Grade 2, $1 million Wood Memorial; 1 1/8 miles; Aqueduct; April 7, 2018
(100 Derby qualifying points for a win, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Vino Rosso, by Curlin
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable
Beyer Speed Figure: 98

Victor Espinoza, a three-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, will go for his fourth when he climbs aboard Bolt d'Oro in this year's running on May 5 at Churchill Downs.

Mick Ruis, the trainer and owner of Bolt d'Oro, made it official late Monday, informing Espinoza's agent, Brian Beach, after a dinner meeting between Ruis and Espinoza that Espinoza would indeed have the mount.

Javier Castellano has called an Audible in his quest for his first Kentucky Derby victory.

Castellano said on Monday that he would ride Audible for trainer Todd Pletcher in the 144th Kentucky Derby on May 5, thus giving up the mount on Bolt d’Oro, on whom he finished second to Justify in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

There are just two more prep races for the Kentucky Derby to be run, both on Saturday, and the combination of top runners from last year holding their form, a carve out for one horse from Europe, and few defections among the leaders has raised the likely point total needed to make this year’s field.

Mike Smith followed his Derby-Oaks double last Saturday at Santa Anita with a trip to Keeneland on Sunday, where he finished third in the Beaumont Stakes with the California-based filly Uppercut. While there, Smith joined with fellow riders taking phone calls for the nationwide telethon in support of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, an effort that raised more than $200,000.

Betting on the Kentucky Derby could turn out to be very interesting. The undefeated Justify very likely made himself the favorite with his dazzling victory over Bolt d’Oro in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, but there are perhaps a half-dozen colts who could legitimately start at single-digit odds.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The victory by Justify in the Santa Anita Derby on Saturday led bettors to make the colt a clear-cut favorite in the fourth and final pool in the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which closed Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern following the customary three-day run.

With $339,036 in the win pool, Justify was the 3-1 favorite, followed by Mendelssohn (5-1), Audible (7-1), Magnum Moon (8-1), Good Magic (9-1), and Bolt d’Oro (10-1). The lowest $2 exacta will-pay is the combination of Justify over Mendelssohn (12-15), worth $47.60.

Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita, April 7, 2018
(100 Derby qualifying points for a win, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Justify, by Scat Daddy
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Mike Smith
Owner: China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners LLC, Starlight Racing, and WinStar Farm
Beyer Speed Figure: 107

ARCADIA, Calif. – In just 48 days, Justify has gone from an unstarted maiden to the winner of the Santa Anita Derby, and now he heads to the May 5 Kentucky Derby as the current favorite for the race. There’s potentially room for improvement, too, according to trainer Bob Baffert, who on Sunday morning here at Santa Anita said he had yet to “bear down” on Justify, saying everything to this point has been “done with raw talent.”

“I think he’s caught up now,” Baffert said. “He’s doing that all on his own.”

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Despite their bumper-car battle in the stretch, Vino Rosso and Enticed emerged from Saturday’s $1 million Wood Memorial in good order and will proceed to Churchill Downs for the May 5 Kentucky Derby. However, both are expected to make a return trip to South Florida to prepare for the Run for the Roses.

Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Wood winner Vino Rosso, and Kiaran McLaughlin, the conditioner of runner-up Enticed, both indicated that neither horse was worse for the wear from a bumping incident that somewhat clouded the race.