WHO’S HOT

The curse of Apollo was lifted four years ago. But the curse of Leonatus endures.

Until Justify came along and won the Kentucky Derby in 2018, no horse had won the race without having competed as a 2-year-old since Apollo in 1882.

Leonatus, who won the Derby in 1883, largely has been forgotten to history, even though his record on the track and at stud are terrific.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Even with 40 points from his runner-up finish in the April 2 Jeff Ruby Steaks, Tawny Port will wheel back Saturday at Keeneland in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes, the final qualifier for the 148th Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Brad Cox said he is running Tawny Port just two weeks later primarily “to see how he can do on the dirt,” even though the 40 points earned by the Pioneerof the Nile colt in the Ruby figure to be sufficient to make the 20-horse cutoff for the May 7 Derby at Churchill Downs. Points for the $400,000 Lexington are awarded on a 20-8-4-2 basis.

Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial, 1 1/8 miles, Aqueduct, April 9, 2022
(100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Mo Donegal, by Uncle Mo
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Owner: Donegal Racing
Beyer Speed Figure: 96

Kentucky Derby hopeful Un Ojo is scheduled to work Saturday in Louisiana, and if his connections are pleased with the move following his troubled Arkansas Derby run he will ship next week to Churchill Downs, trainer Ricky Courville said. 

Un Ojo finished eighth in the Arkansas Derby on April 2 at Oaklawn after hitting the rail twice in an incident that led to having staples placed in a shoulder. The staples were removed Thursday, Courville said, and Un Ojo jogged both Friday and Saturday at his Copper Crowne training center base in Louisiana.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Everything is good with Zandon in the aftermath of the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, where the Upstart colt stamped himself as one of the major players for the May 7 Kentucky Derby with his breakthrough victory Saturday.

Baldo Hernandez, the local assistant to trainer Chad Brown, reported Sunday morning that Zandon “ate up everything” after the Blue Grass and was in good stead.

Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass Stakes, 1 1/8 miles, Keeneland, April 9, 2022
(100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Zandon, by Upstart
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Owner: Jeff Drown
Beyer Speed Figure: 98

Grade 1, $750,500 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita, April 9, 2022
(100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Taiba, by Gun Runner
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Jockey: Mike Smith.
Owner: Zedan Racing Stables
Beyer Speed Figure: 102

ARCADIA, Calif. – Tim Yakteen advised against doing it. Gary Young advised against doing it. Amr Zedan heard it all, brushed it aside. Amr Zedan pays the bills. He who pays the bills gets final say. Zedan got his way.

And then on a warm Saturday afternoon, with the heat turned up on an audacious bid, the colt Taiba rewarded Zedan’s faith and won the Grade 1, $750,500 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby in only his second start, beating his accomplished stablemate Messier and four others.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - For two days, Jerry Crawford, the owner of Mo Donegal, watched the dirt races at Aqueduct be won by horses who were on or close to the pace.

In Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial, Mo Donegal, as is his wont, was at the back of the pack, while Early Voting was loose on the lead through solid, though not taxing, fractions. In upper stretch, Joel Rosario had moved Mo Donegal into second. At the eighth pole, Rosario tipped Mo Donegal to the outside, the colt lengthened his stride and he caught Early Voting to win the Wood by a neck.