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The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 – Feb. 2

With the runnings of the GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita and the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn, there's now a bit more clarity to the division, particularly in California where Las Virgenes winner Faiza (Girvin) look like she is the best of that group. The Martha Washington was won by the Brad Cox-trained Wet Paint (Blame), but she didn't beat a stellar group and will have to wait for another day to make this list. This will be a quiet weekend for the 3-year-old fillies. Gulfstream does offer the GIII Forward Gal S., but it is a seven-furlong race and most of the entrants look to be sprinters.

1) WONDER WHEEL (f, Into Mischief–Wonder Gal, by Tiz Wonderful) O-D. J. Stable LLC. B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC & Clearsky Farm (Ky). T-Mark Casse. Sales history: $275,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 5-4-1-0, $1,550,725. Last Start: Won GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland Nov. 4. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40. Next Start: Suncoast S., Tam, Feb. 11

The Eclipse Award-winning filly continues to progress while training at Mark Casse's training center. She worked five furlongs in 59 last week and is gearing up for what will be her 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 11 Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs. “After an easy breeze last week, Wonder Wheel is on course to run in the Suncoast Stakes.,” said DJ Stable General Manager Jon Green. “She may be a tad light from a fitness standpoint, but we prefer two-turn options over the other possible preps. Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount in the Suncoast.” The Suncoast will not be an easy spot as the race is also expected to include GII Demoiselle S. winner Julia Shining (Curlin), so it will be a good test for the champion. Wonder Wheel's Eclipse Award was the second in the juvenile fillies category for DJ Stable, which also won the award in 2018 with Jaywalk (Cross Traffic).

2) HOOSIER PHILLY (f, Into Mischief–Tapella, by Tapit) O-Gold Standard Racing Stable, LLC. B-Candy Meadows, LLC (Ky). T-Thomas Amoss. Sales history: $510,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $432,610. Last Start: Won GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 26. Kentucky Oaks Points: 10
Next Start: GII Rachel Alexandra S., FG, Feb. 18

Hoosier Philly had her first published workout of the year last Saturday, breezing four furlongs in 47.40 at the Fair Grounds. “When she worked this past weekend I saw the same horse that I have been seeing since she first came to the track, which is good,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “I am really pleased that she is enthusiastic about her training. I like her development physically, as well.” The Into Mischief filly remains on target for the Feb. 18 Rachel Alexandra at the Fair Grounds. Should she win that day Amoss will need to make a decision about her future plans, which, he has said all along, could include a start in the GI Kentucky Derby. “We're running in the Rachel Alexandra and will see how she does,” Amoss said in regards to the Derby question. “I can't comment beyond that. I haven't thought that much about it.” A very exciting prospect who could ultimately land in the top spot in this poll, her 3-year-old debut will be a must-see event.

3) FAIZA (f, Girvin–Sweet Pistol, by Smart Strike) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Michael L Petersen. B-Brereton C. Jones (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $90,000 yrl '21 KEESEP; $725,000 2yo '22 FTMMAY. Lifetime Record: GISW, 2-2-0-0, $222,000. Last Start: Won the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: To Be Determined.

With her win in the Las Virgenes, Faiza became the clear leader of the 3-year-old filly division in California. A member of the loaded Bob Baffert stable, she's done nothing wrong. A $725,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic 2-Year-Olds Sale, she's now 3-for-3 and her record includes a victory in the GI Starlet S. But while she's getting the job done, she's not blowing anyone away. She won the Starlet by a head and the Las Virgenes by a half-length, each time beating Pride of the Nile. Also, she hasn't been running particularly fast as her 77 Beyer in the Las Virgenes equaled her career best. Then again, she's undefeated, a Grade I winner, cost $725,000 at the sales and is trained by Bob Baffert, all of which makes her a formidable member of this division. Was ridden by Ramon Vazquez in the Las Virgenes, after Flavien Prat was the pilot in her two prior starts.

4) ICE DANCING (f, Frosted–Welcome Dance, by Henny Hughes) O-Perry R Bass, II & Ramona Bass. B-Bass Stables, LLC (Ky). T-Richard Mandella. Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 5-2-0-2, $219,600. Last Start: Won GIII Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita Jan. 8. Kentucky Oaks Points: 12. Next Start: To Be Determined

Ice Dancing | Benoit Photo

After winning the GIII Santa Ynez S. on Jan. 8, she sat out the Las Virgenes because trainer Richard Mandella wanted to space her races apart. Still, she's been busy in the mornings, having had two four furlong works since her last race. She's been a completely new horse after finishing fourth, beaten six lengths, in the GII Chandelier S. in October. Mandella regrouped and put her in a maiden race, which she won by a length. Next up was a convincing 3 1/4 length win in the Santa Ynez. If she doesn't progress from here, her connections can always try her on the turf. She is out of Welcome Dance (Henny Hughes), a two-time stakes winner on the grass who started just once on the dirt.

5) MUNNYS GOLD (f, Munnings–Haraawa, by Medaglia D'Oro) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Robert E. and Lawana L. Low; B-Nicksar Farms; T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $300,000 ylr '21 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0. Last Start: Won an Allowance race at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0. Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Mar. 4 or Any Limit S., GP, Mar. 18

After turning in an eye-catching performance in June at Monmouth, where she won by 14 ½ lengths and earned a 101 Beyer figure, Munnys Gold disappeared, only to return last week at Gulfstream in a six-furlong allowance race for Florida-breds. Sent off at 1-20, she won by 6 1/4 lengths and this time got an 88 Beyer. We know she's fast, but is she a two-turn horse, an Oaks candidate? Trainer Todd Pletcher is waiting to find out. “She's a bit headstrong so she'll have to convince me that she wants to stretch out,” Pletcher said. The GII Davona Dale S. at a mile on March 4 is a possibility, but so is the six-furlong Any Limit S. On March 18. If Pletcher chooses the shorter race that would be a pretty good sign that he doesn't think this one is Oaks material.

6) LEAVE NO TRACE (f, Outwork–Tanquerray, by Good Journey) O-WellSpring Stables. B-Red Cloak Farm, LLC (Ky). T-Philip Serpe. Sales history: $8,000 yrl '21 FTFFEB; $40,000 yrl '21 FTMOCT. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-2-1-1, $598,650. Last Start: 2nd in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland Nov. 4.Kentucky Oaks Points: 15. Next Start: GII Davona Dale S., GP, Mar. 4.

Gearing up for the Davona Dale S., Leave No Trace has had three published workouts this year for trainer Phil Serpe. The GII Gulfstream Parks Oaks will be next and then, if she continues to progress, a run in the Kentucky Oaks. She's come quite a long way after being purchased out of the Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic 2-Year-Olds Sale for just $40,000. Before that, she sold for $8,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February Mixed Sale. After winning the GI Spinaway S., she finished second in the GI Frizette S. and then second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Leave No Trace was the first graded stakes winner for sire Outwork. She was the first Grade I winner for trainer Phil Serpe since Birdonthewire (Proud Birdie) won the 1994 Vosburgh S.

7) JULIA SHINING (f, Curlin–Dreaming of Julia, by A.P. Indy) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Stonestreet Stables LLC. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $194,075. Last Start: Won the GII Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct Dec. 3. Kentucky Oaks Points: 10
Next Start: Suncoast S., Tam, Feb. 11

Curlin has been on quite a run, one that includes being the sire of three of 2022's Eclipse Awards winners. In Julia Shining, he has another horse with a world of potential. A full-sister to Eclipse Award winner Malathaat (Curlin), she's 2-for-2 and coming off a win in the GII Demoiselle S. It's hard to know what to make of that race. She won by just a neck and, as the 55-100 favorite, didn't exactly square off against stellar competition. But with her pedigree and her late-running style, she has looked like a horse who will only get better at three. How good is she? We'll find out soon as she is scheduled to take on champion Wonder Wheel in the Feb. 11 Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs.

8) THE ALYS LOOK (f, Connect–Foul Play, by Harlan's Holiday) O-Ike and Dawn Thrash. B-G. Watts Humphrey (Ky). T-Brad H. Cox. Sales history: $60,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 5-2-1-1, $150,528. Last Start: Won the Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds Jan. 21. Kentucky Oaks Points: 24. Next Start: GII Fair Grounds Oaks, FG, Mar. 25

The Alys Look | Hodges Photography / Jamie Newell

Brad Cox has several Oaks candidates, though none that, at least so far, are regarded as among the best in the division. The Alys Look fits that bill. Just a $60,000 yearling buy, she outran stablemate and beaten Juvenile Fillies favorite Chop Chop (City of Light) to win her 3-year-old debut in the Silverbulletday S. at the Fair Grounds. She will no doubt need to improve in order to be able to knock off the best of her division, but one of Cox's strengths is his ability to get horses to peak at the most opportune time.

9) JUSTIQUE (f, Justify–Grazie Mille, by Bernardini) 'TDN Rising Star' O-C R K Stable, LLC. B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock (Ky). T-John A Shirreffs. Sales history: $725,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP, 3-2-0-1, $132,000. Last Start: 3rd in the GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita Jan. 28. Kentucky Oaks Points: 9. Next Start: To Be Determined.

The John Shirreffs-trained filly has run four times and has looked sensational twice and rather ordinary twice. The latest disappointment came in the Las Virgenes where she was a third-place finisher and lost by three lengths. The other sub-par effort came in the Chandelier, where she was a non-threatening third. The connection is that both those races were around two turns where her better starts came around one turn. So is she just a one-turn horse? Maybe. Yet that doesn't make a lot of sense. By Justify out of a Bernardini mare, she's bred to go long and her late-kick closing style also suggest a horse who should like a distance. She missed a scheduled start in the Santa Ynez when sick, so maybe she needed the start in the Las Virgenes. But she still has to prove that she can get a distance. The jury remains out.

10) OCCULT (f, Into Mischief–Magical Feeling, by Empire Maker) O-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC. B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (Ky). T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $625,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-0, $107,450. Last Start: Won the Busanda S. at Aqueduct Jan. 14. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: To Be Determined

Looks like the best of the bunch when it comes to 3-year-old fillies training in New York. After breaking her maiden in her second career start, she was a handy winner of the Jan. 14 Busanda S. at Aqueduct for trainer Chad Brown. Brown is shopping for a spot for her next start. Don't get caught up on the fact that she's a New York winter horse. She's obviously got some quality and Brown has used the New York route in the past with a number of good horses.

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The Week in Review: Baffert Bigger, Stronger Than Ever

Bob Baffert has certainly taken his lumps ever since it was discovered that Medina Spirit (Protonico) tested positive for a banned substance in the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby. He was hit with a 90-day suspension from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the New York Racing Association banned him for a year and Churchill Downs banned him for two years. Though Baffert is still fighting the Churchill ban, in all likelihood, he will not be allowed to start a horse in this year's Derby, which would be the second straight year he was prevented from running a horse in the race.

Then, it was reported last week, that horses currently trained by Baffert must be sent to another trainer by Feb. 28. If not, they will not be eligible for qualifying points for the Derby. Last year, he didn't have to turn over his Derby hopefuls to another stable until just prior to the last round of Derby preps, races like the GI Santa Anita Derby and the GI Arkansas Derby.

With just about any other trainer, these penalties could have been a major setback, with owners sending their horses to new barns. But Baffert is not any other trainer. When it comes to winning Triple Crown races he is arguably the best there has ever been and owners know that teaming up with him improves their chances of winning the sport's most coveted races, even if he might not be the trainer of their horses when it comes Derby time. No one walked away.

So it's no surprise that Baffert has not suffered the “irreparable harm” that his lawyers kept arguing would be the case when contesting the suspensions. But no one could have foreseen what was to come, that Baffert would emerge from this with more firepower than he has ever had.

That was on full display last weekend. Baffert won the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn with Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo). The next day he captured the GII San Vicente S. with Havnameltdown (Uncaptured), a race in which he sent out three of the four starters. But nothing shined a light on Baffert's dominance quite like the list of nominees for the GIII Robert B. Lewis S., which was released Saturday. Sixteen horses were nominated and 14 are trained by Baffert. He very well could be the only trainer to have a horse in next Saturday's race.

The list of owners of the horses nominated for the Lewis is a stellar group, individuals and partnerships who have remained fiercely loyal to Baffert. You have Zedan Racing Stables, Michael Lund Petersen, the Pegram, Watson, Weitman partnership and the SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables partnership.

The list of Lewis nominees does not include Cave Rock (Arrogate). The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up who was Baffert's best 2-year-old last year, Cave Rock, as of Sunday, had not had a published workout in 2023, not a good sign with the Derby just 95 days away.

Baffert's weekend also included a win in the GIII Las Virgenes S. for 3-year-old fillies with Faiza (Girvin) and a second-place finish with Defunded (Dialed In) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

None of which means that Baffert, or whomever is brought in prior to the Derby, has to win the race, but they will likely head to Churchill with a very strong hand, one led by Arabian Knight. After an electric win in his debut Nov. 5 at Keeneland, he had no problem with the next test, two turns and stakes competition in the Southwest. While GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte (Violence) has accomplished more than Arabian Knight, the Baffert runner, who cost $2.3 million at the OBS April sale, has been so impressive that he looks like the leader of the division and he tops the TDN's Derby Top 12. Look for him to take the Oaklawn route to the Derby and follow in the footsteps of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), who won the GII Rebel S. and the Arkansas Derby on his way to Louisville.

The most starters Baffert has ever had in the Derby is three, which he has done four times. Last year, Tim Yakteen, subbing for Baffert, had two. Could Baffert, or whomever is brought in to deputize, have six or seven starters in this year's race? It seems entirely possible. And after the Derby has been run, the last of the suspensions or bans that Baffert has been hit with, will be over. He can move on.

With the two-year anniversary of Medina Spirit having tested positive in the Derby coming up, the Hall of Fame trainer has proved his resiliency and his major owners have all stood by him. It's no doubt been a trying two years for Baffert, but it could have been a lot worse. He's stronger than ever.

Numbers Plummet at Sam Houston

For those of you who missed it, Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) won Saturday's GIII Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston and Scarlet Fusion (Curlin) captured the GIII John Connally Turf Cup. Not that hardly anybody was able to watch or wager on those races.

You have to feel bad for Sam Houston management, which has done a good job over the years promoting what it calls the Houston Racing Festival. The event has given the track some needed exposure over the years and brought in some good horses. Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) won the Ladies Classic in 2019 and Letruska (Super Saver) captured the race in 201.

But this year, thanks to a hissy fit from the Texas Racing Commission, the Saturday card at Sam Houston was all but invisible. The Texas racing regulators pulled the plug on the simulcasting of all races in the state after declaring that the advent of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act meant it was illegal to send the races out of state. So, unless you were present in Texas Saturday, you could neither watch nor bet on the Sam Houston races. With no betting being taken on the races, none of the major ADWs showed the Sam Houston races.

The results were predictable. The handle on the day was $488,385. Last year, when the races were run on a Sunday, the handle was $5,698,052. That's a decline of 91.4%.

The Texas tracks get some of their purse money from a fund that comes from sales taxes on horse feed, tack and other horse-related products and services. But trying to maintain purses when the handle is next to nothing is not feasible. Meanwhile, the Texas Racing Commission continues to cut off its nose to spite its face, putting the future of racing in the state in jeopardy.

At Pegasus World Cup, Business is Booming

1/ST Racing has put a lot of its resources behind turning a day at the races into an event. The best example is Pegasus World Cup Day. By combining a stellar day of racing, a $3-million race and a number of on-track entertainment options, 1/ST has turned the day into a horse racing party.

That might not appeal to everyone as there are surely a lot of curmudgeonly horseplayers who could do without having to pay a good dollar to attend and have no interest in listening to musical acts whose audience are Gen Z-ers. But it is working. They handled $43,886,543 Saturday at Gulfstream. Up until 2016, the race was not the Pegasus but the GI Donn H. and the likes of Kygo, OneRepublic and Joe Jonas were nowhere to be found. In the last year of the Donn, the handle was $19,954,971. It has more than doubled since.

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The Week In Review: For Syndicate Partners, What’s In A Name (Or Ten)?

Right now within TDN's Top 12 rankings for the GI Kentucky Derby, seven horses are owned by multiple-entity partnerships. One syndicate maxes out at 10 individual owners, another at eight.

If the horses from those larger partnerships (or other syndicates-there are plenty of them and they are growing in number worldwide) make it into the Derby field, they won't have to worry about getting the satisfaction and distinction of seeing their names in print as owners. But that's only because as a courtesy, Churchill Downs takes the extra step of hiring a graphic designer to rework the traditional program page for America's most historic and important horse race so that no owner of a Derby runner gets left out.

Technically, that practice is at odds with a Kentucky regulation that limits the number of individual owners who can appear on the printed program page to five. At a meeting last week of the rules committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC), commission staffers and industry stakeholders tried to take a first pass at updating that rule so that every member of a syndicate (or at least more of them) might get recognized as listed owners in all Kentucky races, not just on Derby day.

“I've been approached by several ownership groups that we make room for more names,” said KHRC commissioner Charlie O'Connor. “As syndicate groups in this country are becoming a big deal, [people] who invest their money in the horse business want to see their name on a program.

“These ownership groups and syndicates are spending a large amount of money in Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton and all the sales houses around the world, and I think it's a fair thing for them to ask for their name to be on the program, and I think that we should be able to accommodate it without any huge, big issues,” O'Connor said.

Others in on the discussion thought so too. But it turns out there are practicality limitations and potential unintended consequences that come into play if the KHRC paves the way for more individuals to get inked into ownership lines.

As for the existing rule itself, KHRC chief state steward Barbara Borden explained it this way: “Currently, our regulation says more than five individual persons shall not be licensed as owners of a single horse. That's why we have limited the number on the program to five. It goes on to say if more than five individual persons own interests, then they shall name one person to be the licensed representative.”

Signator | Chelsea Durand

Still, even within that parameter of five, the ownership line on a Kentucky program does get crowded. Several stakeholders at the meeting referenced the trouble being related to a 200-character limit that is a requirement of the Equibase system. The number for that data field was selected some time ago, well before the proliferation of partnerships in roughly the past decade, and it was once reasonable to assume every ownership entity would fit within that amount of space.

But that equates to just 40 characters per syndicate member if five owners are listed, and even then, to make everything fit, the characters are often squished together without spacing to the point where, as Borden said, the line is “illegible” to anyone trying to decipher the program.

“Part of the problem is two things,” Borden said. “First of all, the owners that want to see their names, they might know their name is on the program. But you can't read it, and neither can anyone else. And the other thing is, the reason we put the ownership on the program to begin with, is for public disclosure. So if it's not legible because we have too many names or the font is too small or whatever, we're defeating our purpose of listing the owners at all.”

Frank Jones, Jr., a KHRC commissioner who chairs the rules committee, wondered if it would be feasible to include a “side document” in the program that would fit all the names in full, while the program page itself got printed in a less cluttered way.

Anna Seitz, who works with Fasig-Tipton and with international syndicates, said that in Australia, “they list all the names. They just do smaller fonts. I know it makes a huge difference. Those owners, that's part of the reason they buy in, because they want their name on there.”

Gary Palmisano, Jr., the executive director of racing for Churchill Downs, Inc., said his company is “all for” syndicates. “But just understand that it is space-limited” and the issue is a “bigger-picture problem” than just learning to deal with the limitations of 200 characters.

“We live this every year with the Derby,” Palmisano said. “Obviously, in the Derby, every owner partnership wants to see their names. Equibase currently doesn't have the capability of putting in more than 200 characters. So we have to physically, manually, white-out portions of the owner [line, and then string together] the text, and try to put it in [with everyone listed].”

But if the rule got changed to list more owners, Palmisano cautioned, “tracks every single day are going to have to have a graphics design person, as we do for the Derby, [to] recreate the program line. [That task] is certainly something that takes our team, manually, a lot of time to do for the Derby program.”

Palmisano continued: “Right now [the rule] says five [owners are the maximum listed]. With the racetracks, assuming Equibase can help us with the language, we can figure out the program piece. We're already actively engaging with Equibase to try to figure out the program piece. But I think the [rules] committee, more so than looking at the program piece, should take a hard look if it should be five, eight, seven, ten [owners listed]. Because that helps us frame what we need to do with Equibase.”

O'Connor said 10 names might be the sweet spot, because he's seeing many partnerships now constructed at the 10% buy-in level aiming for 10 syndicate members.

Borden said that brings up another issue related to disclosure.

“This takes us back two years ago when we had partnership forms, which we no longer require,” Borden said. “Every syndicate would have to report to us all the participants in the syndicate.”

While the partnership forms might raise the unwelcome prospect of more paperwork for everyone involved, Borden said there is an upside to those forms that relates to better transparency.

“We currently don't always know the exact ownership of every horse, so that would probably be a bonus for us,” Borden said. “But it would entail us being advised of all the ownership and the [percentages each entity owns].”

But, Borden said, no matter what expanded number the rule night eventually state, common sense inevitably has to intervene.

Gulfport | Coady Photography

“At some point there has to be, in my opinion, a limit,” Borden said. “It's not infinity. If 100 people own a horse, we can't put 100 names on there.”

Keeneland's vice president of racing, Gatewood Bell, raised another potential red flag related to numerous owners being listed: Although Kentucky has recently loosened its rules regarding coupled mutuel entries in an attempt to bolster field sizes, a single owner still can't run two horses in the same race if it excludes another owner's horse from getting in. So what if one individual was a small-percentage owner in one syndicate and owned another horse either outright or as part of a second partnership? How would preference be fairly determined?

“You wouldn't want to discourage the owners from joining these syndicates and also having horses on their own,” Bell said.

Borden pointed out that any overlapping ownership in a single race, even a tiny percentage, still counts as an owner having an interest in two horses.

The committee ended up not proposing or voting on any rule change. Jones, the committee chair, said the entire issue needed more study, but that it would likely be brought up again in the near future.

“The more you listen, the more you see how complicated a problem this could become,” Jones admitted.

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Grade III Double Feature for Fair Grounds Saturday

On Saturday at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, the age-old wager known as the Daily Double will encompass a pair of Grade III races late on the card. The GIII Louisiana S. for older males will give way to a group of youthful 3-year-olds in the GIII Lecomte S., as they look to chase Kentucky Derby points that have expanded to 20-8-6-4-2 for the top five finishers.

Calhoun Looks to Continue Louisiana Hot Hand

Bret Calhoun continues to lead in the trainer standings during the meet for an award that he has yet to win, despite much success in the past. He has a trio of entries in the Louisiana S. with Mr. Wireless (Dialed In) being the most experienced stakes contender. The 5-year-old gelding is priced well at 5-1, but will probably be overshadowed by his stablemate Run Classic (Runhappy), who returned to racing last fall after being off for a year and a half. He was fourth in the $200,000 Tinsel S. at Oaklawn Park Dec. 17.

Standing in Calhoun's way is Brad Cox, who has a pair of runners entered that are drawn towards the outside. Of these, Zozos (Munnings) made some noise last spring along the Derby Trail when he won an optional claiming race at Oaklawn Feb. 11 by an impressive 10 1/4 lengths to become a 'TDN Rising Star'. A second to now-retired Epicenter in the GII Louisiana Derby and a 10th-place finish in GI Kentucky Derby followed before the homebred went to the bench. His tune-up at the Fair Grounds Dec. 17 tells us that he is ready for his 4-year-old debut. One other entry that merits consideration is Business Model (Candy Ride {Arg}). Sure to be a price at 15-1 on the morning-line, the Brendan Walsh trainee caught a slow pace in the Tenacious S. Dec. 26 that was not to his liking. The race shape could be much different this time around.

Derby Dreams Brewing for Gold Square's Instant Coffee

New stakes coordinator Stu Slagle has put together a solid field of eight for this year's Lecomte S., despite Paulo Lobo reporting that out of his two entries, Itzos (Bolt d'Oro) will scratch. Last year, Gold Square enjoyed the fruits of the Derby Trail when Cyberknife (Gun Runner) rallied to win the GI Arkansas Derby. They are back with Brad Cox for more rose-colored dreams with Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro) who already has 12 Kentucky Derby points to his credit. After breaking his maiden first-out at Saratoga Sept. 3-with future GII Remsen S. Hero Dubyyuhnell (Good Magic) fourth–he was fourth in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. at Keeneland Oct. 8 to eventual GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte (Violence), but came back and won the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 26. With Luis Saez in the irons once again, he will be heard from late in the game.

A major threat to Cox, who also has Tapit's Conquest (Tapit), is GIII Street Sense S. winner Two Phil's (Hard Spun). The colt broke his maiden at Colonial Downs July 18 at second asking, and after a romping win in the Shakopee Juvenile S. at Canterbury Park Sept. 17, the Larry Rivelli trainee was seventh in the Breeders' Futurity. Being forwardly placed is a essential for this runner, which will be Jareth Loveberry's tactical challenge. Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) should be the pacesetter and he has proven dangerous on the engine. Though he was fifth to Curly Jack (Good Magic) in the GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs Sept. 17 after winning in his second career race in Louisville Aug. 13, he certainly showed grit going wire-to-wire under the Twin Spires against optional claimers Nov. 26. Bred by Summer Wind Equine LLC and out of a half-sister to Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}), he will be looking to ride the merry-go-round on Saturday.

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