Commandment and Chief Wallabee had a battle royale in the Fountain of Youth and will renew the rivalry in the Florida Derby.
152nd Kentucky Derby
The stretch-running grey won the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series.
The Louisiana Derby, worth $1 million and 100 points, could be a key race for the Kentucky Derby; Fair Grounds Oaks has Canadian flair.
Canadian horsepeople and runners include trainers Josie Carroll and Kevin Attard with colts Chaos Agent and Two Out Hero.
The Pin Oak colt by Bolt d'Oro earned 50 points for his Virginia Derby win and is tied at the top of the Derby list with Paladin.
A thrilling renewal of the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn awarded Derby points to lightly-raced Class President.
The Into Mischief colt has won three straight and he kept debut winner Chief Wallabee at bay in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes,
Gulfstream's Grade 2 race has a strong field for the 1 1/16 mile race which gets sophomores ready for the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
There are three stepping-stone stakes races to the Kentucky Derby (G1) this weekend and Woodbine's leading trainer Mark Casse has two hopefuls.
The race is a precursor to the Grade 1 Florida Derby, but it has a super field of Kentucky Derby hopefuls racing 1 1/16 miles.
A finalist for Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Colt or Gelding, Two Out Hero drew post 12 for a Kentucky Derby stepping-stone race.
“I thought it was a perfect start to his three-year-old campaign,” said Todd Pletcher of the colt which won with a smart 92 speed figure.
All John Oxley's colt needed for the $1 million Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on Feb. 5 was some sharp pace up front.
Centennial Farms’ Nearly scored a dominating 5 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $175,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
John Oxley, a three-time Sovereign Award winner, owns the 1-2 finishers in an early Kentucky Derby prep and both are trained by Mark Casse.
