HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mohaymen left little doubt that he is the leading Kentucky Derby contender stabled on the East Coast and fueled the argument that he might now even be the division leader, cruising to a convincing 3 1/2-length victory over Greenpointcrusader and four other overmatched rivals in Saturday’s Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Jason Servis does not have Derby Fever. But his New Jersey-bred gelding Sunny Ridge is trying to change his mind.

After a solid 2-year-old season, Sunny Ridge kicked off his 3-year-old campaign with a gritty - it not particularly fast - three-quarter length victory over Vorticity in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. It was a length back to Adventist, who got third by a neck over Flexibility, the 1-2 favorite based on an impressive performance in the Jerome four weeks ago. Donegal Moon and King Kranz completed the order of finish.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg has sent out a promising pair of 3-year-old winners during the young Oaklawn Park meet and at least one of them is bound for the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes.

Cutacorner is set for the 1 1/16-mile Southwest on Feb. 15 after winning an optional $62,500 claiming route at the same distance Jan. 21. Cutacorner earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 84.

“I’m going to go back in the Southwest,” Van Berg said. “He’s maturing real good. He’s come around.”

Six 3-year-olds running a mile and 70 yards Sundayat Fair Grounds  in a first-level optional $50,000 claimer have a chance to demonstrate whether they belong on the path to the Louisiana Derby.

“Whoever wins it or runs second will probably run back in the Risen Star,” said Larry Jones, who trains Jensen, who will be trying two turns for the first time in the race.

The Grade 2 Risen Star, the final stakes prep for the $1 million, Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, will be run Feb. 20. The Louisiana Derby will be run March 26.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin has found it difficult to contain his enthusiasm for his undefeated Kentucky Derby prospect Mohaymen, and rightly so. The $2.2 million yearling purchase by Tapit did everything asked of him at 2, becoming an Eclipse Award finalist after winning all three of his starts, including the Nashua and Remsen stakes.

Led by Eclipse Award winner Nyquist as well as a pair of prominent prospects – Greenpointcrusader and Mohaymen – who are scheduled to race Saturday in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, a total of 368 3-year-olds are early nominees to this year’s Triple Crown, Churchill Downs announced Thursday.

There are potential stars running in Florida and New York on Saturday, including a possible rival for Songbird. For the last Saturday in January, this is some serious racing.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – There were few surprises when entries were drawn Wednesday for the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park, with Mohaymen and Greenpointcrusader topping a field of six 3-year-olds set to go 1 1/16 miles Saturday in the first of two key prep races leading up to the $1 million Florida Derby on April 2.

As the serious Kentucky Derby preps begin this Saturday with the Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park, you can do this the hard way like me or just wait for the Derby Week pick of DRF national correspondent Jay Privman.

Starting with Barbaro 10 years ago, Jay has picked six of the last 10 Derby winners with one second, Pioneerof the Nile. Actually, I’ll give him seven. Mine That Bird did not really win in 2009, did he?

ARCADIA, Calif. – Nyquist is picking up in 2016 where he left off in 2015, at least in the morning.

The champion 2-year-old of 2015 after winning all five starts, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Nyquist posted a solid one-mile workout Sunday at Santa Anita and is on target for a Feb. 15 comeback in the Grade 2, seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes.