Grade 2, $401,000 San Felipe Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita, March 5, 2022
(50 Derby qualifying points for first, 0 for second, 10 for third, 5 for fourth)
Winner: Forbidden Kingdom, by American Pharoah
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Jockey: Juan Hernandez
Owner: My Racehorse and Spendthrift Farm
Beyer Speed Figure: 98
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Morello remained undefeated and helped further fuel the Kentucky Derby dreams of his connections with an authoritative 4 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.
After getting bumped at the start due to pressure to his inside, Morello, under Jose Lezcano, stalked the pacesetting Dean’s List before taking over from that one just outside the eighth pole. In the final furlong, Morello widened his advantage while under a hand ride from Lezcano.
Brad Cox is contemplating pulling the old stakes switcheroo with a couple 3-year-olds.
The Cox-trained Cyberknife took a sizeable step forward winning a first-level dirt-route allowance race Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds. Meanwhile, Zozos, who won his sprint debut in January at Fair Grounds, crushed first-level allowance rivals in a two-turn dirt race Feb. 11 at Oaklawn, winning off by 10 1/4 lengths.
The talented Tiz the Bomb has a chance to regroup in the $125,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes on Saturday night at Turfway Park, a Kentucky Derby points race on the synthetic Tapeta that could be a first step in a number of directions.
“We may shift back to grass,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “Hopefully, this is just one step of many.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While it is unlikely Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct produces a serious Kentucky Derby contender, there are several in here who could be factors in the 3-year-old division at shorter distances.
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Having undergone a change in running style and a change in rider since walking into the starting gate for the Grade 3 Holy Bull four weeks earlier, Simplification will try to prove a little change has done him a lot of good Saturday at Gulfstream in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, the major local prep for the $1 million Florida Derby on April 2. Simplification is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a full field of 12 3-year-olds set to vie for a $400,000 purse and 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Richard Mandella has never been one to try and put a square peg into a round hole. Mandella, a Hall of Fame trainer, wasn’t going to try Forbidden Kingdom around two turns until he was good and ready. It took four starts for Forbidden Kingdom to get that chance, but it finally arrives Saturday at Santa Anita and will determine his path ahead.
