HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Get Her Number is the wild card in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on Saturday at Oaklawn Park - the kind of horse who could step up and run a big race in the year’s final major prep for the Kentucky Derby.  

The Arkansas Derby drew six horses Tuesday led by the undefeated Concert Tour. The mile and an eighth race anchors a 13-race program and will be supported by the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, Oaklawn Mile, and Carousel Stakes.

Churchill Downs will make available approximately 15,000 infield-only tickets for the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks beginning Wednesday at noon Eastern, the track said on Monday.

The tickets, which will be made available for purchase on Churchill’s website, will represent approximately 25 to 30 percent of the “capacity” of the 22-acre infield, which is only open on Derby and Oaks days. The infield attendance record for the Derby was set in 2015, at 60,000, according to Churchill officials.

Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial, 1 1/8 miles, Aqueduct, April 3, 2021
(100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Bourbonic, by Bernardini
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Kendrick Carmouche
Owner: Calumet Farm
Beyer Speed Figure: 89

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Julien Leparoux has picked up the mount on Helium for the May 1 Kentucky Derby, trainer Mark Casse said Monday. Unbeaten in three career starts, Helium will run in the Derby off just one prep race as a 3-year-old, that being the March 6 Tampa Bay Derby.

Leparoux replaces Jose Ferrer, the 57-year-old veteran who guided Helium to his Tampa win. This will be the 13th time in the last 15 runnings that Leparoux has had a Derby mount, with his best finish coming aboard the Casse-trained Classic Empire, fourth in 2017.

Grade 1, $752,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, 1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita, April 3, 2021
(100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Rock Your World, by Candy Ride
Trainer: John Sadler
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Owner: Hronis Racing LLC and Talla Racing LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 100

ARCADIA, Calif. - Rock Your World, winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on Saturday, will be trainer John Sadler’s fifth starter in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1, and the first in seven years.

In 2014, Candy Boy finished third behind California Chrome in the Santa Anita Derby. A month later, Candy Boy had a troubled trip to finish 13th behind that colt in the Kentucky Derby.

California Chrome raced in a stalking position in those wins. Rock Your World may have the same kind of prominent trip in the Kentucky Derby at 1 1/4 miles.

Grade 2, $800,000 Blue Grass Stakes 1 1/8 miles, Keeneland, April 3, 2021
(100 Derby qualifying points for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth)

Winner: Essential Quality, by Tapit
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Luis Saez
Owner: Godolphin, LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 97

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Essential Quality, the reigning divisional champion who remained unbeaten in five career starts with a neck victory Saturday over Highly Motivated in the 97th Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, exited the Grade 2 race in fine shape and will ship Monday to Churchill Downs, trainer Brad Cox said Sunday morning.

“He looks good this morning and I am happy with the way he came out of the race,” Cox said.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Less than two weeks ago, it wasn’t inconceivable to think the Kentucky Derby would be run without the presence of trainer Todd Pletcher.

In a span of eight days, Pletcher now has four potential starters for the Kentucky Derby on May 1. On Saturday, Bourbonic and Dynamic One improbably finished 1-2 in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial to earn their trips to Louisville.

Bourbonic, at 72-1, was the highest-priced winner ($146.20) in the 95-year history of the Wood Memorial. Dynamic One was sent off at 15-1.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – It took the length of the Keeneland stretch, but heavily favored Essential Quality was able to push past Highly Motivated in the final yards Saturday to win the Grade 2, $800,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

The hard-earned victory kept Essential Quality, a Godolphin homebred, unbeaten in five career starts and surely makes him one of the top two choices – if not the outright favorite, depending, perhaps, on how Concert Tour fares in the April 10 Arkansas Derby – for the 147th Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.