Grade 2, $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby, 1 1/16 miles, Tampa Bay Downs, March 7, 2015
(50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for a win, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)

Winner: Carpe Diem
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Owner: Stonestreet Stables LLC and WinStar Farm LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 98

Jockey Corey Nakatani has the mount on Take Charge Brandi on Saturday in the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel at Oaklawn Park, trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Tuesday. The champion 2-year-old filly of 2014, Take Charge Brandi will face American Pharoah, the champion 2-year-old male of 2014k.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.- Take Charge Brandi, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2014, and Far Right, winner of the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes, led a group of notable 3-year-olds who worked Monday at Oaklawn.

Take Charge Brandi had her final prep for the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes on Saturday. She will meet American Pharoah, the champion 2-year-old colt of 2014 who is scheduled to fly from his Southern California base to Oaklawn on Wednesday, according to trainer Bob Baffert.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Although Honor Code received a career best 108 Beyer Speed Figure for his performance in the Gulfstream Park Handicap, it was not the fastest performance on Saturday’s card. That honor went to Ready for Rye, who received a 109 for his easy victory over the odds-on Daredevil in the seven-furlong Swale.

Trainer Tom Albertrani said Monday that the seven-furlong Bay Shore at Aqueduct on April 4 is the most logical next race for Ready for Rye.

Grade 2, $401,250 San Felipe Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita, March 7, 2015
(50 Derby qualifying points for a win, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)

Ahmed Zayat said he wouldn’t run more than one horse in the Kentucky Derby just because he could. So even as El Kabeir was winning races and racking up points to qualify for the world’s most famous horse race, Zayat was not necessarily viewing the colt as a Derby horse.

Top 3-year-old colts and geldings at Gulfstream Park

Texas Red, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall, returned to Santa Anita on Monday after recuperating on a farm from a foot injury, and will begin his Hail Mary quest to make the May 2 Kentucky Derby with a half-mile workout on Saturday, trainer Keith Desormeaux said Monday.

ARCADIA, Calif. – The winners of all three major Kentucky Derby prep races run last Saturday all came out of their races well, and all will have their final preps for the May 2 Derby in familiar surroundings on April 4.

Top 3-year-old males

1. FAR RIGHT