HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Kavod took co-owner Michael Robinson on a Grade 1 ride last April when he ran in the Arkansas Derby.
The horse, who finished fifth, was one of the first runners owned by the 46-year-old family practitioner from Sayre, Okla.
Robinson will again see action in the Arkansas Derby on Saturday, as the co-owner of Two Eagles River.
How fast did Derma Sotogake run Saturday when he dazzled in the UAE Derby? The colt’s time was the second-fastest UAE Derby since the race moved to Meydan and lengthened to 1 3/16 miles in 2010.
But compared to the Dubai World Cup time, Derma Sotogake probably ran “faster” than UAE Derby winner Mendelssohn, who won in a record 1:55.19 over a quick Meydan surface in 2018. That year, Thunder Snow won the 1 1/4-mile Dubai World Cup in 2:01.38, fastest at Meydan.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The first Saturday in April is Frank Fletcher’s first Saturday in May.
The owner of Rocket Can is seeking to win the Arkansas Derby on Saturday at Oaklawn Park. It’s the dream he’s been chasing since he got into racing in 1989.
“This is why I race,” Fletcher said.
“I was born in Arkansas, and I’ve lived here all my life. Oaklawn is my very favorite track and what makes racing fun is for all the people you know joining you in the celebration. We’ve got friends coming from one end of Arkansas to the other for this race.”
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The phrase “one shining moment” will be heard frequently this weekend, especially here in South Florida, where two schools qualified for the Final Four of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament to be held in Houston.
Horsemen, both in South Florida and approximately 1,200 miles away in Arkansas, will be hoping many of their heretofore unheralded 3-year-olds – Cinderellas if you will – can have one shining moment Saturday in either the Florida Derby or Arkansas Derby in hopes of qualifying for the Kentucky Derby on May 6.
When Mo Donegal won last year’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial, it was trainer Todd Pletcher’s seventh victory in the race, equaling the record of Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons.
On April 8, Pletcher is likely to send out three runners in search of a record eighth Wood trophy – and perhaps another Kentucky Derby starter.
Pletcher is planning to start recent allowance winner Classic Catch and maidens Dreamlike and Crupi in the 1 1/8-mile Wood, which awards 200 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to its first five finishers (100-40-30-20-10).
$600,000 Sunland Derby, March 26, 2023
[50 qualifying points for first, 20 for second, 15 for third, 10 for fourth, and 5 for fifth]
Winner: Wild On Ice, by Tapizar
Trainer: Joel Marr
Jockey: Ken Tohill
Owner: Frank Sumpter
Distance / time: 1 1/8 miles / 1:51.39
Win margin: 1 ¼ miles
Beyer: 77
Wild On Ice, upset winner of Sunday’s Sunland Park Derby, was among a group of 13 3-year-olds who were made eligible for the Triple Crown, their connections paying a $6,000 late nomination fee by Monday’s deadline.
There were 12 horses announced on Tuesday; on Wednesday a 13th horse, Empirestrikesfast, was added to the list after a clerical error was discovered.
