HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – With the postponement of the Kentucky Derby from the first Saturday in May until the first Saturday in September, the opportunity has arisen for late-developing 3-year-olds to insert themselves in the Derby picture in the months ahead.

After briefly considering a trip to Oaklawn Park for the Grade 1, $750,000 Arkansas Derby on May 2, the connections of Max Player have decided to pass that race and wait for something closer to home in New York.

“I spoke to [owner] George Hall and we’ve decided that it’s too far to go,” Rice said by phone Friday from Belmont Park. “It’s going to be a pretty strong race and it’s a long way to travel so we’re going to stay here and hope that we reopen and have something that’s immediately in front of us.”

WHO’S HOT

Mr. Big News, who won the Oaklawn Stakes on Saturday, and Shooters Shoot, who captured an allowance race earlier on that card, are the two newcomers to the Derby Watch top 20. Both are 50-1 shots on the future line set by Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form for the Kentucky Derby, now scheduled for Sept. 5. Tiz the Law remains McGee’s favorite, at 3-1. McGee tweaked a couple of prices since the list was last updated. Charlatan remains his fourth choice, but he’s down to 6-1 after being 10-1 two weeks ago.

After several days of rain that forced postponement of workouts, three California-based runners with designs on the Arkansas Derby all got in significant drills Wednesday morning at Santa Anita.

Charlatan went six furlongs in 1:12.20, while five-furlong works were recorded by Nadal (59.80 seconds) and champion Storm the Court (1:00.60). All three are pointing to the Grade 1, $750,000 Arkansas Derby on May 2 at Oaklawn Park, a race that offers 170 points overall, with 100 to the winner, for the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

Mr. Big News

Giant’s Causeway – Unappeased, by Galileo

Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corp. ($95,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling purchase by Allied Racing Stable)

For all of his accomplishments, European Horse of the Year and internationally successful stallion Giant’s Causeway has never sired the winner of an American classic race. But the stallion, who died in 2018, may get another chance this season with Mr. Big News, a newcomer to this week’s Derby Watch as the long road to the Kentucky Derby marches on.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Mr. Big News pulled a 46-1 upset Saturday in the $200,000 Oaklawn Stakes for 3-year-olds, running the kind of race trainer Bret Calhoun thought he was poised for last month when the colt did not draw into the Louisiana Derby.

“That was a great race,” Calhoun said shortly after the Oaklawn Stakes on Saturday. 

Mr. Big News, who was a half-length winner over Farmington Road, earned berths into both the Preakness Stakes and Arkansas Derby with his win. It was another 3 1/4 lengths back in third to Taishan.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – There is a lot of opportunity attached to Saturday’s $200,000 Oaklawn Stakes, which drew 13 3-year-olds, including Daily Racing Form Derby Watch members Thousand Words and Basin.

For starters, the Oaklawn Stakes is a chance to race when the coronavirus pandemic has led to the suspension or cancellation of meets throughout North America.

“I think we’re lucky Oaklawn is running at all,” said Steve Asmussen, who sends out Basin, Gold Street, and Shoplifted.

The uncertainty in coming months regarding racing in general, and preps to the Kentucky Derby specifically, has caused a number of trainers to tweak their approaches with their top 3-year-olds in coming weeks. Other factors are at play in their decisions, including rules regarding shipping imposed by the owners of Gulfstream Park, and where horses stand on the current points list.

Thousand Words, who suffered his first career loss when fourth in the San Felipe Stakes on March 7 at Santa Anita, will try to rebound with his first race outside California when he competes in the Oaklawn Stakes on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

Trainer Bob Baffert on Tuesday said he had sent Thousand Words to the Oaklawn Stakes, which flip-flopped dates with the Arkansas Derby, now scheduled for May 2.

Joe Talamo will have the mount, Baffert said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, once again was favored when Pool 4 of the 2020 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Sunday following the customary three-day betting window.

The field closed at 3-1 and was followed by Charlatan (5-1), Tiz the Law (5-1), Maxfield (9-1), Nadal (9-1), Authentic (10-1), and Honor A. P. (15-1). The lowest $2 exacta will-pay was Tiz the Law over the field (22-24), worth $62.