Cairo, an Irish-bred Quality Road colt trained by Aidan O’Brien, moved to the fore of the European-based hopefuls for the Kentucky Derby with a two-length win in his 3-year-old debut in Friday’s $42,300 Patton Stakes at a mile on the all-weather surface at Dundalk Racecourse in Ireland.
Cairo earned 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby with the win. One berth in the Kentucky Derby is available to the runner with the most qualifying points from the European series.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The much anticipated 3-year-old debut of reigning juvenile champion Forte will take place Saturday at Gulfstream Park when the top-rated Kentucky Derby hopeful goes a mile and one-sixteenth against eight rivals in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth. The Grade 2 fixture, which dates back to 1945, is the final event on a 14-race program that includes seven other graded stakes, including the Grade 2, $200,000 Davona Dale for 3-year-old fillies.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Eyeing Clover and Slip Mahoney won’t be mentioned on many people’s top 20 lists for the Kentucky Derby. Heck, either would have a difficult time cracking the top 10 of 3-year-olds in the barn of their trainer, Brad Cox.
Arctic Arrogance, who accrued 16 Kentucky Derby points by running second in the Grade 2 Remsen, Jerome and Grade 3 Withers, will miss Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes due to illness.
Owner Chester Broman said he was informed that there is an illness going through the barn that Arctic Arrogance is stabled in on the Belmont Park backstretch. Arctic Arrogance is trained by Linda Rice, but she was on 10-day suspension through Wednesday and could not be at the barn. Her nephew Adam Rice has been overseeing the stable.
Henry Q established himself as the early favorite for the Grade 3, $600,000 Sunland Park Derby when he obliterated his rivals in Tuesday’s local stepping-stone, the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby.
Henry Q led at every point of call for a 14 3/4-length victory – and the margin was not the only impressive part of his performance. Henry Q covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in a quick 1:41.52, earning a solid 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey sounded pessimistic about the chances of running General Jim in the Fountain of Youth Stakes after the colt missed a scheduled workout.
“He had a little cough and missed a day of training,” McGaughey said in his Gulfstream stable office Wednesday morning. “He’s back training, but I’m not sure whether we’re running. I’ve just been playing it by the day.”
While John Shirreffs trains West Coast-based Kentucky Derby prospect Skinner, he is intimately familiar with the dam of an emerging Derby prospect in the Midwest. Shirreffs trained Eblouissante, dam of Rebel Stakes winner Confidence Game. Eblouissante was a younger sibling to the mighty Zenyatta.
“I do remember Eblouissante, very well,” Shirreffs said, reciting her race record from memory. “Eblouissante won two races, she broke her maiden and won an allowance, and then I ran her at Saratoga.”
Though he won the 2021 Preakness with his first Preakness starter, Rombauer, it is a reach to suggest trainer Michael McCarthy can win the Kentucky Derby with his first Derby starter. And yet, neither Lugan Knight nor Genius Jimmy can be ruled out yet.
Lugan Knight runs Saturday in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, where a good effort may lead to the Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 8 at Keeneland. Lugan Knight, who might be a sprinter, won his maiden at Keeneland last fall.
Blazing Sevens
Good Magic –Trophy Girl, by Warrior’s Reward
Bred in Kentucky by Tracy Farmer ($140,000 Keeneland January yearling purchase by Chestnut Valley Farm; $225,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase by Rodeo Creek Racing)
