Leaderboard for qualifying points to the 2020 Kentucky Derby, which will be run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday, May 2, 2020. Points are earned by the top four finishers in designated Kentucky Derby prep races.
ARCADIA, Calif. – He trained for Robert Lewis, for whom the race is named, and got his 3,000th victory in North American Thoroughbred racing on Saturday with a horse named Thousand Words, in a race that’s a prep for the Kentucky Derby, which he’s won five times.
For trainer Bob Baffert, the connections were obvious and meaningful after Thousand Words remained undefeated with a victory in the Grade 3, $100,500 Robert Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – It was mentioned to Linda Rice on Saturday morning that her 3-year-old Max Player was a bit of a buzz horse entering that afternoon’s Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.
Rice seemed a bit surprised at the notion and responded “Did anybody see his first two races?”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. -- Tiz the Law got back on the winning track and did so in impressive fashion, pulling away through the final furlong from a game Ete Indien to register a popular three-length victory launching his 3-year-old campaign in Saturday’s $250,000 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The Triple Crown-nominated filly Taraz picked up 10 points for the Kentucky Oaks on Saturday, when she won her two-turn debut by 3 3/4 lengths in the $150,000 Martha Washington at Oaklawn.
She is now 3 for 3, with her victories coming by a combined margin of 22 1/2 lengths.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of her yet,” regular rider Florent Geroux said.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Anneau d’Or, second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita, will begin his 3-year-old campaign in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds as a prep for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 4, trainer Blaine Wright said Friday.
Anneau d’Or, who is in training at Golden Gate Fields, was second in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 7 in his most recent start, finishing a neck behind Thousand Words.
Wright said he will add blinkers to Anneau d’Or for the Risen Star.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Gouverneur Morris will ship from his Florida base to make his 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 17 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park looking to score points on the Kentucky Derby trail.
Barry Irwin, whose Team Valor International partnership owns Gouverneur Morris with WinStar Farm, said the Constitution colt is flourishing in his training for Todd Pletcher at the Palm Beach Downs training center in Delray Beach, Fla.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Maxfield, one of the leading 2-year-olds of 2019, returned recently to the Brendan Walsh barn at the Palm Meadows training center after undergoing rehabilitation at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Fla. Maxfield had a small ankle chip removed shortly after being scratched from the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
“He’s back galloping at Palm Meadows and we’ll monitor him this week as to when he can start back working,” Walsh said Wednesday from New Orleans. “But he’s done great physically and is moving great, too.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Kenny McPeek sent out Harvey Wallbanger to a 29-1 upset of the Holy Bull Stakes last year, so there’s fresh precedent for something similar to happen Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
McPeek will be back in the Holy Bull with another longshot, Mayberry Deputy, although he doesn’t expect the Majesticperfection colt to be quite as big a price on the tote.
“Probably not,” McPeek said. “His maiden win last month was impressive in the sense he got bounced around quite a bit, yet he still came through and got the job done.”
Listed, $150,000 Smarty Jones, one mile, Oaklawn Park, Jan. 24, 2020
(10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)
Winner: Gold Street, by Street Boss
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Martin Garcia
Owner: Mike McCarty
Beyer Speed Figure: 95
