Wed, 04/01/2015 - 13:33

Kentucky Derby: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not for April 1

Barbara D. Livingston
Despite the slowest running time in the Florida Derby in 62 years, Materiality was awarded a Beyer Speed Figure of 110.

WHO’S HOT

Tue, 03/31/2015 - 15:20

Lopez brings veteran’s appreciation to Derby bid

Debra A. Roma
Chuck Lopez and El Kabeir return after winning the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes. Lopez rides El Kabeir in the Grade 1 Wood on Saturday, and a good performance would send him to his first Kentucky Derby.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Chuck C. Lopez is living the dream – as hard as he tries not to dream at all.

Lopez is the regular rider of El Kabeir, a multiple-stakes-winning 3-year-old who is one step – or more correctly, nine furlongs – away from making it to the Kentucky Derby. Lopez, 54, has never ridden in a Kentucky Derby, and if he were somehow to win it this year, he would match Bill Shoemaker as the oldest rider to accomplish the feat. Shoemaker was 54 when he won the 1986 Derby on Ferdinand.

Tue, 03/31/2015 - 12:31

Far From Over injured, out of Wood

Barbara D. Livingston
Far From Over will miss the Triple Crown after sustaining a fracture to his left hing leg.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Far From Over, the winner of the Grade 3 Withers Stakes and among the favorites for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, is injured and off the Kentucky Derby trail, his connections said Tuesday.

Far From Over was found with a hairline condylar fracture in his left hind leg that will require surgery to stabilize. He could return for a fall campaign, his connections said.

Mon, 03/30/2015 - 15:13

David Grening's top 3-year-olds at Aqueduct on March 30

Adam Coglianese/NYRA
Tencendur could be headed to the Withers after overcoming trouble to win a maiden race on Monday.

El Kabeir completed his preparations for Saturday’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial by working five furlongs in 1:01.12 by himself at Belmont Park. He will be one of the rare individuals to have competed in all four of Aqueduct’s winter stakes for 3-year-olds. It looks like he will face five rivals in the Wood: Daredevil, Far From Over, Frosted, Tencendur, and Toasting Master.

Top 3-year-old males at Aqueduct

1 - EL KABEIR

Mon, 03/30/2015 - 14:43

Brad Free’s top 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on March 30

Shigeki Kikkawa
Bolo, winner of the Eddie Logan on turf, could make his 3-year-old and dirt debut in the Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 7.

California-based Bob Baffert trains the country’s two leading prospects for the Kentucky Derby – 2014 champion 2-year-old male AMERICAN PHAROAH and undefeated DORTMUND. American Pharoah romped in his March 14 comeback at Oaklawn Park, and will return to Oaklawn for the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 11. Dortmund, meanwhile, is the early favorite for the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby this Saturday, April 4.

Mon, 03/30/2015 - 14:10

Mubtaahij joins the Derby fray

Dubai Racing Club/Neville Hopwood
Mubtaahij and jockey Christophe Soumillon win the UAE Derby by eight lengths Saturday.

If you liked the major Kentucky Derby preps at Fair Grounds and Gulfstream in February, you got an encore performance last Saturday. International Star won again at Fair Grounds, this time in the Louisiana Derby, while at Gulfstream, a Todd Pletcher trainee defeated Upstart in a controversial running of the Florida Derby, similar to the Fountain of Youth.

Mon, 03/30/2015 - 13:23

Mary Rampellini's top 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park on March 30

Coady Photography
American Pharoah wins the Grade 2 Rebel on March 14 at Oaklawn.

Champion AMERICAN PHAROAH maintains his ranking as the leading 3-year-old at the meet for his dominating, 6 1/4- length win in the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel on March 14 at Oaklawn. He is based in Southern California and is a candidate to return to town for the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11.

Top 3-year-old males at Oaklawn

Mon, 03/30/2015 - 13:10

El Kabeir to face Frosted but not Ocean Knight

Barbara D. Livingston
Ocean Knight on Sunday before his work at Palm Meadows. He will not run in the Wood Memorial.

El Kabeir, the winner of the Jerome and Gotham stakes this winter in New York, is expected to face only five horses in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Entries for the 1 1/8-mile Wood will be taken and post positions assigned on Wednesday.

Ocean Knight was withdrawn from consideration for the Wood after a so-so workout Monday at Palm Meadows in Florida. Thus, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin plans to run just Frosted, whose only victory came over Aqueduct’s main track, a surface on which he also finished second in the Grade 2 Remsen last fall.

Sun, 03/29/2015 - 18:49

Kentucky Derby Future Wager: American Pharoah slight favorite

Coady Photography
American Pharoah, making his first start since September, romps by 6 1/4 lengths under Victor Espinoza in the Rebel Stakes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bob Baffert duo of American Pharoah and Dortmund are the favorites atop the fourth and final pool in the 2015 Kentucky Derby Future Wager that closed Sunday.

Sun, 03/29/2015 - 14:49

Next stop Kentucky Derby for Materiality, Upstart

Barbara D. Livingston
Despite the slowest running time in the Florida Derby in 62 years, Materiality was awarded a Beyer Speed Figure of 110.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - While the trainers of Florida Derby one-two finishers Materiality and Upstart said the race was run over a demanding Gulfstream Park surface, both horses appeared to have emerged from the race in good order and will be pointed to the Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.