HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Avery Island, a Kentucky Derby prospect owned by the Godolphin Stable, was to be sent to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky. on Tuesday for evaluation after having returned from his most recent workout at the Palm Meadows training center lame, according to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

Avery Island launched his 3-year-old campaign with an impressive victory in the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct on Feb. 3 and was scheduled to make his next start March 24 in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

Grade 2, $400,690 San Felipe Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita, March 10, 2018
(50 Derby qualifying points for a win, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)

Winner: Bolt d’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro
Trainer: Mick Ruis
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Owner: Ruis Racing LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 101

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer Donnie Von Hemel took down a Kentucky Oaks points race last weekend at Oaklawn with Cosmic Burst in the Grade 3 Honeybee. On Saturday, the barn tries to add a Kentucky Derby points race when Higher Power runs in the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel.

A sizable reduction in purse and Kentucky Derby qualifying points has seemingly done little to dissuade horsemen from entering runners for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park. A full field of 12 is projected, although no leading Derby contenders are expected.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Todd Pletcher did not make the trip Saturday across the Florida peninsula to saddle Vino Rosso for the Tampa Bay Derby, but that’s standard procedure. The superstar trainer stayed busy instead overseeing a full morning of workouts at his Palm Beach Downs winter base, preparing some of his other 3-year-olds for upcoming starts on the Kentucky Derby trail.

The mutuel field again was a lukewarm favorite when Pool 3 of the 2018 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Sunday at 6 p.m. Eastern, while the field also was the slight choice in the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which closed 30 minutes later.

The field, the 24th or “all others” option, closed at 4-1 in Derby Pool 3, while Justify was pounded down from 10-1 to 6-1 after winning his second start Sunday in a Santa Anita allowance to become the lowest individually priced horse. Then came Bolt d’Oro (7-1) McKinzie (9-1), Good Magic (11-1), Audible (13-1), and Solomini (17-1).

ARCADIA, Calif. – Justify continued his belated push to the Kentucky Derby on Sunday at Santa Anita with a dazzling win in a first-level allowance, a race that should set him up ideally for a major stakes in early April.

The April stakes will be his one shot to earn enough points to run in the Derby on May 5.

Sunday's race was only his second start, and his first around two turns, but he could not have been more impressive. After stalking a hot early pace, he surged powerfully to the lead on the far turn and coasted home 6 1/2 lengths best under jockey Mike Smith.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The controversial disqualification of McKinzie in favor of Bolt d’Oro in the San Felipe Stakes on Saturday was still on the minds of the participants on Sunday morning at Santa Anita, but the fact that both 3-year-olds furthered their Kentucky Derby aspirations, came out of the race well, and likely will meet again in the Santa Anita Derby had many looking forward to Round 2 in their budding rivalry.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – New York’s reconstructed winter road to the Kentucky Derby has been smooth sailing for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing.

Five weeks after winning the Grade 3 Withers with Avery Island, the trainer-owner tandem struck again Saturday with Enticed, who won the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths at Aqueduct.

Now, McLaughlin and Godolphin will set their sights on the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 7, the “most likely” next target for Enticed, McLaughlin said Sunday.

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Tears of unbridled joy are easy to spot in the aftermath of the Kentucky Derby, but not necessarily after one of its prep races eight weeks out.

Yet there was Brooke Baker crying her eyes out as Quip made his return to the Tampa Bay Downs winner’s circle early Saturday evening. Baker and Rodolphe Brisset, the trainer of Quip, were married about a year ago, and the colt’s upset triumph in the Tampa Bay Derby meant the world to them.