kentucky Derby, is just 10 weeks from Saturday, and while the temperature might be below freezing when a big field of 3-year-olds lines up for the $175,000 John Battaglia Memorial on Saturday night at Turfway Park, things are heating up on the local road to the classic.

Sandman has had just one work leading up to the Rebel on Sunday at Oaklawn, and that’s by design, according to his Hall of Fame trainer, Mark Casse.

The horse, who finished a troubled second in the Southwest in his last start Jan. 25, worked back on Feb. 9, drilling five-eighths in 1:01.40.

“That was a significant work,” Casse said. “He breezed five-eighths of a mile and galloped out three-quarters. He’s ready.

Trainer Brad Cox is hopeful Admiral Dennis will get the right kind of setup in the Grade 2, $1.25 million Rebel Stakes on Sunday at Oaklawn Park. The son of Constitution won an allowance last out at Fair Grounds and will be returning to stakes competition after finishing fourth in the Gun Runner in December.

Led by Cyclone State, the winner of the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct on Jan. 4, Saturday’s Group 3, $1.5 million Saudi Derby at a mile in Saudi Arabia has three nominees to the American Triple Crown in its field of 10.

Cyclone State, trained by Chad Summers for the partnership of Gold Square LLC, George Messina, and Michael Lee, was the 3-1 favorite with British bookmakers as of Wednesday morning.

Remember when many Las Vegas sportsbooks offered winter-book wagering on the Kentucky Derby? The list is down to one, as Ceasars is the last Las Vegas sportsbook to offer fixed-odds future wagers on the Kentucky Derby.

Though few 3-year-olds transition successfully from maiden victory to Grade 1, few have as much natural ability and pedigree power as Baeza. The well-bred colt’s dominating maiden route victory Feb. 14 at Santa Anita stamps him as a legitimate contender in the Santa Anita Derby on April 5.

WHO’S HOT

Magnitude was hot, then not. Magnitude crushed the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds by nearly 10 lengths and would have been favored this week on the Daily Racing Form Derby Watch Top 20. But days after his romping victory, Magnitude was off the trail. Trainer Steve Asmussen told DRF reporter Marcus Hersh the colt was to undergo surgery for a bone chip in his left ankle.