HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – He sent out Winning Colors to win the Kentucky Derby, making her one of three fillies to wear the roses. Four years before that, he won the Arkansas Derby with the filly Althea. Lady’s Secret, Serena’s Song, Terlingua. The list of fillies with whom trainer D. Wayne Lukas beat the boys in major stakes is an all-star cast.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The fifth and final pool of the 2022 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, originally scheduled for this week, has been delayed by one week by Churchill Downs and now will run next Thursday (April 7) through Saturday (April 9).

A Wednesday press release from Churchill said the delay was “in the best interest of bettors,” pending the results of preps to be run this weekend as well as other factors, such as the status of several Derby candidates still to be determined.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – White Abarrio missed nearly two weeks of training and two scheduled works leading up to his 4 1/2-length triumph over the slow-starting Simplification here earlier this winter in the Grade 3 Holy Bull. Simplification, in turn, found himself a whole new running style as a result of missing the break in the Holy Bull, and he flattered the race by rallying to an easy victory of his own in the roughly run Grade 2 Fountain of Youth four weeks later.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A field of 11 3-year-olds was drawn Wednesday for Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, featuring leading prospects White Abarrio, Simplification, Classic Causeway, and Charge It.

Secret Oath

Arrogate – Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American

Bred in Kentucky by Briland Farm, Robert Mitchell, and Stacy Mitchell

Arrogate, one of the most brilliant runners of modern times, was euthanized at age 7 after developing an illness with neurological symptoms. He stood three breeding seasons at Juddmonte Farm, all of which saw stellar books of mares visit his court. Secret Oath, whose dam is a multiple stakes winner, has a chance to become his first Grade 1 winner when she faces colts in Saturday’s Arkansas Derby.

WHO’S HOT

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Just about every person who trains racehorses will tell you that when they meet someone not familiar with racing and their profession comes up in conversation, the first question they’re asked is, “Have you ever won the Kentucky Derby?”

Brad Cox said he’s not sure how to answer that.

“It would take five minutes to explain,” he said this week. “I’m not sure I’d say yes.”

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jockey Luis Contreras will be aboard one of the highest profile horses of the Oaklawn Park meet Saturday when he teams with the filly Secret Oath in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Arkansas Derby.

The points race for the Kentucky Derby is one of four stakes on the card that launches the annual Racing Festival of the South. This year, major stakes with total purses of $5.4 million will be run throughout the month of April.

Rodolphe Brisset oversaw Justify’s very early training before he was sent west to Bob Baffert, and on to a Triple Crown. Brisset is not about to make a prediction that We the People can follow in those footsteps, but he’s certainly hoping We the People – who, like Justify, did not race at 2 – can emulate Justify by winning a Grade 1 stakes race in his third start when he makes his stakes debut Saturday in the Arkansas Derby.

Sunland Park Derby winner Slow Down Andy was traveling to Kentucky on Tuesday to begin preparations for the Kentucky Derby, according to his trainer, Doug O’Neill.

Slow Down Andy picked up 50 points for the Kentucky Derby on Sunday with his win in the Sunland Derby. Slow Down Andy also has 10 points from his win in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December and ranks fourth on the current points leaderboard with 60.

Slow Down Andy earned a 86 Beyer Speed Figure in the Sunland Derby.