Mon, 03/09/2020 - 14:35

Road to the 2020 Kentucky Derby: San Felipe Stakes analysis

Emily Shields
Authentic led throughout en route to a 2 1/4-length win in Saturday's Grade 2 San Felipe.

Grade 2, $401,000 San Felipe Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita, March 7, 2020
(50 Derby qualifying points for a win, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)
Winner: Authentic, by Into Mischief
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Drayden Van Dyke
Owners: SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Fred Hertrich III, John D. Fielding, and Golconda Stables

Sun, 03/08/2020 - 19:07

Mutuel field favored in third pool of 2020 Kentucky Derby Future Wager

The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed as a lukewarm favorite over Authentic and Tiz the Law after three days of betting into Pool 3 of the 2020 Kentucky Derby Future Wager. The pool opened Friday at noon Eastern and closed Sunday evening when coinciding with the only futures pool toward the 2020 Kentucky Oaks.

Sun, 03/08/2020 - 14:39

Authentic, Honor A. P. to see rematch in Santa Anita Derby

Emily Shields
Authentic earned 50 points for the Kentucky Derby courtesy of his victory in Saturday's San Felipe Stakes.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Authentic and Honor A. P., the one-two finishers in the San Felipe Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, both emerged from the race well and are scheduled to meet again in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 4, their trainers said Sunday morning here at Santa Anita.

The Santa Anita Derby, which has a purse of $1 million, will be their final prep before the Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Sun, 03/08/2020 - 14:19

King Guillermo will train up to Kentucky Derby

Tom Keyser
King Guillermo earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 99 for his win Saturday in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Fourteen of the last 20 winners of the Tampa Bay Derby have run back in the Kentucky Derby. Destin in 2016 was the only one of them not to have a race in between, and he finished sixth behind Nyquist prior to losing a tight photo in the Belmont Stakes.

Trainer Juan Carlos Avila, a relative newcomer to the American racing scene, will be looking to do even better when King Guillermo goes eight weeks without a race. The Uncle Mo colt will train into the May 2 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs after posting a runaway victory Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

Sun, 03/08/2020 - 11:33

Servis unsure about second Kentucky Derby prep for Mischevious Alex

Barbara D. Livingston
Mischevious Alex could run back in the Wood Memorial on April 4 or train up to the Kentucky Derby.

Mischevious Alex came out of his victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct in good order and all options are open for him including potentially training up to the Kentucky Derby on May 2, trainer John Servis said Sunday morning.

Sat, 03/07/2020 - 20:12

Mischevious Alex takes Gotham for third straight stakes win

Barbara D. Livingston
Mischevious Alex was a two-length winner of Saturday's Grade 3 Gotham Stakes.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mischevious Alex doesn’t know his name is spelled incorrectly. He doesn’t know that he’s not really bred to be a Kentucky Derby horse.

Mischevious Alex does know how to win, though, a trait he demonstrated for the third consecutive time Saturday at Aqueduct, taking the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes by two lengths. Fellow South Florida shippers Untitled and Attachment Rate, separated by a head, finished second and third, respectively.

Sat, 03/07/2020 - 19:57

Authentic takes them all the way in San Felipe Stakes

Emily Shields
Authentic led throughout en route to a 2 1/4-length win in Saturday's Grade 2 San Felipe.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Authentic is ready to spring forward.

On the final day of standard time, the unbeaten 3-year-old colt continued to enhance his Kentucky Derby credentials with a front-running victory over several high-class rivals in the Grade 2, $401,000 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Sat, 03/07/2020 - 19:24

King Guillermo shocks at 49-1 in Tampa Bay Derby

Tom Keyser
King Guillermo returned $100.40, the biggest win mutuel in Tampa Bay Derby history.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Just imagine how they’ll react if they win the next Derby on their schedule.

The connections of King Guillermo launched into a celebration of the most boisterous kind when the Uncle Mo colt sped to victory Saturday in the Tampa Bay Derby, returning the second-biggest price in the 40-year history of the Tampa Bay Downs showcase while earning his way into the May 2 Kentucky Derby.

Fri, 03/06/2020 - 12:46

O Seraphina withdrawn from Oaks future wager

Churchill Downs officials announced Friday that wagering on O Seraphina (No. 17) in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager will not be accepted. The filly was reported by trainer Joe Sharp to have suffered a minor injury since an easy win in a Feb. 22 maiden race at Oaklawn Park.

The announcement was made shortly before noon Eastern, when the first of three days of wagering into the Oaks pool and Kentucky Derby Pool 3 began. The Oaks pool closes Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, 30 minutes after Pool 3 closes.

Thu, 03/05/2020 - 14:00

San Felipe should help sort California 3-year-olds

Emily Shields
BC Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old Storm the Court is looking to get back on track in Saturday’s San Felipe.

Storm the Court won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which brought him the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male, eight days before Authentic ever raced.

Honor A. P. crushed maidens authoritatively on Oct. 13, 13 days before Thousand Words made his debut.