Kentucky Derby Preps | Horse Racing Free Tips

Derby Preps Headline Weekend Slate

A pair of 20-point GI Kentucky Derby preps headline Saturday's stakes action in the U.S.

Aqueduct's GIII Withers S.–pushed back a week due to cold weather–was helped slightly from a field size perspective by the delay and a group of seven are now set to line up. Gary and Mary West's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) invades from Oaklawn and will look to provide trainer Brad Cox with a first Withers trophy. A dominant debut winner going seven panels at Keeneland in October, he could only manage fourth as the favorite in a two-turn Churchill allowance Nov. 26, but the strength of that field has been demonstrated in the interim. Winner Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) was third in January's GIII Lecomte S., while runner-up Rocket Can (Into Mischief) annexed last week's GIII Holy Bull S. Hit Show, meanwhile, took an Oaklawn allowance by daylight Dec. 17, good for a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure. His dam Actress (Tapit) was an 8 1/4-length winner of the track-and-trip GIII Comely S. in 2017. A trio of stakes-winning New York-breds also figure to have a say: Arctic Arrogance (Frosted), General Banker (Central Banker) and Andiamo a Firenze (Speightstown) were second, third and fifth, respectively, in the one-mile Jerome S. Jan. 7.

Meanwhile, down south, a full field of 12 will contest the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Danny Gargan trainee Dubyuhnell (Good Magic) makes his first start since a breakout tally in the nine-furlong GII Remsen S. in the Aqueduct slop Dec. 3. He earned a field-best 90 Beyer for that performance. 'TDN Rising Star' Champions Dream (Justify) was also a member of the Gargan barn when he scored in the Big A's GIII Nashua S. in November. Subsequently transferred to trainer Mark Casse by owner Rosedown Racing Stables, he was beaten a neck by re-opposing Zydeceaux (Cajun Breeze) in the local seven-furlong Pasco S. Jan. 14. Trainer Todd Pletcher owns a record six Davis wins, but is looking to end a drought since 2016. He sends out Litigate (Blame), a well-beaten second last time in a Gulfstream allowance behind Holy Bull beaten favorite Cyclone Mischief (Into Mischief).

Saturday's Tampa card also marks the return of champion juvenile filly Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief), who takes on GII Demoiselle S. winner and 'Rising Star' Julia Shining (Curlin) in the Suncoast S.

A third Derby qualifier, the 10-point El Camino Real Derby, takes place Saturday at Golden Gate. Bob Baffert and The Avengers send a pair northward to square off with unbeaten local speedster Harcyn (Goldencents).

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Derby Preps Highlight Aqueduct Winter Stakes Schedule

A trio of GI Kentucky Derby preps highlight the Aqueduct 2023 winter meet stakes schedule, which was released by NYRA Wednesday. The 44-day winter meet, which begins Jan. 1 and runs through Mar. 26, will offer a total of 25 stakes races worth $3.2 million. Live racing will be conducted Thursday to Sunday until Feb. 12 and will move to a Friday to Sunday schedule from Feb. 17 through the end of the meet.

Stakes action kicks off on opening day with the first Derby prep, the $150,000 Jerome S., which offers 10 qualifying points to the winner. The next Derby qualifier will be the 20-point, $250,000 GIII Withers S. Feb. 4 and the third is the $300,000 GIII Gotham S., worth 50 points, to be held Mar. 4.

The winter meet also includes two prep races for the GI Kentucky Oaks, starting with the $100,000 Busanda S., a 20-point qualifying race. The other is the $200,000 Busher S. Mar. 4, worth 50 qualifying points.

The first graded race will be the $150,000 GIII Toboggan S. Jan. 28 and the final graded event takes place on Gotham day, the GIII Tom Fool H.

Aqueduct will host a special President's Day card Monday, Feb. 20, which will be highlighted by the $100,000 Haynesfield S. for older New York-bred males.

The final weekend of the winter meet will feature the $100,000 East View S. for New York-bred sophomore fillies Mar. 24, followed by New York Claiming Championship Day Saturday, Mar. 25 with six starter events offering a combined $380,000 in purse money.

Click here for the full winter meet stakes schedule.

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Wood, Carter Highlight Aqueduct Spring Stakes Schedule

Officials at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) have released the stakes schedule for the Aqueduct spring meet Mar. 31 through Apr. 24, featuring 13 added-money events worth at least $2.7 million.

The marquee day of the meet takes place Saturday, Apr. 9, highlighted by the $750,000 GII Wood Memorial S., a final prep for the GI Kentucky Derby that offers a total of 170 qualifying points (100-40-20-10) towards a start in the 'Run for the Roses.' Should a Grade I or Group 1 winner be declared an official starter in the nine-furlong test, NYRA will boost the purse of the race by $250,000 to an even $1 million.

The Wood program also features the first Grade I of the New York racing calendar annually, the seven-furlong, $300,000 Carter H. Supporting races include the GIII Gazelle S., a qualifier for the GI Kentucky Oaks (100-40-20-10); the GIII Bay Shore S. for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs; and the GIII Distaff H. for older filly and mare sprinters at seven-eighths of a mile. The card also includes the $100,000 Danger's Hour S. for turf males, four years old and upward.

The meet concludes with a pair of 6 1/2-furlong races for sophomore males and females in the New York Stallion Stakes series, each worth $200,000 to be run Apr. 23 and 24, and the $100,000 Memories of Silver S. on closing day.

Click here for the entire schedule.

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Brisnet.com Triple Crown Throwdown: Ohio Derby

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN’s Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins.

DeRosa – Belmont Stakes Result – Tiz the Law (+$325) proved too good for them. Bankroll: $3540.

GIII Ohio Derby – Awesome field lined up and no brainer to fade Storm the Court as ML favorite based on this year’s form. Hopefully last year’s champion Breeders’ Cup winner takes money though. On top it’s Sprawl for me. We won’t get 15-1 or even half that, but this colt is well meant for Mott and I think Paco is a good fit. Drew well and nine furlongs shouldn’t be an issue. Selection: #6 Sprawl (15-1).

Sherack – Belmont Stakes Result – Pneumatic got the right kind of trip, but ran out of gas once the real running began. Guess that’s why he was so chilly on the board. Bankroll: $2605.

GIII Ohio Derby – Sprawl won’t be anywhere near that 15-1 ML quote, but he should still offer nice value in this wide-open race. The well-bred son of City Zip from the family of Congrats, Flatter, et al, has taken a major step forward in his last two starts for Hall of Famer Bill Mott, turning in a huge third with a wide trip in a salty optional claimer at Gulfstream, then adding a first-level allowance in dominating fashion beneath the Twin Spires. Ready for a breakthrough performance. Selection: #6 Sprawl (15-1).

DiDonato – Belmont Stakes Result – Tiz the Law was too good, but landed on the right runner-up in Dr Post (+$290). The tri and super with suggested best alternatives didn’t pay too badly either. Bankroll: $3755.

GIII Ohio Derby – It feels like a thousand years ago at this point, but I remember sitting at the OTB in Hartford, CT on the Saturday after Thanksgiving with my dad and being impressed with Soros‘s win in the Smooth Air S. There were some other nice colts on that card, as Sole Volante and King Guillermo finished first and third, respectively, on the grass one race earlier. Eclipse bought into Soros off of that effort, but he finished off the board in his next two outings, including a sixth-place run last time in the Unbridled S. behind Dr Post. Pretty much everyone to run back from that race came back faster, so maybe that effort was stronger than it looks on paper, and he probably doesn’t want to be up on the pace like he was that day. This is a pretty aggressive spot considering his recent form, so he must be training well. He should get a set-up, and figures to appreciate the distance–his sire excelled at nine furlongs and farther. This is definitely a good spot to go longshot hunting. Selection: #11 Soros (15-1).

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