Authentic, an undefeated two-time stakes winner, worked six furlongs in 1:11 on Sunday at Santa Anita for a scheduled start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on June 6.
Authentic won the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 7 in what was intended to be a prep for the original date of the Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs officials announced Tuesday a partially updated list of qualifying races for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks while also making contingencies for the Preakness and/or Belmont Stakes in case either precedes the Derby.
Nine new points races for the Derby are listed, starting with the May 23 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill. Points for the Matt Winn have been increased to 85 (50-20-10-5), up substantially from the 17 points originally (10-4-2-1) designated for the race when Churchill began to reset its schedule earlier this month.
On the day he could have been going for his second victory in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Barclay Tagg was a little more than 1,000 miles away from Churchill Downs, at the Palm Meadows training center in South Florida. And instead of running for the roses with his colt Tiz the Law in the biggest race in the country, one he won in 2003 with Funny Cide, Tagg was sending Tiz the Law through a five-furlong work, marking time, waiting to see what’s next.
“We’re all just treading water,” Tagg said in a telephone interview earlier this week.
Hill 'n' Dale Farm has acquired the future breeding rights to Kentucky Derby hopeful Charlatan, who remained unbeaten with a dominant victory in a division of the Arkansas Derby last Saturday.
The 3-year-old son of Speightstown is campaigned in partnership by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Stonestreet Farm, Madaket Stables, Fred Hertrich III, John D. Fielding, and Golconda Stables, and is trained by Bob Baffert.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Brendan Walsh got the extra time he needed with Maxfield. Soon it’ll be up to the colt to capitalize on the reprieve.
Maxfield is widely regarded as a major contender for the 146th Kentucky Derby, but only because the coronavirus crisis forced Churchill Downs officials to postpone it from May 2 to Sept. 5. If the race had been run as originally scheduled, Maxfield would have been hard-pressed to make the race – let alone win it.
Grade 1, $500,000 Arkansas Derby (Division 2), 1 1/8 miles, Oaklawn Park, May 2, 2020
(100 Derby qualifying points for a win, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)
Winner: Nadal, by Blame
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Owners: George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman, and Mark Mathiesen
Beyer Speed Figure: 98
Grade 1, $500,000 Arkansas Derby (Division 1); 1 1/8 miles; Oaklawn Park; May 2, 2020
(100 Derby qualifying points for a win, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)
Winner: Charlatan, by Speightstown
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Martin Garcia
Owners: SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables, Hertrich
Beyer Speed Figure: 96
Bob Baffert had everything but the roses Saturday. The five-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer won the biggest 3-year-old races of the day on the first Saturday in May, and celebrated, as he would have in Louisville, with a steak dinner from his favorite restaurant.
The Arkansas Derby was split into two divisions, enabling Baffert to capture both, with Charlatan and then Nadal. Both were favored, both remained unbeaten, and both emerged from their races in good order, Baffert said Sunday morning.
