The roll call of Donn H. winners through 2016 at Gulfstream Park reflects a roster of unique equine and human personalities, which is peppered with some magnificent performances that shouldn't be forgotten.

Hall of Fame jockey Braulio Baeza won his first of three victories in 1969 aboard Funny Fellow and took home his last Donn with Foolish Pleasure in 1976.

One of the greats, Forego, captured the 1974 race. There was Deputy Minister in 1983. The legendary Cigar grabbed back-to-back races starting in 1995 for a trainer with the last name of Mott, who is still collecting accolades and giving sound speeches without notes.

And who could forget the haul by Todd Pletcher with his first Donn win in 2003 which was authored by Harlan's Holiday.

Speaking of sires, futures breeding shed stars like Medaglia d'Oro, Quality Road and Constitution, all got their picture taken after winning the Donn.

As we know, the race was renamed and its history placed on a dusty shelf. Instead of drawing from the near and visceral past, it was time to extract strength from a famous mythological winged horse slaying a dragon. Second in size stateside to only the Statue of Liberty, the completed 2014 edifice ominously guards the entrance of Gulfstream, presides over the Donn's demise and welcomes those attending Pegasus World Cup Day.

On Saturday, another edition arrives as the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. anchors a card which sports six other graded events. Looking to join the likes of Arrogate (who won the first Pegasus), Gun Runner and Life Is Good, are a dozen suitors and an also-eligible.

National Treasure schooling | Lauren King

Out of these, National Treasure (Quality Road) is the clear class leader. The Bob Baffert trainee won last year's GI Preakness S. and ended his 3-year-old campaign as the runner-up in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile to newly-minted Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin).

One of National Treasure's primary rivals, who is drawn right next to him, is Godolphin homebred GSW First Mission (Street Sense). Trained by Brad Cox, the dark bay missed last year's Triple Crown, but he has the potential to be a major player within the 2024 Classic division.

“It couldn't have gone better so far,” said Cox assistant Trace Messina. “He shipped in here early Tuesday morning and had a good gallop over the track Wednesday and another good gallop Thursday.”

First Mission was second in the GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs last November. Both the winner of that race, Trademark (Upstart), and the third-place finisher, Il Miracolo (Gun Runner), also received a Pegasus invite.

Il Miracolo's trainer Antonio Sano said, “The horse has been doing very well after the [last] race. Right now, the horse is very excited and in good condition. He worked two times with [jockey Javier] Castellano and I hope to run well. I think there are four horses that show speed in the race. I hope we can find room behind the speed for the horse to close.”

As for the rest of the field, it includes Mineshaft's own GISW Hoist the Gold and MGSW Senor Buscador (who ran first and second in the GI Cigar Mile), plus the Iavarone's MGSW O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) and that 7-year-old's Saffie Joseph stablemate MGSW Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator).

The Undercard Takes to the Turf

The rest of the Gulfstream slate has an intriguing lineup. In the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S., trainer Aidan O'Brien sends GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) back to America. Since missing by a neck to newly-crowned champion female turf horse Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the filly was third in the G1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in mid-December.

Warm Heart workout | Ryan Thompson

Last year's winner, Atone (Into Mischief) returns, along with the undefeated MGSW Integration (Quality Road), who picks up rider Tyler Gaffallione for Kendrick Carmouche.

West Point Thoroughbreds executive vice president Tom Bellhouse said about Integration's development, “He's as exciting a horse as we've had. He's just a super exciting horse. It took him a while to really get rolling and find his stride. If you look back, he had a lot of works and a lot of base. Shug [McGaughey] was always, 'I like this horse.' He's rewarded all the confidence Shug had in him. To win the race at Colonial [Downs] first time out and to come back a little less than four weeks later and win the Virginia Derby the way he did, it was spectacular. I was lucky enough to be at Aqueduct for the Hill Prince S. and it was one of those races that was never in doubt. It was really an amazing performance.”

A trio of graded turf races help to round out the Pegasus Day card. First among them is the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which moved up a spot to become a Grade II race. Star Fortress (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the market leader at 5-2 here, made her U.S. debut a winning one by 10 lengths for trainer Cherie DeVaux in the GIII Cardinal S. at Churchill Downs last November. Chief among her rivals will be veteran 6-year-olds like GISW Queen Goddess (Empire Maker), MGSW/MGISP Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}) and MGSW/GISP Didia (Arg) (Orpen).

As an ode to the Donn's origins, also on the docket are a pair of grass distance tests at 12 furlongs–the GIII La Prevoyante S. and the GIII W.L. McKnight S.

Graded dirt races do make an appearance with the GII Inside Information S. for older females at seven furlongs, which is led by local favorite GSW/GISP Maryquitecontrary (First Dude). Also, older males traveling a mile in the GIII Fred Hopper S. will look to challenge morning-line favorite Hejazi (Bernardini), who was the runner-up in the GI Malibu S.

Heading West

Finally, the graded train also makes Saturday stops at Sam Houston Race Park and Santa Anita Park. H-Town hosts the GIII Ladies Houston Classic S. and the GIII John B. Connally Turf Cup, while the 'Great Race Place' has its own nine-furlong test on the dirt in the GII San Pasqual S.

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“Turning for home I knew I was going to win it,” Baffert said. “I wasn't sure which one it was going to be, I would have liked to run one, two, three. Speed Boat Beach has always shown since his first out that he was something special, hopefully he can build from this.”

Hejazi, who topped the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale on Gary Young's bid of $3.55 million on behalf of Amr Zedan, won the break and had the lead in the early strides, but Speed Boat Beach, last seen finishing fourth after setting a quick tempo in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, rushed up to prompt his stablemate through fractions of :22.21 and :44.42. He took a narrow lead into the far turn, but Hejazi came right back and looked to be traveling with authority only to have Speed Boat Beach cut the corner into the lane and scamper clear, leaving Hejazi to chase in vain.

“He was really sharp early,” said winning jockey Flavien Prat, who rode Flightline to victory in last year's Malibu. “I got him to relax and we took a little breather. Around the turn, he really went well. He didn't mind being on the inside. He was really in a good rhythm today.”

Speed Boat Beach stretched out to a mile to win the GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. over the Del Mar lawn last December, but was sidelined nearly 10 months after that effort. He returned with a gallant runner-up effort in the six-furlong GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship Sept. 30, earning a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint where he settled for fourth after setting the pace.

“His issue is that he has always been very aggressive,” Baffert said of Speed Boat Beach. “He's aggressive in the mornings and aggressive in his races. We have been working on getting him relaxed, a lot of schooling. I've got a great team, my riders and my assistants they have been working him a lot. Prat worked him for me today and he actually worked really well with Prat. He got along with him really well, got him to come off the bit a little bit. I was worried about my other horses they were going to be in there with him.”

Of the runner-up, Baffert added, “Hejazi is a serious horse. He was a little bit keen today. We weren't able to train this last week. Juan [Hernandez] was telling me he couldn't get him to relax very well so he used himself up a little bit. I see big things for him down the road.”

Pedigree Notes:

Speed Boat Beach is one of four graded winners–and the first top-level victor–for GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern, who now stands in South Korea. The winner is the first foal out of the unraced Sophia Mia, who has a yearling filly by Volatile–who sold for $140,000 at the Keeneland September sale–and a weanling filly by Army Mule. The mare, a daughter of multiple graded placed Amie's Dini, RNA'd for $390,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton November sale and was bred to Not This Time this year. Her 2-year-old daughter Midnight Snack (Distorted Humor) sold to Alistair Roden on behalf of MKW Racing and Breeding for $485,000 at this year's OBS April sale.

Tuesday, Santa Anita
MALIBU S.-GI, $301,000, Santa Anita, 12-26, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.70, ft.
1–SPEED BOAT BEACH, 120, c, 3, by Bayern
                1st Dam: Sophia Mia, by Pioneerof the Nile
                2nd Dam: Amie's Dini, by Bandini
                3rd Dam: Run Kate Run, by Cherokee Run
   1ST GRADE I WIN. ($12,000 Ylg '21 OBSOCT; $200,000 2yo
'22 OBSMAR). O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul
Weitman; B-Caperlane Farm (FL); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien
Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0, $498,000.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
   Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Hejazi, 120, c, 3, Bernardini–G Note, by Medaglia d'Oro.
($3,550,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.;
B-Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Bob Baffert.
$60,000.
3–Giant Mischief, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–Vertical Oak, by
Giant Oak. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE.
($475,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Bakster Farm LLC, Big Easy
Racing LLC, Kueber Racing LLC, Spendthrift Farm LLC, Steve
Landers Racing LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Ten Strike
Racing, Titletown Racing Stables, Winners Win, M. Caruso,
Dubb, and M. Schwartz; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred

Holdings LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. 'TDN Rising Star' $36,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.60, 2.10, 10.90.
Also Ran: Damon's Mound, Raise Cain, Fort Bragg, Sharp Aza Tack. Scratched: Matanzas Creek.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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This Tuesday, an 11-race card kicks off at 2 p.m. ET under the picturesque San Gabriel mountains in Arcadia, California–six of which are graded stakes.

To entice the horseplayer, the Classic Meet sports a $1 Pick Six, a 14 percent takeout on both the .50 Early and Late Pick 5, and we will see the return of the $3 All-Turf Pick 3, which was announced during the recent Autumn Meet.

As for the graded lineup, of course the feature is once again the GI Malibu S. for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on dirt.

Trainer Bob Baffert has GSW Speed Boat Beach (Bayern), GSW Fort Bragg (Tapit) and GISP Hejazi (Bernardini) ready to go. The Hall of Famer, who won last year's edition with 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner), is seeking his sixth win in the Malibu. That would tie fellow Hall member Richard Mandella for most wins all-time in the race.

The 3-year-old fillies take the stage in the GI La Brea S. going seven furlongs. GISP Clearly Unhinged (Into Mischief) looks to be the leading contender. The Michael McCarthy-trainee was most recently sixth at 'The Great Race Place' in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Nov. 4.

Baffert, who has won the last two La Breas, and with a record of nine overall, enters GSP Fast and Shiny (Bernardini), while trainer Brad Cox ships in SW Howl (Practical Joke).

Anisette | Benoit

In the GI American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/4 miles on turf, GISW Anisette (GB) Awtaad (Ire) is the standout. The Leonard Powell-trainee won the GI Del Mar Oaks and GII San Clemente S. at Del Mar earlier this year. Most recently, Anisette was the runner-up in both the GII Rodeo Drive S. Oct. 7 and GIII Autumn Miss S. Nov. 5, both at Santa Anita.

Alongside the three Grade Is are the same number of Grade IIs, which all carry a purse of $200,000. The GII San Gabriel S. for 3-year-olds and up at nine furlongs on turf includes Easter (Fr). The Phil D'Amato-trainee won his first start for his new barn in the GII Seabiscuit H. at Del Mar Nov. 25. The 5-year-old Australian-bred by Exosphere (Aus) was previously based in New York with trainer Graham Motion.

The GII San Antonio S. is for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on dirt. Present are Stilleto Boy (Shackleford), winner of this year's GI Santa Anita H.; GSW Newgrange (Violence); MGSW Brickyard Ride (Clubhouse Ride); and GSW Salesman (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Add in South American import Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify), who is a Argentinian multiple Group 1 winner, and this makes for a pretty salty affair.

In what might be the most open battle on the whole card, the GII Mathis Mile S. over the grass for 3-year-olds includes GSP Almendares (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), SW Dandy Man Shines (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and GSP Panic Alarm (Ire) (Kuroshio {Aus}).

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($225,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV) O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Summerfield Sales Agency, Inc. & Etarip Stables; T-Brad Cox.

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The Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable colorbearer concluded his campaign with his third straight win at the top level in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 4.

“It seems like he's gotten even better and better since [the Breeders' Cup],” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It's great to have won with the foundation he has and the experience he has going into these races.”

Last term's GI Champagne S. winner and fellow 'Rising Star' Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) also makes his first start of 2023. He was fourth after some trouble at the start for trainer Chad Brown in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

The Fountain of Youth field also includes Bill Mott-trained stablemates Rocket Can (Into Mischief) and Shadow Dragon (Army Mule), one-two across the line in the local prep GIII Holy Bull S. Feb. 4. The rail-drawn GIII Swale S. winner General Jim (Into Mischief) will be scratched, according to trainer Shug McGaughey.

The Fountain of Youth offers 100 GI Kentucky Derby points (50-20-15-10-5).

The stacked 14-race program at Gulfstream also features: the GII Davona Dale S., led by unbeaten 3-year-old filly Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance); the GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S., headlined by last term's runaway GIII Dwyer S. winner and 'Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit); the GII Mac Diarmida S.; GIII Honey Fox S.; GIII Herecomesthebride S.; GIII Canadian Turf S.; and GIII The Very One S.

Big 'Cap Day at Santa Anita

The GI Santa Anita H. anchors a 12-race card at the Great Race Place Saturday. A wide-open field of 11 includes: GISWs Defunded (Dialed In), second last time in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S.; GI Clark S. winner Proxy (Tapit); and GI Hollywood Gold Cup S. winner There Goes Harvard (Will Take Charge); last out GII San Pasqual S. winner Newgrange (Violence); and last year's Big 'Cap second and third-place finishers Warrant (Constitution) and Stilleto Boy (Shackleford).

Sophomores, meanwhile, will take centerstage in the GII San Felipe S., which offers 50-20-15-10-5 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

Four horses formerly trained by Bob Baffert, including the top two on the morning-line in GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third and GIII Sham S. third National Treasure (Quality Road) and $3.55-million EASMAY topper and last-out maiden winner Hejazi (Bernardini), will now be eligible to earn Derby points after transferring to the barn of trainer Tim Yakteen. Yakteen will also saddle comebacking GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner Practical Move (Practical Joke).

Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) dives right into the deep end for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella following a jaw-dropping debut victory going six furlongs Jan. 29. Skinner (Curlin), Grade I-placed as a maiden last term, kicked off his sophomore season with a visually impressive maiden win of his going a mile here Feb. 12.

Nine turf milers, led by 9-5 morning-line favorite Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}), will line up in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. The Big 'Cap undercard also includes the GII Buena Vista S.

Derby Points on the Line in Gotham

A wide open and overflow field of 15 3-year-olds have been entered for Saturday's GIII Gotham S. going a one-turn mile at the Big A.

The two-for-two Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky), favored at 4-1 on the morning-line, takes on stakes company for the first time for red-hot trainer Brad Cox.

Former Bob Baffert runners GII Los Al Futurity S. runner-up Carmel Road (Quality Road) and GII San Vicente S. third Fort Warren (Curlin) make their first starts for Tim Yakteen and Brittany Russell, respectively.

Lugan Knight (Goldencents) was a game last out winner over track and trip in the Jerome S. Jan. 7.

The Gotham carries 100 Kentucky Derby points (50-20-15-10-5).

Aqueduct's 10-race card also includes the GIII Tom Fool H. for older sprinters.

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This weekend there is potential for another big win by the underdog in the GII San Felipe S., but there is also the likely possibility that the owner of one of those sensational seven-figure purchases will be rewarded.

The San Felipe's sizeable field of 11 includes two homebreds, three contestants purchased for less than $50,000, four bought for six figures–including $500,000 yearling and morning line favorite National Treasure (Quality Road) and $700,000 yearling Fort Bragg (Tapit)–and then that remarkable, pricey son of Bernardini known as Hejazi.

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Hejazi was bought by Zedan Racing for $3.55 million at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale, setting the mark for the highest-priced Thoroughbred sold at public auction in the state of Maryland and the highest-priced offspring of the late Bernardini at public auction.

Recalling the purchase, agent Gary Young said that the record-breaking colt was exactly what Amr Zedan was looking to add to his stable.

“Mr. Zedan has made it perfectly clear that his goal is to have good 3-year-old colts for the Classics,” Young explained. “This horse fit the bill. By Bernardini and out of a Medaglia d'Oro mare, he was really well-balanced and his conformation was correct. His work was terrific and Baffert loved the horse physically. Did we think he was going to go for that much? Not really. Baffert, my friend Charlie Boden and I stood in the back and Mr. Zedan was on the phone with us. One thing led to another and it got to $3.55 million. I don't think anyone in the group had foreseen it going that high, but when you get two players in the game these days, anything can happen.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Chase the Chaos (Astern {Aus})) is the bargain buy of the San Felipe field. The gelding was bought after receiving considerably less in-person scrutiny than his competitor Hejazi when he was purchased for just $10,000.

Chase the Chaos gets his first stakes win in the El Camino Real Derby | Vassar Photography

Buyer and co-owner Bill Dory purchases a few weanlings for under $10,000 every year to raise and break at his farm and then race at his local track, Century Mile.

“I didn't even go to the sale,” said Dory, recalling the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. “I went through the book numerous times and I picked out horses that I thought would fit in that $10,000 price range for Alberta. I really liked the Medaglia d'Oro-Uncle Mo cross on him. I got the vet report from the repository. He had some OCDs, but they were very minor and the vet thought he would grow out of them. When he didn't achieve his RNA, I asked the consignor how much they wanted for him and at $10,000, it was a done deal.”

From there, Chase the Chaos developed at Dory's farm in Canada and spent his early days under saddle there along with Dory's other November purchases.

“I bought five weanling colts that year and I had them all in one pasture that wasn't far off the road,” Dory recalled. “They would get to playing and people would stop and watch. They would show off for them. It was so cool to watch. Now all of them are winners and two are stakes winners.”

Dory recalled how he thought Chase the Chaos was one of the most promising colts of the bunch, so he called a 2-year-old consignor in Ocala. He named a price he said he thought was fair, but the consignor said that with the colt's inactive pedigree, Dory probably wouldn't get any takers. So Dory brought in partner Adam Ference and decided to race the colt himself.

Chase the Chaos already has free entry to the GI Preakness S. after his win in the El Camino Real Derby and now looks to add a third race to his win streak on Saturday.

Young has plenty of experience purchasing both types of horses–the seven-figure jaw-droppers and the value plays–and has been successful with each in recent years while working with Zedan Racing. Hejazi was bought the same month that Medina Spirit (Protonico), a $35,000 juvenile, won the GI Kentucky Derby. Last year their $1.7 million 2-year-old buy Taiba (Gun Runner) was a top Derby prospect and this year, along with Hejazi, Zedan's Derby hopefuls include the TDN's Derby Top 12 kingpin Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), a $2.3 million 2-year-old.

“All of this run recently is fueled by Mr. Zedan's passion for the game,” said Young. “Baffert has the final say, which he should, and the team also includes Dr. Pug Hart. It's a team effort and it's very satisfying to see them make it into the Grade I races. It really doesn't matter if they cost $3.55 million or $35,000. Obviously there is more pressure with Hejazi and the seven-figure horses. We all realize that some of them will turn out and some will not, but we've been really lucky over the past few years.”

No matter what the final sales price will be, Young said he focuses on finding athletes at the 2-year-old sales.

“Horses have body language and you want to see them go back to the barn [after a breeze] looking like they're thinking, 'That was fun. I want to do it again.' Sometimes you like a horse and when you look at their pedigree page, you realize that it's not exactly a blue blood, but if they check the boxes for you, you go for it.”

So on Saturday, will the underdog streak continue or will the seven-figure prodigy run to his price tag? Maybe the answer lies somewhere in between. However the race shakes out, it makes for exciting viewing.

“[Bargain buys] give people an idea that you don't have to be a multi-millionaire to compete for the top running of the game,” Young said. “Yet Hejazi is a positive for the big money spenders. Let's face it, for the people that want to think 'Oh, they're just spending money,' if you look up the seven-figure horses through the years, the strike rate of those horses is very, very ordinary. That's not lost on us. We realize that.”

Switched from Baffert's barn to Tim Yakteen for Saturday's race, Hejazi enters the San Felipe coming off his maiden win, where he earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure, but will now have to prove his ability going two turns. Young said that the colt's last work, where he went 5 furlongs in :59.20 on Feb. 19, speaks to his potential.

“It doesn't take a rocket scientist to watch his last workout and know that he worked terrific,” Young explained. “We're hopeful for a very big effort this weekend, but there are some very tough horses in the race. There are more horses I can see betting on than those that I can't.”

The weather at Santa Anita over the past month that has disrupted training, Young said, will be an added question mark for all of the race's entrants.

Chase the Chaos, who will be saddled by Ed Moger Jr., will be trying dirt for the first time since his debut last August at Canterbury.

“It was a muddy track and he got a huge lesson,” Dory recalled. “He was behind horses and then went between horses to run second. I was so proud of the way he ran in that race. He likes the synthetic, so now we're going to find out how much he likes the dirt.”

Dory is under no illusion about their competition on Saturday, but he said he plans to enjoy the ride knowing that Chase the Chaos has taken him and his partner much further than their initial goal of the winner's circle at their hometown track in Alberta.

“We talked about it, Adam and I, and said, 'You know, do you realize we're going up against a $3.55 million horse?' It's crazy. I think it makes people realize that sometimes you do get lucky and you can get the right horse for a decent price. Hopefully it brings more people into the game. My high is still as high as possible. I'm going to enjoy this for as long as I can. I think he's going to run very well against these horses and I'm hoping he goes off at 65-1 again.”

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1) ARABIAN KNIGHT (c, Uncle Mo–Borealis Night, by Astrology) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $2,300,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $544.275 Last start: 1st GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park, Jan. 28. KY Derby Points: 0.

'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight is the kingpin colt among the sophomores who switched out of trainer Bob Baffert's barn over the past week and into the care of Baffert's former assistant from two decades ago, Tim Yakteen. The transition was necessitated by a Churchill Downs ban on Baffert trainees that prohibits them from accruing qualifying points or racing in the Derby while under Baffert's control.

Top-ranked on this list since the outset of the season, this intimidatingly speedy, sales-topping son of Uncle Mo ($250,000 KEESEP, $2.3 million OBSAPR) is being aimed for either the GI Arkansas Derby Apr. 1 or the GI Santa Anita Derby one week later.

Staying home at Santa Anita means being able to race out of his own stall there. But shipping hasn't adversely affected either of his on-the-road wins, and Arabian Knight showed he can absolutely devour a wet Oaklawn racetrack if that condition arises again.

That last victory was a thorough shellacking of an overmatched field in the GIII Southwest S. in Hot Springs Jan. 28, in which Arabian Knight earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure while dominating the tempo and not being throttled for maximum output.

Arabian Knight has only had one published workout since that win, a three-furlong move at Santa Anita back on Feb. 13, though there have been no recorded breezes of any variety since Feb. 23 owing to a rare winter storm.

2) FORTE (c, Violence–Queen Caroline, by Blame) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate Farm (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt, MGISW, 5-4-0-0,  $1,595,150. Last start: 1st GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by TAA, Nov. 4. KY Derby Points: 40.

Divisional champ Forte ($80,000 KEENOV; $110,000 KEESEP) will have a figurative target on his back in Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream. It's his 2023 debut off a four-month layoff, and he drew post four as the 7-5 morning line favorite.

Somewhat surprisingly, this 'TDN Rising Star' by Violence didn't go off favored in any of the three Grade I victories that closed out his juvenile campaign, although he was the chalk in both his May 27 debut win at Belmont (7 3/4 lengths) and in start number two, a fourth-place try in the GII Sanford S. at Saratoga.

Yet this colt's trio of Grade I wins in the Hopeful S., Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S., and Breeders' Cup Juvenile each revealed new tactical dimensions, and Forte's knack of being able to essentially pick his own positioning before reliably firing a big shot off the far turn is a skill that a number of his competitors still haven't mastered. Watching the leggy, athletic Forte target and reel in horses without flinching from stretch fights whets the appetite for what he might be able to deliver on a two-prep path to Louisville.

But longer-term statistical trends could be stumbling blocks: as for this Saturday, be aware that favorites have lost 12 of the last 16 editions of the Fountain of Youth. Widening the lens to take in 38 years of Breeders' Cup history, only two colts (Nyquist and Street Sense) have parlayed wins in the Juvenile into a blanket of roses on the first Saturday in May.

3) TAPIT TRICE (c, Tapit–Danzatrice, by Dunkirk) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Whisper Hill Farm LLC and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,300,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $100,150. Last start: 1st GP Allowance/Optional Claiming, Feb, 4. KY Derby Points: 0

'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice is headed for the Mar. 11 GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby for start number four.

His Nov. 6 debut at Aqueduct was a better-than-it-looks learning experience based on his fast-closing third. This colt's Dec. 17 MSW win, also at Aqueduct, rated as an eye-opener because of his unfazed attitude after brushing, bumping and running down a rival in a deep-stretch mud fight. But it was the over-the-top nature of Tapit Trice's gaudy, eight-length allowance pummeling at Gulfstream on Feb. 4 (92 Beyer) that stamped his Kentucky Derby aspirations as realistic and achievable.

This $1.3-million KEESEP son of Tapit still needs to hone his early-race skills by overcoming lackadaisical breaks from the gate. But as the distances increase and he gains experience against larger fields, those are the types of developmental concerns that seasoning can melt away like the spring thaw.

This year, the Tampa Bay Derby has been downgraded from Grade II to III. Part of that demotion had to do with the race's recent trend of well-meant favorites being no-shows while the long-shot winners went on to be low-impact factors in subsequent stakes.

Although the 4-5 choice Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) won Tampa's big race last year, the previous four Tampa Derbies were won by harder-to-figure horses at odds of 15-1, 49-1, 8-1 and 19-1.

4) ROCKET CAN (c, Into Mischief–Tension, by Tapit) O-Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bill Mott. Sales history: $245,000 RNA Ylg '21 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-0, $249,738. Last Start: 1st GIII Holy Bull S., Feb. 4. KY Derby Points: 20

As the co-fourth choice on the morning line for Saturday's Fountain of Youth S., Rocket Can isn't facing the same scrutiny or pressure as race favorite and divisional champ Forte. But this Into Mischief gray ($245,000 FTSAUG RNA) will still be under the gun to prove his GIII Holy Bull S. score was no fluke, and he needs to shrug off the stigma of having relatively low speed figures compared to other top Derby hopefuls.

Rocket Can has plateaued with 82 Beyers in his last two starts on Nov. 26 and Feb. 4. But as discussed in previous editions of this list, his efforts rate considerably higher from a “how he did it” visual perspective. He gave up ground on both turns of the Holy Bull while always within three lengths of the leaders, and when he commandeered the lead off the final turn of that short-stretch configuration, Rocket Can finished focused through the lane while chased home by a tenacious stablemate.

Over the same 1 1/16-mile setup that starts close to the first turn and ends at the sixteenth pole, look for jockey Junior Alvarado to try and execute a follow-the-favorite strategy on Saturday, a tactic that should be a smooth fit for this colt's capable stalking style.

5) CAVE ROCK (c, Arrogate–Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman; B-Anne and Ronnie Sheffer Racing LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $210,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $550,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 4-3-1-0, $748,000. Last start: 2nd GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by TAA, Nov. 4. KY Derby Points: 0

'TDN Rising Star' Cave Rock, who races with his head slung low in a style that evokes his sire still merits a strong foothold within the Top 12 despite the certainty that he'll be the last colt on this list to make his first sophomore start.

Powerful and promising at age two, this physically imposing dual sales grad ($210,000 KEENOV; $550,000 KEESEP) detonated a 104 Beyer in his two-turn debut, the GI American Pharoah S., while never being fully extended.

But in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, he got hot and bothered pre-race, then had trouble settling when trying to clear an irrationally exuberant 70-1 shot through a :22.90 opening quarter. Cave Rock seized the lead a half-mile from home, but Forte had far more in the tank while Cave Rock languished too long on his left lead in the stretch.

Still, the second-place effort was commendable given those less-than-optimal circumstances, and Cave Rock looms as a front-end force when he finally hits the entries.

6) FAUSTIN (c, Curlin–Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Michael L Petersen; B-DATTT Farm (Ky); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $285,000 RNA yrl '21 KEESEP; $800,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSP, 2-1-1-0, $80,200. Last start: 2nd GIII San Vicente S., Jan. 29. Kentucky Derby Points: 0.

Faustin ($285,000 RNA KEESEP; $800,000 OBSAPR) was christened a 'TDN Rising Star' upon debut back on opening day at Santa Anita, overcoming multiple examples of trip adversity (some of it self-inflicted) to win first time out.

In start number two, he ran a credible second despite being tactically disadvantaged behind a one-turn-specialist stablemate Havnameltdown (Uncaptured) in the GII San Vicente S. going seven furlongs. The latter returned to just miss in last weekend's G3 Saudi Derby Cup over a stamina-stretching mile.

Additional ground along the Derby trail (next start not yet disclosed) should aid Faustin's development arc, because 10 furlongs is well within the scope of his pedigree. His damsire and sire, Hard Spun and Curlin, finished second and third, respectively, in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. Half a year later, Curlin and Hard Spun ran one-two in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

7) HEJAZI (c, Bernardini–G Note, by Medaglia d'Oro) O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc.; B-Mary & Chester Broman (Ky); T-Tim Yakteen. Sales history: $3,550,000 2yo '22 FTMMAY. Lifetime Record: GISP, 4-1-2-1, $108,200. Last Start: 1st SA Maiden Special Weight, Jan. 15. Kentucky Derby Points: 0.

Hejazi, a New York-bred, $3.55-million EASMAY sale topper, is among the headliners in Saturday's 11-horse GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita. He has four races of experience, but only one try around two turns, which came last October while still a maiden and attempting winners (third in the GI American Pharoah S.).

He drew post seven for the San Felipe, and coming off a 6 1/2-furlong MSW score in which he led the field through early fractions of :21.97 and :44.28, Hejazi projects to be a forward factor on the stretch-out.

This will be his second start off a freshening (and his first for trainer Tim Yakteen on a transfer from Bob Baffert), and Hejazi merits respect based on the 97 Beyer he earned and the authoritative way he swatted back two deep-stretch challengers inside the final 100 yards.

A concern, though, is that four of the horses he beat on Jan. 15 have already raced again, and the best finish among them was a third-place try.

8) INSTANT COFFEE (c, Bolt d'Oro–Follow No One, by Uncle Mo) O-Gold Square LLC; B-Sagamore Farm (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $200,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 4-3-0-0, $442,815. Last Start: Won Jan. 21 GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds. Kentucky Derby Points: 32.

Instant Coffee's company lines got a boost when the third- and fourth-place finishers out of his Jan. 21 GIII Lecomte S. tally came back to win their next starts. Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) scored in last Saturday's GII Rebel S. at 18-1 odds and Denington (Gun Runner) popped at 8-1 in a Feb. 18 first-level allowance route at Fair Grounds.

This son of Bolt d'Oro ($200,000 KEESEP) is three-for-four lifetime, with his only loss coming when fourth in a key renewal of the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland last October.

He is, however, the type of colt you'd like to see more of before deciding if he's a true 10-furlong horse.

That's not going to happen under trainer Brad Cox's current two-prep sophomore plan. With the Mar. 25 GII Louisiana Derby projected as his next race, Instant Coffee is going to have nine weeks between starts trying to make the jump from 1 1/16 miles to 1 3/16 miles, then another six weeks until the 10-furlong Kentucky Derby.

He's currently two breezes into training since his last race.

9) RED ROUTE ONE (c, Gun Runner–Red House, by Tapit) O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds, LLC (Ky); T-Steve Asmussen. Lifetime Record: GISP, 7-1-2-1, $492,575. Last Start: 2nd in Feb. 25 GII Rebel S. Kentucky Derby Points: 33.

Red Route One is a longer-the-better type who isn't going to head to Louisville as a Derby standout. Yet he has the staying power and pedigree to be a dangerous threat; the type of double-digit longshot who will sit far back, make one sustained run, and if the trip and pace scenarios shake out in his favor–look out.

This son of Gun Runner out of a full-sister to Eclipse Award and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable (Tapit) is a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred who rallied from far off the tailgate and splashed into the homestretch of the GII Rebel S. with abandon, avoiding the crowding that was going on closer to the rail but not still shying from outer-path roughhousing in upper stretch before accelerating with a separate, deep-race burst in the run to the wire (92 Beyer for second).

True, he's never won on dirt. But Red Route One's past-performance block consists of seven route races on turf and dirt, and a wet racetrack hasn't been a problem on the three occasions he's encountered slop (twice second, once fifth).

“Obviously, we're anxious for the races to go farther,” said trainer Steve Asmussen. “Not positive we won't wheel him back in the Louisiana Derby, a mile and three-sixteenths. Quit messing around and get him on out there.”

10) GEAUX ROCKET RIDE (c, Candy Ride {Arg}–Beyond Grace, by Uncle Mo) O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-OXO Equine LLC (Ky); T-Richard Mandella. Sales history: $350,000 yrl '21 FTKJUL. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $40,200. Last Start: Won Maiden Special Weight at Santa Anita Jan. 29. Kentucky Derby Points: 0.

This colt's 92-Beyer, 5 3/4-length, smash-and-grab score in a six-furlong Santa Anita MSW sprint was encouraging enough for the generally conservative trainer Richard Mandella to declare him a “geaux” for two-turn stakes company, and he'll start from post eight in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe S. on Saturday.

Geaux Rocket Ride's form was flattered when the runner-up from that Jan. 29 win, Sonoran (Ride on Curlin), returned Feb. 20 to break his maiden by 7 1/4 lengths as a 3-5 favorite.

This $350,000 FTKJUL son of Candy Ride (Arg) retains the services of jockey Flavien Prat for this weekend's engagement.

But, like six other entrants in the San Felipe, he'll have to come off the medication Lasix as he advances into stakes territory. That many horses making the off-Lasix switch lends an accentuated a wild-card flavor to what already looms as a tough 11-horse race to handicap.

11) CONFIDENCE GAME (c, Candy Ride {Arg}–Eblouissante, by Bernardini) O-Don't Tell My Wife Stables; B-Summer Wind Equine, LLC (Ky); T-J K Desormeaux. Sales history: $25,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 7-3-1-2, $785,525. Last Start:  Won Feb. 25 GII Rebel S. at OP. Kentucky Derby Points: 57.

Confidence Game is a plucky, adaptable overachiever ($25,000 KEESEP) with some racing royalty in his bloodlines: his dam, former 'TDN Rising Star' Eblouissante, is a Bernardini half-sister to the mighty Zenyatta.

Trainer Keith Desormeaux said this son of Candy Ride (Arg) “sort of lost his mind in the paddock” prior to his 94-Beyer winning effort in the sloppy Rebel S. last Saturday. But jockey James Graham was able to settle down Confidence Game during his warm-up, and the colt got a sweet mid-pack trip while fifth behind two longshot speedsters and two stalking favorites who never truly fired despite no-excuse trips.

Responding to far-turn rousing, Confidence Game got third run at the wilting leaders while widest off the turn, then largely avoided inside traffic with a work-in-progress kind of stretch run that included some outward wandering late (94 Beyer).

“He's really come into his own,” Desormeaux said. “He started off pretty immature. But as the races went on [seven total, five of them routes], he has improved things mentally and physically.”

12) LITIGATE (c, Blame–Salsa Diavola, by Mineshaft) O-Centennial Farms; B-Nursery Place, Donaldson & Broadbent (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $370,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $182,590. Last Start: Won Feb. 11 GIII Sam F. Davis S. Kentucky Derby Points: 20.

Litigate, a $370,000 KEESEP colt by Blame, will be on trainer Todd Pletcher's traveling team with an expected next start in the Louisiana Derby. He most recently scored a 1 1/4-length win in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa.

Note that even though the track is listed as 'fast' on the Equibase chart, that Feb. 11 race was run in a downpour, which might be a contributing factor to Litigate's tepid 77 Beyer and the race's lethargic closing fractions.

Sent to clear the field from post 10 by Luis Saez, Litigate ably rated back to fifth on the backstretch. He uncorked a decent move between the five-sixteenths pole and the quarter pole, then had to be ridden hard through the lane to put away a 21-1 shot and a 12-1 shot, finishing through driving rain in a sluggish final sixteenth clocked in :7.05.

His two previous tries showed promise, and they could prove to be useful building blocks as this colt attempts longer races more suited to his distance-centric pedigree: sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct Nov. 19, Litigate stalked with purpose behind a three-way battle for the lead, patiently took the overland route through the turn, then drew away respectably. Tasked with a one-turn mile allowance at Gulfstream Jan. 8, he nailed second by a nose behind a daylight winner.

He's worth consideration in New Orleans if you think the long Fair Grounds stretch will be his friend.

The post TDN Derby Top 12 For Mar. 2: Will March Separate Lions From Lambs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Baffert is banned from running in this year's GI Kentucky Derby and any horse under the care of a trainer suspended by Churchill Downs must be moved to a new barn by Feb. 28 in order to earn Derby qualifying points. On Friday, a U.S. District Judge ruled against Baffert as he sought a temporary injunction that would have allowed him to enter the Derby. Baffert was also banned by the New York Racing Association, but its one-year suspension ended Jan. 26.

The news that Baffert-trainees are switching stables for a possible run in the Gotham was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's David Grening.

The Baffert Gotham nominees are the Amr Zedan-owned pair of Arabian Lion (Justify) and Hejazi (Bernardini) and Carmel Road (Quality Road) and Fort Warren (Curlin). The latter two are owned by partnerships consisting of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable LLC and others. Arabian Lion, Hejazi and Carmel Road were nominated under the name of Tim Yakteen. Fort Warren was nominated under the name of Brittany Russell. It was not clear who, if any of the Baffert/Yakteen/Russell horses, will start in the Gotham.

With Baffert also suspended from running in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, the two starters in the race from his barn, Taiba (Gun Runner) and Messier (Empire Maker), competed for Yatkeen, a former assistant to Baffert.

Several other Baffert trained 3-year-old colts will also likely be on the move within the next few days. Nominations for the GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita, also to be run Mar. 4, close Thursday and any horse from the Baffert stable with eyes on a possible Kentucky Derby start will need to find a new home.

The GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream will also be run Mar. 4. Baffert nominated Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), the runner-up in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. According to Grening's report, Baffert was listed as the trainer on the nomination.

Plans for Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) and Cave Rock (Arrogate), generally considered the top two 3-year-olds in the Baffert stable, have yet to be announced.

Baffert is expected to have starters in Saturday's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn. All of his nominees to that race are listed under his own name. But the Rebel takes place before the Feb. 28 deadline.

The Gotham starters were not the first 3-year-olds from the Baffert barn to find a new home. After breaking his maiden for Baffert Jan. 22 at Santa Anita, Harlocap (Justify) ran for Steve Asmussen in Saturday's GII Risen Star S. He finished sixth.

The post Baffert’s Gotham Noms Switched to New Trainers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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1) ARABIAN KNIGHT (c, Uncle Mo–Borealis Night, by Astrology) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $2,300,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $544.275 Last start: 1st GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park, Jan. 28. KY Derby Points: 0.

Arabian Knight's thorough ransacking of the GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Jan. 28 effectively slammed the door on any early-season debate about whether or not this 'TDN Rising Star' would live up to the outsized hype heaped upon him after just a single sprint win three months ago.

This speed-centric, sales-topping son of Uncle Mo ($250,000 KEESEP, $2.3 million OBSAPR) not only wired the field with aplomb, but he checked a lot of boxes on the Derby intangibles list, including shipping away from his home base, handling both a sloppy racing surface and two turns, and showing that being confronted with multiple tactical in-race challenges didn't faze him in the least.

Arabian Knight broke fluidly and willingly, then effortlessly cleared the pesky 46-1 Frosted Departure (Frosted), who had inside position. Splashing onto the backstretch, Arabian Knight was looking around “a lot” according to jockey John Velazquez, who moved him off the rail to relax, maintaining a steady leading margin of 1 1/2 lengths into the far turn. The second and third favorites launched one-punch bids that soon flattened out, but the overachieving Frosted Departure was still gamely shadowing the 2-5 fave, having whittled down the lead to half a length at the head of the homestretch.

Velazquez then got after his colt, but Arabian Knight only needed two cracks of the crop and some mild hand-urging to mesh into an unmatchable deep-stretch gear that surely did not come close to scraping the bottom of his stamina reserves. “Going to the wire I was like, 'Okay, that's what I wanted to see,” Velazquez said post-win.

It's tough to tease out any “cons” to go along with all these gushing “pros” about Arabian Knight's sophomore unveiling. If there is one, it might be a very mild quibble about the Beyer Speed Figure he earned (96), which marked a slight regression from his 97 debut in a MSW on the Breeders' Cup undercard back in November

2) FORTE (c, Violence–Queen Caroline, by Blame) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-South Gate Farm (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $110,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 5-4-0-0, $1,595,150. Last start: 1st GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by TAA, Nov. 4. KY Derby Points: 40.

Divisional champ Forte (Violence) is three workouts into his training for the Mar. 4 GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream. Even though this 'TDN Rising Star' ($80,000 KEENOV; $110,000 KEESEP) capped his 2-year-old season with a definitive win in the Breeders' Cup, proponents of key races have long since locked in on Forte's other Grade I route victory, the Oct. 8 Breeders' Futurity S., as the defining stakes race on the Derby trail so far.

In addition to Forte's next-out tally in the GI Juvenile, that Keeneland race also yielded back-to-back next-out Grade II and III stakes winner Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro); the next-out Grade III winner Two Phil's (Hard Spun); the eventual Grade III winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Newgate (Into Mischief); one other next-out listed stakes winner, and a next-out allowance winner. In addition, the runner-up in that race, the highly acclaimed Loggins (Ghostzapper), who has yet to have a published workout in 2023, rates highly on many “wiseguy” lists as the juvenile who ran the best losing effort in a Grade I stakes last season.

There have now been 11 Kentucky Derby qualifying points races run at 1 1/16 miles. No Derby prospect since has eclipsed Forte's 100 Beyer from that race (although two have tied it), and his closing final-sixteenth fraction of :6.19 in the stretch run of the Juvenile is still fastest among the 1 1/16-mile preps.

3) TAPIT TRICE (c, Tapit–Danzatrice, by Dunkirk) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Whisper Hill Farm LLC and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,300,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $100,150. Last start: 1st GP Allowance/Optional Claiming, Feb, 4. KY Derby Points: 0

Trainer Todd Pletcher has been known to make judicious use of Florida allowance races in prepping his Derby prospects, and Saturday's eight-length blowout in a one-turn mile at Gulfstream left the impression this $1.3-million KEESEP colt by Tapit has the athleticism and confidence to be a major player when assigned a two-turn stakes task.

Breaking from the rail as a first-time Lasix user Feb. 4, Tapit Trice (again) was a touch slow leaving the gate. Luis Saez swooped him out to the five path, and this assertive gray picked off half the pack to carve out a sweet stalking spot, gaining incrementally down the long backstraight run. Tapit Trice built up serious momentum by the five-sixteenths pole, and when he accosted his favored stablemate for the lead, he managed to dispatch him without serious tussle.

Slicing into the home stretch with no rivals left to conquer, Tapit Trice got to gawking a bit, but Saez refocused him with one stern right-handed swat nearing the furlong marker before finishing under a moderate drive.

The 92-Beyer win generated no shortage of speculation about how Tapit Trice might have prevailed had he instead been entered in the GIII Holy Bull S. over 1 1/16 miles that same afternoon. But his first-level allowance win will prove useful in the long run considering this colt still needs to work on alertness out of the gate, a minor issue that up to this point has been overcome by raw ability and prime positioning in one-turn miles.

4) ROCKET CAN (c, Into Mischief–Tension, by Tapit) O-Frank Fletcher Racing Operations Inc.; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bill Mott. Sales history: $245,000 RNA Ylg '21 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-0, $249,738. Last Start: 1st GIII Holy Bull S., Feb. 4. KY Derby Points: 20.

Rocket Can, a $245,000 FTSAUG RNA, is a good example of a Derby prospect whose visual impressions rate quite a bit higher than the speed numbers he's earned in those races.

The 82-Beyer victor of Saturday's Holy Bull S. gave up considerable ground on both turns while always being within three lengths of striking distance from the leaders. Urged five-sixteenths out by Junior Alvarado, Rocket Can responded on cue, seizing the lead off the turn and remaining mentally intent through the stretch, maintaining a three-quarter length winning margin with a bearing-down stablemate hot on his heels.

Starting with a switch to routes in his third start, trainer Bill Mott has developed an efficient gray who now comes out running to establish key positioning, knows how to pounce off the far turn, and without hesitation throws himself headlong into deep-stretch showdowns.

Rocket Can's mid-pack tactics in the Holy Bull were also against the grain of Gulfstream's short-stretch track layout for 1 1/16 miles, which had him starting from the outermost post very close to the first turn in a race that ends at the sixteenth pole. And he did his job while overcoming a moderate tempo that did no pace favors to aid his stalking style.

5) BANISHING (c, Ghostzapper–Dowager, by A.P. Indy) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan Walsh. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $42,000. Last start: 1st Fair Grounds Maiden Special Weight, Dec. 26. KY Derby Points: 0.

Banishing has resumed training after getting cast in his stall Jan. 20, requiring sutures to close a hind-leg cut.

Trainer Brendan Walsh told Daily Racing Form last week that “nothing has been ruled out or ruled in” as far as the next race for this Godolphin homebred. He had been slated to start favored in allowance/optional claimer at Fair Grounds the day after his accident, but had to scratch.

With a pedigree that looks more tantalizing the closer we get to 10 furlongs on the first Saturday in May (by Ghostzapper out of an A.P. Indy mare), this chestnut with a distinctive white blaze won at second asking on Dec. 26 over 1 1/16 miles in New Orleans, bounding home by 8 1/2 lengths and earning a 90 Beyer for the effort.

He was a front-running force in that race, displaying measured speed while edging away under pressure before cracking open the race late. His final time of 1:44.80 was .05 seconds faster than the same-distance Gun Runner S. for more experienced juveniles four races later on that card.

6) CAVE ROCK (c, Arrogate–Georgie's Angel, by Bellamy Road) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman; B-Anne and Ronnie Sheffer Racing LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $210,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $550,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 4-3-1-0, $748,000. Last start: 2nd GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by TAA, Nov. 4. KY Derby Points: 0.

It's rare when you encounter a pedigree with a breeding line that features a sire (Arrogate at 122) and damsire (Bellamy Road at 120) who both posted stratospheric Beyer figures of at least 120 during their racing careers.

Cave Rock himself ($210,000 KEENOV; $550,000 KEESEP) uncorked a 101 Beyer in his 6 1/2-furlong sprint debut last summer at Del Mar, and he upped the ante to 104 with a dominant win in the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita.

He was then a beaten favorite with reasonable excuses in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (hot and bothered pre-race, worked too hard through quick opening quarter).

But those imposing stats all start to fade in relevancy the longer this 'TDN Rising Star' remains without a published workout. As of Monday morning, he's the only Top 12 contender yet to hit the worktab this year, and trainer Bob Baffert now faces a race against the clock to launch a campaign that includes at least one prep race between now and May 6.

7) FAUSTIN (c, Curlin–Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Michael L Petersen. B-DATTT Farm (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $285,000 RNA yrl '21 KEESEP; $800,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-1-0, $80,200. Last start: 2nd GIII San Vicente S., Jan. 29. Kentucky Derby Points: 0.

On the face of it, 'TDN Rising Star' Faustin's second-place finish in the four-horse, seven-furlong Jan. 29 GII San Vicente S. was only a so-so effort. But from a longer-term developmental perspective, the race could still end up being a useful stepping-stone.

The winner was his stablemate, Havnameltdown (Uncaptured), who looks, acts, and performs like a true one-turn stakes colt. Havnameltdown also had everything his own way on the front end, and while Faustin did show some flashes of interest–like diving into an opening at the rail when jockey Ramon Vazquez shook the reins to cue him three-eighths out–this son of Curlin (out of a Hard Spun mare) clearly needs more real estate to uncoil effectively.

Trainer Bob Baffert said post-race that Havnameltdown “will stay one turn. Faustin, he was kind of a grinding slow, he wants to go longer. [But] you try to get outs into them so they'll learn and you'll figure [them out]. The problem is that if you break your maiden first time out, you have to run in stakes. It is that way all over the country. Just getting these races into them it is important. Faustin, you can tell he is not there yet. [But] once he goes two turns, you'll see a big difference in him. He wat trying to get there, but he was running against a top-class sprinter.”

8) SIGNATOR (c, Tapit–Pension, by Seeking the Gold) 'TDN Rising Star' O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, Gainesway Stable, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone, Edward Hudson, Jr. and Lane's End Racing. B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds. T-Claude McGaughey III. Sales history: $1,700,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $71,250. Last Start: Maiden win at BAQ Oct. 14. Kentucky Derby Points: 0.

Signator, a $1.7-million OBSAPR son of Tapit, is gearing up for his 2023 campaign after being sidelined late last fall with a wrenched ankle.

His professional, stalking score while driving through at the rail in an Oct. 14 MSW mile at Aqueduct was eye-catching enough to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status, and he's now three breezes into his work pattern at Payson Park.

“I haven't really picked out a place to run him yet, but it won't be long,” trainer Shug McGuaghey said on Friday, adding that Gulfstream or Tampa are the two likely comeback spots. “He's grown, gotten bigger, and filled out the way we want him to.”
McGuaghey is quite familiar with the female side of Signator's pedigree, having trained the dam (Pension), the second dam (Furlough), and great-grandsire Easy Goer.

“Signator is a lot different than Pension. She was very high-strung, and just broke her maiden. But some of the others were fairly nice,” he added with understatement.

9) VICTORY FORMATION (c, Tapwrit–Smart N Soft, by Smart Strike) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Spendthrift Farm & Frank Fletcher Racing Operations. B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (Ky). T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $100,000 wnlg '20 KEENOV; $150,000 yrl '21 FTKJUL; $340,000 2yo '22 FTMMAY. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-3-0-0, $282,285. Last Start: 1st Smarty Jones S., Jan.1 at OP. Kentucky Derby Points: 10.

This son of son of 2017 Belmont S. victor Tapwrit ($100,00 KEENOV; $150,000 FTKJUL; EASMAY $340,000) has compiled a 3-for-3 record, but he'll be due for a dive into the graded end of the stakes pool in his next outing, which is likely to come at either Fair Grounds or Oaklawn.

A 'TDN Rising Star,' Victory Formation sports a decent MSW-allowance-ungraded stakes progression, with ascending winning Beyer figures of 81-85-91.

Trainer Brad Cox has described him as an intelligent colt who “doesn't overdo it,” which he believes will only be a plus as the distances increase along with the demands of tougher competition.

Victory Formation's current company lines could use some beefing up: The three horses who ran 3-4-5 behind him in the Jan. 1, short-stretch Smarty Jones S. all failed to win in next-out stakes, with all three of them regressing on the Beyer scale.

10) HEJAZI (c, Bernardini–G Note, by Medaglia d'Oro) O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc.; B-Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman (Ky); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $3,550,000 2yo '22 EASMAY. Lifetime Record: 4-1-1-0, $108,200. Last Start: 1st SA Maiden Special Weight, Jan. 15. Kentucky Derby Points: 0.

When a Bob Baffert-trained colt requires four starts to break his maiden, that usually relegates him to the “B” list within a stable of sophomores that annually fields a pretty deep bench.

I wouldn't count Hejazi out of the mix based on that profile, though. The $3.55-million EASMAY sale topper, this New York-bred son of Bernardini ran better in his trio of defeats than those races might seem on paper.

A step slow out of the gate in his Aug. 20 Del Mar sprint debut, Hejazi rushed up to lead between calls, backed off, then fired again to land second behind an eventual grass stakes winner.

Start No. 2 saw Hejazi drawn way out in post 10 sprinting 5 ½ furlongs, and he flashed wide speed behind wire-to-wire stablemate Speed Boat Beach (Bayern), who established a track-record clocking and has subsequently gone on to win two turf stakes.

Start No. 3 was an ambitious push to try and get Hejazi to the Breeders' Cup, and as a maiden against winners in the American Pharoah S. he managed third behind stablemate Cave Rock, the eventual favorite and runner-up in the Juvenile.

A three-month freshening did Hejazi a world of good, and he finally hit the winner's circle going 6 ½ furlongs at Santa Anita Jan. 15, swatting away two challengers inside the final half a furlong (97 Beyer).

11) INSTANT COFFEE (c, Bolt d'Oro–Follow No One, by Uncle Mo) O-Gold Square LLC. B-Sagamore Farm (Ky). T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $200,000 yrl '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $322,815. Last Start: Won Jan. 21 GIII Lecomte S. Kentucky Derby Points: 32.

Instant Coffee, who just hit his third birthday Feb. 6, was a surprising sort straight out of the gate, winning over seven furlongs in his Sept. 3 Saratoga debut at 14-1 odds.

In three 1 1/16 miles since then, he's overachieved without being overwhelming, winning the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. on Nov. 26 and the GIII Lecomte S. on Jan. 21 by rallying off the tailgate with wide, steady drives.

The only loss to date for this $200,000 KEESEP grad came in start No. 2, and considering Instant Coffee was making the jump straight into Grade I company while going around two turns for the first time in the key-race Breeders' Futurity S., he actually managed a decent fourth behind eventual divisional champ Forte.

Instant Coffee's race spacing and foundation both leave room for continued improvement, with trainer Brad Cox indicating that one or two additional stakes in the Fair Grounds prep series are on his radar.

12) DISARM (c, Gun Runner–Easy Tap, by Tapit) 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (Ky); T-Steve Asmussen. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $69,750. Last Start: Won Sar Maiden Special Weight, Aug. 8. Kentucky Derby Points: 0.

It's now been half a year since Disarm has been in the entries. This 'TDN Rising Star' (based on his 6 ¼-length, 86-Beyer Saratoga sprint score Aug. 6) has been breezing somewhat under the radar at Fair Grounds, but he's now four works in and up to five furlongs.

“He's training with anticipation of him making it back to the Derby trail,” owner/breeder Ron Winchell texted to TDN over the weekend. As for a target race, Winchell wrote that he and trainer Steve Asmussen “will know more after his next work.”

Last summer, Asmussen said he had “high expectations” for Disarm, adding that in a June 19 third-place debut at Churchill, the colt “didn't do much correctly first time out, just because he's a big boy. Looks like he's gonna stretch out beautifully. We will definitely get to dream with him for a while.”

Disarm was shelved in September for undisclosed reasons, and at the time, Asmussen predicted a return sometime during the New Orleans winter/spring meet.

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O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman; B-Caperlane Farm (FL); T-Bob Baffert.

Trainer Bob Baffert goes 1 – 2 – 3 in the 6th @DelMarRacing as #4 Speedboat Beach (Bayern) sets a new track record in 1:01.86 for 5 1/2 furlongs. pic.twitter.com/sGpRJP3Pxt

— TVG (@TVG) September 10, 2022

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