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Kentucky Derby contenders in weekend action from New York to California

By Robert Kieckhefer, UPI Racing Writer
Essential Quality, shown winning the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, is the favorite for Saturday's Blue Grass at Keeneland. Photo by Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park
1 of 2 | Essential Quality, shown winning the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, is the favorite for Saturday's Blue Grass at Keeneland. Photo by Coady Photography, courtesy of Oaklawn Park

April 2 (UPI) -- The long road to the Kentucky Derby draws nears the finish Saturday with the Santa Anita Derby in California, Blue Grass Stakes in Kentucky and Wood Memorial in New York each offering guaranteed spots in the Churchill Downs starting gate.

The Derby preps are supported by some other classy affairs. Gamine, winner of the 2020 Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, returns to action. Fire at Will, winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on that same program at Keeneland, returns to the grass after an unproductive stab at the Triple Crown trail.

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Speaking of Keeneland, the Kentucky racing mothership swings into action this weekend not only with the Blue Grass but with a full slate of stakes on both turf and dirt. Among those, trainer Wesley Ward has some candidates for this year's Royal Ascot adventure.

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Speaking of overseas and returns to action, Japan's 2020 Triple Crown winner, Contrail, is back on the track Sunday. Hong Kong's Easter Monday program previews two of the year's biggest features coming up later in the month. And Friday is the All-Weather Championships final day in England.

Away we go!

The Road to the Roses

He's undefeated after four starts, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the 2020 2-year-old Eclipse Award champion but Essential Quality will be asked to prove it all over again in Saturday's $800,000 Grade II Toyota Blue Grass at Keeneland.

The Tapit colt had no trouble winning his 3-year-old debut, scoring by 4 lengths in the slop in the Grade III Southwest at Oaklawn Park and already has enough points to get into the Kentucky Derby without further ado. But trainer Brad Cox tightens the screws one more turn on the Godolphin homebred.

"We're in a good spot with him," Cox said after Essential Quality drew gate No. 4 for the Blue Grass. "Very happy with where he is mentally, physically. And the post is fine. ... We're in a good spot with him. He's just a very good horse."

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The upset-minded can scour the nine-horse Blue Grass field and find little beyond Highly Motivated and Keepmeinmind. Highly Motivated did win the Grade III Gotham in his last start, but that was 1 mile and the horses he beat aren't of the same, well, quality that Essential Quality has defeated.

Keepmeinmind has faced Essential Quality twice and finished a respectable second and third. But he didn't fire in his only previous 3-year-old start, finishing sixth in the Grade II Rebel at Oaklawn Park.

Godolphin also fields the close second choice on the morning-line for Saturday's $750,000 Grade II Wood Memorial at Aqueduct -- Prevalence, a Medaglia d'Oro colt who tries two turns for the first time after winning his first two starts at Gulfstream Park.

Prevalence shot to prominence with an 8 1/2-length debut win, going 7 furlongs Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, a race in which the vanquished included Stage Raider, a half-brother to 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.

"There were a bunch of horses in that race being touted," Prevalence's trainer, Brendan Walsh, said. "A lot of them have come back and run well, which showed that the form was respectable. He won by a very wide margin and no matter the company you're in, that's pretty remarkable."

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Also in the Wood, trainer Chad Brown and owner Seth Klarman field both Risk Taking and Crowded Trade. Risk Taking is the morning-line favorite after winning the Grade III Withers in January, but needs more points to earn a spot in the Run for the Roses.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, with five Wood trophies already to his credit, sends out Long shots Dynamic One and Bourbonic.

Weyburn was a late Triple Crown nominee at a cost of $6,000 after winning the Grade III Gotham at odds of 46-1. The 50 points he earned for that upset would be sufficient to get him into the Churchill Downs starting gate regardless of his performance in the Wood.

Saturday's $750,000 Grade I Santa Anita Derby features Medina Spirit looking to nail down a spot in the Run for the Roses for trainer Bob Baffert.

The Protonico colt twice finished behind now-injured stablemate Life Is Good, but did win the Grade III Robert B. Lewis and has amassed 34 points toward Louisville.

That likely will be enough to get into the race if there are not a lot of upsets in the remaining qualifiers but more would provide a margin of comfort.

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The other nine in the Santa Anita Derby will need to find improvement to compete if Medina Spirit runs to his numbers.

Baffert also saddles Defunded, who comes off a maiden win at 6 furlongs. Rock Your World is 2-for-2 but both of those were on the turf. Roman Centurian was second in the Lewis, but then tossed in a clunker in the Grade II San Felipe.

Still uncertain about any of these? Check out what ace industry analyst Jude Feld has to say at popejude.com. Without giving anything away, you might be surprised at Jude's thoughts about the Santa Anita Derby.

Housekeeping

Nine 3-year-olds, including the winners of the Grade II Tampa Bay Derby winner Helium, Gotham Stakes upsetter Weymouth and UAE Derby runner-up Panadol are among nine 3-year-olds made eligible to the 2021 Triple Crown races with a $6,000 late payment fee.

The late nominations bring to 335 the number of eligible 3-year-olds. Churchill Downs officials also announced none of the participants in this season's "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby" has accepted the automatic bid.

And none of the participants in the "European Road to the Kentucky Derby," which concluded Thursday in England, has been made eligible to the series so they both turn out to be blind alleys.

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With Monday's $6,000 late nomination deadline in the rear-view mirror, the only way into a Triple Crown race now is through supplemental nominations to each leg -- $200,000 for the Kentucky Derby, $100,000 for the Preakness Stakes and $50,000 for the Belmont Stakes.

Next weekend brings the last two races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series that began Sept. 5, 2020, when Sittin On Go won the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park offers points on the 100-40-20-10 scale and the Lexington at Keeneland is for those needing to top up the points tank with rewards of 20-8-4-2 points on offer.

Sittin On Go, by the way, is a long shot in the Blue Grass for trainer Dale Romans.

The Road to the Oaks

Saturday's $400,000 Grade I Central Bank Ashland at Keeneland has six entries, neatly divisible into three contenders and three outsiders. (That's a recipe for handicapping disaster, right there. Still, we soldier on.)

The logical ones are the undefeated morning-line favorite Malathaat; Simply Ravishing, winner of the Grade I Alcibiades over course and distance last autumn; and Will's Secret, winner of the Grade III Honeybee at Oaklawn Park in her last start.

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Malathaat and Simply Ravishing make their 3-year-old debuts, while Dallas Stewart has kept Will's Secret to task -- a distinction that might be more meaningful to the older handicappers among us. The "outsiders" are Curlin's Catch, Pass the Champagne and Moon Swag.

Search Results is the even-money morning-line favorite among six in for Saturday's $250,000 Grade III Gazelle at Aqueduct.

The Flatter filly won at first asking at Gulfstream Park in January, and then stepped right up in her return to win the Busher Invitational on March 6 at Aqueduct. There's not a whole lot else here on paper -- which, of course, is not where they run the races.

Fives are wild in Saturday's $400,000 Grade II Santa Anita Oaks. There are five entries. Moraz is the morning-line favorite a 8-5, followed by Beautiful Gift at 9-5.

Beautiful Gift edged Moraz in the Grade II Santa Ysabel and the Medaglia d'Oro filly, trained by Bob Baffert, is 2-for-3 over all.

Moraz, a Empire Maker filly trained by Michael McCarthy, finished third in the Grade III Las Virgenes and has only a maide win to her credit. The other three fit less well in these conditions.

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Pauline's Pearl and Sunpath are the early favorites for Saturday's $600,000 Grade III Fantasy at Oaklawn Park and drew the outside gates in a field of seven for the 1 1/16 miles.

Pauline's Pearl, a Tapit filly, finished second in the Grade III Honeybee March 6 behind the aforementioned Will's Secret. Sunpath, by Munnings, was third in the Honeybee after finishing fourth in the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds in January. Coach won her first three starts last year, but finished a dull fifth in the Honeybee.

Classic

Mr. Buff is the 4-5 favorite on the morning line for Saturday's $150,000 Grade III Excelsior at Aqueduct. The field of seven did not attract any tigers and Mr. Buff, a 7-year-old gelding by Friend or Foe, comes off two straight wins at Aqueduct and is 10-for-17 overall at home with four seconds.

Modernist is up from Florida, where he was last seen finishing second in the Grade III Challenger at Tampa Bay Downs.

Turf

Fire at Will reeled off three straight impressive turf wins to end his 2-year-old season, including a 3-length upset victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

He started his season with a swing at the Triple Crown trail but, after finishing eighth, beaten 21 lengths, in the Fountain of Youth, returns to the green course for Friday's $150,000 Grade III Kentucky Utilities Transylvania for 3-year-olds at Keeneland.

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There, he is the 9-5 favorite on the morning line. Irish-bred Earls Rock comes from Santa Anita, where he already has two wins on the grass this year. Scarlet Sky was second in the Palm Beach at Gulfstream Park in his last start.

Filly & Mare Turf

The six 3-year-old fillies entered for Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Appalachian at Keeneland come from all over the map and with some impressive credentials.

Jouster was second by a nose in the Grade III Florida Oaks on the Tampa Bay Downs turf in her last start. Spanish Loveaffair finished first in the Grade III Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park, but demoted to fourth for interference.

Saranya comes off a second in the Lacombe Memorial at Fair Grounds and Gift List makes her first U.S. start after a promising 2-year-old campaign in England. Plum Ali won the Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs and the Grade II Miss Grillo at Belmont. Flown was second in the Kentucky Downs race.

Going Global is the morning-line pick among 7 3-year-old fillies in Saturday's $100,000 Grade III Providencia at Santa Anita.

The Irish-bred Mehmas filly is 2-for-2 in the United States, winner of the Grade III Sweet Life at 6 furlongs and the China Doll at 1 mile. She now tries 1 1/8 miles.

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Closing Remarks and Quattroelle, second and third in the China Doll, and Sensible Cat, 2-for-3 on the grass, also have early support.

Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Royal Heroine at Santa Anita features Charmaine's Mia, a 5-year-old mare by The Factor. She is 2-for-2 since relocating from Woodbine to Santa Anita at the end of last year -- both wins in graded stakes. The remainder of the eight-horse field is pretty well-balanced.

Turf Sprint

Bound for Nowhere is back from a nearly nine-months break for Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Shakertown at Keeneland.

The 7-year-old son of The Factor has had a remarkable career for his owner/trainer, Wesley Ward, including three trips to Royal Ascot and three previous Shakertown runs that saw him finish first, second and third.

That last effort, in July thanks to the pandemic, also was his most recent start but some nice works at Turfway Park show he's still revving the engine.

Also in this are the 1-2 finishers from the Feb. 24 Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs -- The Critical Way and Imprimis. The latter won this event in 2019 prior to a trip to Royal Ascot where he finished fourth behind some of the world's top sprinters -- Blue Point, Battaash and Soldier's Call.

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One to watch: High Crime comes off a neck loss to Leinster in the Grade III Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint and has run very well at Keeneland, disregarding the Maker's Mark Mile debacle.

Friday's $100,000 Palisades Turf Sprint at Keeneland got 10 3-year-olds including Fauci and Blameworthy. Just sayin'. Fauci, a Malibu Moon colt, actually is the 2-1 favorite on the morning line. The Wesley Ward trainee has a win and three seconds from four starts.

Ward also fields recent Gulfstream Park maiden winner Chasing Artie. Others are last year's Indian Summer Stakes winner Bodenheimer and the aforementioned Blameworthy, who makes his first start on the grass off a nice allowance win at Fair Grounds.

Sprint

Michevious Alex and Chateau dominate in a five-horse field for Saturday's $300,000 Grade I Carter Handicap at Aqueduct.

Mischevious Alex, a 4-year-old Into Mischief colt, exits a win in the Grade III Gulfstream Park Sprint and won last year's Grade III Gotham in his only previous appearance at the Big A.

Chateau, a 6-year-old Flat Out gelding, is a speedy sort who recently moved up to stakes competition and comes off a win in the Grade III Tom Fool. He has five wins, two seconds and two thirds from nine Aqueduct starts. Potential upsetter Mind Control is 4-for-5 over the track.

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Drain the Clock drops out of the Triple Crown picture and drops back in distance for Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Bay Shore for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct. Result? He's the 1-2 favorite on the morning line.

The Maclean's Music colt won the Grade III Swale going 7 furlongs at Gulfstream Park, then faded to finish second when stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in the Grade II Fountain of Youth. The other four have lesser resumes.

Flagstaff is the 8-5 favorite on the morning line for Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Commonwealth at Keeneland thanks in part to a nice third behind C Z rocket and Whitmore at Oaklawn Park in his last outing.

The 7-year-old Speightstown gelding is moving east. Before his last two starts in Arkansas, all his work had been done in California, including several graded stakes placings. Hidden Scroll and Hog Creek Hustle hold some appeal in a field of seven going 7 furlongs out of the backstretch chute.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Sunday's $100,000 Grade II Las Flores at Santa Anita has only four takers -- understandable since one of them is Gamine.

That 4-year-old Into Mischief filly, trained by Bob Baffert, makes her first start since winning the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in November at Keeneland.

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She earlier won the Grade I Test Stakes at Saratoga and the Grade I Acorn at Belmont Park. She finished a fading third in the Kentucky Oaks but was placed last by disqualification.

Baffert has Qahira for backup in the Las Flores. She was third in the Grade II Santa Monica in her last start. Hang a Star and Biddy Duke complete the field and either seems capable of an upset if Gamine is the least bit rusty.

Honor Way, Lady Kate and Paris Lights all get thumbs-up reviews from the oddsmaker heading into Friday's $150,000 Grade III Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct.

All three return from breaks of various lengths -- none moreso than Paris Lights. That Curlin filly was last seen winning the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks on July 18 at Saratoga -- her third straight win. She has been working steadily at Payson Park training center for this 7-furlongs comeback.

A pair of recent maiden winners, Twenty Carat and Slumber Party, top the morning line for Friday's $150,000 Grade III Beaumont for 3-year-old fillies at Keeneland.

Twenty Carat, an Into Mischief filly, actually has crossed the finish line first in each of two starts at Turfway Park but was DQ'd to second in the first. Slumber Party, a daughter of Malibu Moon, got the job done in her first start at Gulfstream Park in January.

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My Girl Red, Farsighted and Amalfi Princess also have credentials in this 7-furlong event out of the backstretch chute.

Some top ones turned out from around the country for Saturday's $300,000 Grade I Madison at Keeneland. Kimari, another of Wesley Ward's globetrotters, and Bell's the One are the favorites on the morning line with Kimari likely getting fired up for another try at the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, where she finished second last year.

Ward has expressed some reservations about the trip, given the continuing pandemic precautions that scrape off some of the royal luster -- and even the Royals themselves. Sconsin, Fair Maiden and Sanenus all figure to have something to say about this 7-furlongs tussle.

A well balanced field of five 3-year-old fillies is assembled for Saturday's $200,000 Purple Martin at Oaklawn Park. The favorite, Windmill, has won both previous starts including the Feb. 28 Dixie Belle over the course. Abrogate returns after running third in the Dixie Belle.

Around the world, around the clock:

Japan

The reigning Japanese Triple Crown winner, Contrail, returns to action in Sunday's Grade 1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin Racecourse. The 4-year-old son of Deep Impact makes his first start since finishing second to Almond Eye in the race for the ages that was the 2020 Japan Cup.

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That year's filly Triple Crown winner, Daring Tact, finished third, just a neck behind Contrail. Both Contrail and Daring Tact entered the Japan Cup undefeated.

This time around, Almond Eye is retired and Daring Tact has gone her own way. That leaves some other heavy hitters to contest the 2,000-meter Osaka Hai. Gran Alegria, a daughter of Deep Impact, had three Grade 1 wins last season.

Salios, by Heart's Cry, finished second to Contrail in the 2020 Tokyo Yushun or Japanese Derby. And Wagnerian was the winner of the 2018 Tokyo Yushun. Lei Papale, a 4-year-old Deep Impact filly, is climbing the class ladder with five consecutive wins.

Still, all eyes will be on Contrail with hopes for another superstar.

"After the Japan Cup, he had a rest at Daisen Hills," assistant trainer Shigeki Miyauchi said. "He came back to the stable at Ritto [training center] on March 6 and he looks in great shape ... He seems more mature now and he put in a fast piece of work with jockey Yuichi Fukunaga on March 17."

Hong Kong

Two Group 2 events on the Easter Monday program at Sha Tin Racecourse preview corresponding Group 1 affairs at month's end.

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Monday's 1,600-meters Chairman's Trophy has a field of six -- five of them exiting the Group 1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup Feb. 21. In that, Waikuku, Southern Legend, Mighty Giant, More than This and Ka Ying Star filled the first five placings and all are back for this event. They are joined by Champions Way.

The Chairman's Trophy is a test for the Group 1 FWD Champions Mile on April 25 -- the last of the season's big international race days.

The Sprint Cup, at 1,200 meters, attracted a field of 13, filled with the likes of Fat Turtle, Wishful Thinker, Computer Patch and Wellington. This event presages the Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize on FWD Champions Day.

One who won't be in the Sprint Cup is Classique Legend. The winner of The Everest in Australia back in October, once atop the world's rankings, is headed back Down Under after his move to Hong Kong hit another snag.

Classique Legend had been sent to the Conghua Racecourse on the mainland for some R&R amid grass and fresh air after finishing 11th in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint in December.

Returned to Sha Tin, he seemed ready to contest Monday's Group 2 Sprint Cup. Instead, he bled during trackwork Wednesday morning and trainer Caspar Fownes suggested to owner Boniface Ho that he return to Australia.

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"He's struggled in the environment and Bon's thinking the same way. It's the right thing to do with the horse because, from day one, it's been an uphill battle," Fownes said.

Classique Legend and fellow Australian Bivouac were joint-rated the world's top sprinters in the year-ending Longines Word's Best Racehorse Rankings.

England

Friday's program at Lingfield caps the long All-Weather Championship with six races to crown champions.

The crown jewel of Finals Day is the Betway Easter Classic at 1 1/4 miles and the star there is Bangkok. The 5-year-old son of Australia won the Winter Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield before taking a swing at the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 20 in Riyadh.

He was not embarrassed by an eighth-place finish there and that effort on the dirt does not prevent him from being held at around even odds for the Friday affair.

The program kicks off with the Betway All-Weather Marathon at just less than 2 miles. Rainbow Dreamer and Ranch Hand are both in with victories in Fast-Track Qualifiers in their most recent starts.

Mums Tipple would preserve trainer Richard Hannon's undefeated record should he win he Bombardier All-Weather Mile. That field also includes the late Sheik Hamdan Al Maktoum's Khuzaam.

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Ireland sends over Harry's Bar for the Betway All-Weather Sprint Championship at 6 furlongs and Hollie Doyle has the mount. The race also has Stewards' Cup winner Summerghand and Betway Kachy Stakes winner Exalted Angel.

Mighty Gurkha, Diligent Harry and Apollo One are prominent among 10 runners in the Ladbrokes Three-Year-Old Championship at 6 furlongs.

Indie Angel, trained by the red-hot new training partnership of father John and Son Thady Gosden, is the hot choice in the Ladbrokes All-Weather Fillies' And Mares' Championships over seven furlongs.

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