WHO’S HOT

Imperia, who finished fifth as the favorite Saturday in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, could make his next start in the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 21, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Wednesday from the Palm Meadows training center in Florida.

With less than 10 weeks remaining until the first Saturday in May, much of the focus in the racing world has turned to the 3-year-olds. There are 14 races remaining for these horses to earn points in their bid to qualify for the Kentucky Derby, and with over 400 horses nominated for the Triple Crown, the competition for these points will be fierce.

American Pharoah and Dortmund are the top morning-line choices behind the mutuel field in Pool 3 of the 2015 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens Friday at noon Eastern for a three-day run.

The field, the 24th or “all others” entry, closed as the 3-5 favorite in Pool 1, which ran Nov. 28-30, and was the 5-2 choice in Pool 2 (Feb. 6-8).

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

Far Right established himself as the clear leader of the 3-year-old contingent at Oaklawn Park on Sunday with his determined win in the Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes. It was his second consecutive stakes victory in Oaklawn’s series leading up to the Arkansas Derby, as Far Right won the track’s $150,000 Smarty Jones in January. 

Top 3-year-old males

Grade 3, $300,000 Southwest Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Oaklawn, Feb. 22
(10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth)
Winner: Far Right
Trainer: Ron Moquett
Jockey: Mike Smith
Owners: Robert LaPenta and Harry Rosenblum
Beyer Speed Figure: 91

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Far Right has now won both of his Oaklawn Park matchups with Mr. Z – Sunday’s Southwest Stakes and last month’s Smarty Jones Stakes. But the rivalry, which has highlighted the local 3-year-old series, is unlikely to be renewed in next month’s Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes here.

Far Right and Mr. Z have different agendas coming out of the Southwest, and as a result, the 1 1/16-mile Rebel will have a new look when it is run March 14.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Far From Over and El Kabeir, the top two finishers in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes on Feb. 7, both returned to the work tab Sunday as they train toward a possible rematch in the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 7.

I'm a Chatterbox and International Star won the weekend's 3-year-old stakes here, just like they did last month in the Silverbulletday and Lecomte. But unlike last month, I’m a Chatterbox went a little slower than International Star. International Star is based in Florida, so he’s off this list, and War Story, second in the Lecomte and the Risen Star, now sits atop it. Yockey’s Warrior was the sharpest maiden winner of the meet, but he started too late to make a stakes race here this meet.