Rise Up might make his next start in the Louisiana Derby, trainer Tom Amoss said, despite finishing seventh in the Risen Star, his first start since a comfortable win in the Nov. 23 Delta Downs Jackpot.

“I’m in a tough position because he’s a three-time winner and there are no allowance races for him right now,” Amoss said.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Havana, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita in November, completed his major preparation for his 3-year-old debut Sunday by breezing an easy five furlongs in 1:00.90 at Palm Meadows. Havana will return to the races in the Grade 3, $150,000 Swale Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

Havana, a son of Dunkirk, showed good energy on the gallop-out Sunday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Some of the nation’s promising 3-year-olds raced at Gulfstream Park Saturday and put on an exciting show. Wildcat Red won a dramatic head-and-head stretch duel to beat General a Rod in the Fountain of Youth Stakes. Constitution, who may be trainer Todd Pletcher’s best 3-year-old, ran away from a strong field in an allowance race. They all established their credentials as Kentucky Derby contenders. Or did they?

Two major preps for the Kentucky Derby, the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 29 and the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park on April 5, will be broadcast live on NBC Sports, an official of the parent company of the two tracks confirmed on Tuesday.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Honor Code took another step toward his much-anticipated 3-year-old debut when working an easy half-mile in 52.23 seconds Tuesday morning at Gulfstream Park.

Honor Code was pretty much just coasting from the half-mile pole to the wire, posting an early split of 26.17 while well in hand throughout. He then picked up the pace noticeably under some mild coaxing into the turn, completing five-eighths in 1:04.78 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:17.95 and pulling up seven-eighths in 1:31.46.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Seven new names are in the 23-horse lineup for Pool 3 of the 2014 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens Thursday at noon Eastern for a three-day run.

Churchill Downs linemaker Mike Battaglia has listed the mutuel field, the 24th or “all others” option, as a lukewarm 6-1 morning-line favorite for Pool 3, followed by Cairo Prince (8-1), Top Billing (8-1), Honor Code (10-1), and Shared Belief (12-1).

The new horses in the pool are Albano, Bayern, Constitution, General a Rod, Kobe’s Back, Tamarando, and Wildcat Red.

Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes, 1 1/16  miles, Fair Grounds, Feb. 22
(50 Derby eligibility points to the winner, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)

After three straight third- or fourth-place finishes in Grade 2 stakes against the likes of Cairo Prince and Honor Code at Gulfstream Park and Aqueduct, Intense Holiday apparently got the class relief he needed here.

Intense Holiday wasted no time heading back to trainer Todd Pletcher’s base at the Palm Meadows Training Center in south Florida, leaving Fair Grounds on a Sunday-morning flight that departed well before dawn. By noon, the narrow winner of the Risen Star Stakes was bedded down in his regular stall, looking no worse for travel and racing, and Pletcher confirmed that Intense Holiday probably will be back at Fair Grounds for the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 29.

Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth, 1 1/16 miles, Gulfstream Park, Feb. 22

(50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, 20 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth.)

With 2-1 favorite Top Billing hindered by a strong front-running track bias, Wildcat Red and General a Rod dueled from start to finish to earn 50 and 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Meanwhile, Top Billing made the strongest positive impression, finishing third for 10 points, as 72-1 shot East Hall mildly bucked the bias for fourth.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The top three finishers from the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday were all reported to be in good condition Sunday morning, but a potential rematch between Wildcat Red, General a Rod, and Top Billing in the Florida Derby on March 29 isn’t certain since only Wildcat Red is definitely intended for that race at this point.