HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Mark Casse has had a hot hand with 3-year-olds this meet at Oaklawn Park, and he’ll attempt to add to his local stakes success Saturday with Our Braintrust in the Grade 2, $1 million Rebel.
Casse has won two-thirds of the local series for 3-year-old fillies this meet, courtesy of Power Gal, who captured the Martha Washington in February, and Chocolate Kisses, who won the Grade 3, $200,000 Honeybee here Saturday.
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Bill Mott wouldn’t have been able to wipe the smile off his face if he tried. The Hall of Fame trainer was absolutely beaming in the aftermath of the Tampa Bay Derby, ecstatic with the way Tacitus had just become his latest chance to win a Kentucky Derby.
“I’ve left out of Tampa too many times shaking my head,” Mott said Sunday, less than 24 hours after Tacitus rolled to victory in the annual showcase event at Tampa Bay Downs.
The mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed as a lukewarm favorite over the Bob Baffert pair of Improbable and Game Winner after three days of betting into Pool 3 of the 2019 Kentucky Derby Future Wager. The pool opened Friday at noon Eastern and closed Sunday evening when coinciding with the only futures pool toward the 2019 Kentucky Oaks.
Having secured only 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points in winning Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, Somelikeithotbrown is below the customary threshold of around 30 points that is typically required to gain entrance to the May 4 race, though he will receive a chance to add to his total in the weeks ahead.
It remains to be seen how long it might continue, but it appears Gulfstream’s Fountain of Youth Stakes sparked a trend in Kentucky Derby prep races.
The Fountain of Youth made news in part because of its insanely fast early pace. One week later all three of Saturday’s Derby points races – the Tampa Bay Derby, the Gotham at Aqueduct, and, yes, even the Jeff Ruby at Turfway – also featured wickedly fast early paces.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Same time, next year.
In 2018, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin won the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct with Enticed. The horse would finish second in the Wood Memorial, but end up 14th in the Kentucky Derby and has not run since.
On Saturday McLaughlin again won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct with Haikal. He hopes the similarities end there.
With his victory in the Gotham Haikal earned 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, more than enough to secure a spot in the starting gate for the $3 million race at Churchill Downs on May 4.
FLORENCE, Ky. – Somelikeithotbrown was not error free in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, losing focus in the stretch when on the lead and drifting away from urging from jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Regardless, his class and speed propelled him to a 3 1/4-length victory, keeping him on the Kentucky Derby trail.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has run a horse in the Kentucky Derby in three of the last four years. If he was going to be represented in this year’s Run for the Roses, he needed Haikal to step up in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes.
“We were only able to nominate one horse to the Derby, and that’s him,” McLaughlin said.
In this new feature, Andrew Beyer and his associates will answer selected readers’ questions about Beyer Speed Figures. Questions of general interest will be preferred for publication. You may submit questions to askbeyer@drf.com or through the Beyer information page on the DRF website at drf.com/beyer.
Q: In your opinion, why have the Beyer Figures for 3-year-olds headed to the Derby dropped so far in the past decade to 15 years?
OLDSMAR, Fla. – Mike Trombetta would like nothing more than to return to Churchill Downs with a Kentucky Derby contender. He’ll have a prime opportunity to do so Saturday when he sends out Win Win Win as the favorite in the Tampa Bay Derby, the annual showcase race at Tampa Bay Downs.
“Once you’ve been to the Derby, you want to go back,” said Trombetta, whose lone starter, Sweetnorthernsaint, finished seventh as the betting favorite behind Barbaro in the 2006 Derby. “It’s a privilege and a fun time. You always want to go there with one that tells you he belongs there.”
