April 18 (UPI) -- After months of planning and racing in pursuit of spots in the 151st Kentucky Derby, it's starting to look possible the race may go to the post May 3 with fewer than the maximum 20 runners.
Meanwhile, owners of other 3-year-olds lookiforward to the second jewel of the U.S. Triple Crown, with two weekend races providing "Win and You're In" credentials for the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore.
Three-year-olds also have the spotlight elsewhere in the racing world during the week and into the weekend. Field of Gold dominated Wednesday's Craven Stakes in England to take a prominent position among candidates for the English 2,000 Guineas. And Croix du Nord is the solid favorite in Sunday's Satsuki Sho or Japanese 2,000 Guineas.
The Road to the Roses
At least 20 horses have entered the Kentucky in 23 of the last 26 years, but after this week's withdrawal of River Thames and the out-and-back-in for Owen Almighty this week, the field for the May 3 renewal is hovering right at the breaking point for that mark.
Trainer Bryan Lynch had told Churchill Downs officials Owen Almighty would not be entered for the Run for the Roses after a sixth-place finish in the Grade I Blue Grass at Keeneland -- until Wednesday, when he said the colt will, in fact, be part of the proceedings.
Owner Hunter Rankin told BloodHorse, "While we know he's going to be a long shot for sure, you don't get many chances at it, and we're going to take one more shot with him."
Eighteen slots are available in the 20-horse starting gate after two foreign-trained colts are accommodated. As of Thursday, Churchill Downs identified 22 candidates for the 18 spots. But four of the 22 are listed as "maybe."
On the track, Arkansas Derby winner Sandman and Grade II Rebel Stakes winner Coal Battle, both in from Oaklawn Park, posted timed workouts Tuesday morning. About half the likely field is at Churchill Downs. All runners are required to be on the backstretch by April 26.
Looking forward, two of this weekend's races, the Bathhouse Row at Oaklawn Park and Federico Tesio at Laurel Park, are "Win and You're In" events for the May 17 Preakness. Louisiana Derby third-place Instant Replay is the odds-on favorite for the Bathhouse Row. Handicap the Tesio with a hatpin through the program.
Elsewhere:
Classic
The first three finishers from the local Grade III Razorback Handicap -- Alexander Helios, Banishing and First Mission -- return for Saturday's $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap, but rhwy face an imposing new challenger in Skippylongstocking.
Saturday's $350,000 Grade III Ben Ali at Keeneland is a wide-open affair with seven set to tackle 1 3/16 miles.
Distaff
Saturday's $200,000 Valley of the Vapors for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn Park attracted a well-matched field of eight.
Bob Baffert saddles Richi and Splendora, one-third of the field for Saturday's $200,000 Grade II Santa Maria at Santa Anita. They are the morning-line favorites.
Turf
Saturday's $400,000 Grade II VisitLEX Elkhorn has an overflow field and looks like a wonderful betting race unless the 8-5 morning-line favorite, Limited Liability, runs to his odds. The 6-year-old Kitten's Joy gelding seldom misses a placing, but hasn't won since September at Kentucky Downs. Shug McGaughey has named Frankie Dettori to ride.
Turf Mile
Sunday's $100,000 Grade III American Stakes at Santa Anita has seven, including Endlessly, winner of last year's Grade III Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park and then ninth in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Belmont.
He hasn't raced since, but it's a bit of a homecoming. The Oscar Performance colt won the Grade III Del Mar Juvenile Turf and the Grade III Zuma Beach on the Santa Anita grass in 2023. King of Gosford returns from a shorter break after winning the Grade II Mathis Mile in December.
Sprint
Saturday's $150,000 Bay Shore at Aqueduct has just five 3-year-olds to tackle 7 furlongs, but that doesn't make handicapping the race any easier. Mo Plex, Pascaline and Faster Gator all look like potential winners. Mo Plex has the advantage of a race over the track -- a third in the Gander Stakes on March 8.
Around the world, around the clock
Japanese Classics
Sunday's Grade 1 Satsuki Sho or Japanese 2,000 Guineas at Nakayama Racecourse kicks off the Triple Crown series for Japan's top colts. The likely favorite, Croix du Nord, puts a 3-for-3 record on the line, and that includes a win in December in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes over the same course and a 2,000-meter distance.
European Classics
Keeping up with the promising 3-year-olds:
Field of Gold might be catalogued under "already delivered" rather than "promising" after his impressive 3 1/2-length victory over a top-shelf field in Wednesday's Group 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket.
The Kingman colt, racing for Juddmonte, appeared well-blocked behind the field with little more than a furlong left in the 1-mile tilt. But when a gap opened, jockey Kieran Shoemark pointed the gray colt toward it and he blasted through willingly, defeating the 2024 Royal Lodge winner and several runners from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
Mark down Zanzoun as another Classics contender for Juddmonte after the Dubawi filly, trained by John and Thady Gosden, ran on late to capture Tuesday's Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket.
Across the Channel at Saint-Cloud, Friday's Group 3 Prix Cleopatre has six 3-year-old fillies to go 2,000 meters with attention to Tajlina and Benamira.
England
Persica, with Ryan Moore up for trainer Richard Hannon, took an early lead in Tuesday's Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes and didn't stop, winning by 2 lengths over joint favorite Ottoman Fleet.
Friday is Good Friday and Finals Day for the All-Weather Championships. There are six Championship races, plus the Listed Burradon Stakes over the Newcastle Tapeta, headlined by the Easter Classic at 1 1/4 miles.
The Championships remarkably all have 14-horse fields, and total prize money on offer, including potential bonuses, exceeds 1 million pounds.
Australia
Royal Randwick hosts two Group 1 event Saturday -- the Moet & Chandon Stakes for 2-year-olds and the Schweppes All Aged Stakes. The 14-horse field for the latter, in fact, has runners aged 3 through 7. Broadsiding, winner of the 2024 Champagne, is entered for the All-Aged Stakes this year.
