road to the kentucky derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

Arkansas Derby, Keeneland Grade 1’s Highlight TVG’s Weekend Coverage

The road to the Kentucky Derby will run through Arkansas this weekend and TVG will be broadcasting live from Oaklawn Park with full coverage of the $1 million Arkansas Derby as the undefeated Concert Tour puts his perfect record on the line. There will also be expanded coverage of Keeneland's Spring Meet which features a pair of Grade 1 events this weekend – the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1) on Friday and the $300,000 Coolmore (G1) Jenny Wiley on Saturday.

TVG's Britney Eurton, Matt Carothers and Caton Bredar will be live from Oaklawn Park with insights and analysis throughout the thirteen-race card. The Arkansas Derby (GI) offers 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top four finishers and has drawn a field of six including two contenders for trainer Bob Baffert who saddled Nadal to victory in this race last year. Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Concert Tour, undefeated from three starts, is a homebred for Gary and Mary West and will have Joel Rosario aboard. His rivals will include stablemate Hozier, the runner-up in the Rebel Stakes with Martin Garcia in the irons.

Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner and Eclipse Award winning sprinter Whitmore will get a rematch with C Z Rocket in the $500,000 Count Fleet Handicap (G3) after a narrow defeat in the $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes in March. Whitmore, trained by Ron Moquett, will be making his fifth appearance in the Count Fleet Handicap (G3) and has won it three times. Ricardo Santana, Jr. will be aboard.

Todd Schrupp, Simon Bray, Joaquin Jaime, Caleb Keller, Gabby Gaudet and Scott Hazelton will be broadcasting live from Keeneland with exclusive interviews, expert analysis and insights throughout the star-studded weekend of racing. The featured event of Friday's ten-race card is the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1) which has drawn a contentious field of nine turf specialists including Raging Bull (FR), the 7-2 morning line favorite for Chad Brown. Owned by Peter Brant, the Grade-1 winning millionaire has been freshened since a tenth-place finish in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr.

There will also be Kentucky Derby points at stake on Saturday in the $200,000 Lexington Stakes (G3) with 20-8-4-2 qualifying points allocated to the top four finishers. The race has drawn a field of ten including Proxy who will be trying to break through and earn his first graded stakes victory for recent Dubai World Cup (G1) winning trainer Michael Stidham. The Godolphin-homebred was last seen finishing fourth in the Louisiana Derby (G1).

Fillies and mares will take center stage on Saturday at Keeneland in the $300,000 Coolmore Jenny Wiley (G1) which has attracted a field of six contenders. Micheline, a homebred daughter of Bernardini for Godolphin, will try to earn her first Grade 1 win and was last seen taking the Hillsborough Stakes (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs. Both she and Lexington Stakes (G3) Proxy are offspring of graded stakes-winning millionaire mare Panty Raid.

TVG's Mike Joyce, Christina Blacker and Dave Weaver will be reporting live from Santa Anita with full coverage of the nine-race card. The featured race is a one-mile allowance/optional claiming race with a competitive field of nine including graded stakes winner Grammer who will be returning to action for the first time since the 2020 Travers Stakes (G1) for trainer Bob Baffert.

Fans of international racing can also tune in for the action from Royal Randwick for Championship Day 1 featuring the $2 million Australian Derby (G1) and the $3 million Doncaster Mile (G1). Jason Witham will be anchoring the Australian coverage Friday night.

In addition to racing from Keeneland, Oaklawn and Santa Anita, TVG will feature racing from Gulfstream Park, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

The post Arkansas Derby, Keeneland Grade 1’s Highlight TVG’s Weekend Coverage appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Proxy Chasing Additional Derby Points In Saturday’s Lexington Stakes

Proxy, fourth in last month's Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), will face nine 3-year-olds Saturday in the 39th running of the $200,000 Stonestreet Lexington (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Keeneland.

The Stonestreet Lexington, which offers 34 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby on a 20-8-4-2 scale to the first- through fourth-place finishers, will go as the ninth race Saturday afternoon with a 5:30 p.m. post time.

A half-brother to Coolmore Jenny Wiley entrant Micheline, Proxy is a Godolphin homebred and trained by Mike Stidham.

Proxy has picked up 34 points toward the Kentucky Derby by virtue of runner-up finishes in the Lecomte (G3) and Risen Star (G2) Presented by Lamarque Ford and the Louisiana Derby placing.

John Velazquez has the mount and will break from post position seven.

An intriguing invader from California is Bezos, who will be making his stakes debut for trainer Bob Baffert.

Owned by the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable, Stonestreet Stables and Golconda Stables, Bezos romped to a 4½-length victory going a mile on March 26 at Santa Anita to notch his first triumph. Drayden Van Dyke will be aboard for the first time Saturday and break from post three.

The field for the Stonestreet Lexington, with riders and weights from the rail, is: Noble Reflection (Javier Castellano, 118 pounds), Swiftsure (Irad Ortiz Jr., 118), Bezos (Van Dyke, 118), It's My House (Umberto Rispoli, 118), Unbridled Honor (Julien Leparoux, 118), Hockey Dad (Mario Gutierrez, 118), Proxy (Velazquez, 118), Ultimate Badger (Corey Lanerie, 118), King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., 118) and Starrininmydreams (Luis Saez, 118).

The post Proxy Chasing Additional Derby Points In Saturday’s Lexington Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Arkansas Derby: Cox Instructs Geroux To Be ‘More Aggressive’ Early With Caddo River

Brad Cox already has two horses ticketed to the Kentucky Derby in unbeaten champion Essential Quality and Mandaloun. Whether the 2020 Eclipse Award-winning trainer has a third will depend on the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) Saturday at Oaklawn.

Cox will send out Caddo River in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby, which is Oaklawn's fourth and final Kentucky Derby points race. A homebred for John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, Caddo River got off to a rousing start on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, registering a record-breaking 10 ¼-length front-running victory in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Jan. 22 at Oaklawn in his two-turn, stakes and 3-year-old debut.

But in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 13 – Oaklawn's third Kentucky Derby points race – Concert Tour, from post 7, beat favored Caddo River to the lead going into the first turn, controlled the pace throughout and cruised home by 4 ¼ lengths to remain unbeaten in three career starts. It was Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's record-extending eighth Rebel victory. Caddo River, keen early following a rail draw, finished fifth, beaten 6 ¾ lengths, after chasing Concert Tour on the outside to the top of the stretch.

Caddo River will try to reignite his Kentucky Derby hopes in the Arkansas Derby, a race Anthony has won a record three times (1980 with Temperence Hill, 1987 with Demons Begone and 1992 with Pine Bluff).

“Post-wise, it's very similar, I guess, to last time,” Cox said Tuesday afternoon. “We'll see how things go. We're going to try and be a little bit more involved early – more aggressive, I think, if we can. That's really the tactics we're going to take into the race. We'll see if that works any different.”

The projected six-horse Arkansas Derby field from the rail out following Tuesday's post-position draw: Super Stock, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 122 pounds; Caddo River, Florent Geroux, 122; Hozier, Martin Garcia, 118; Get Her Number, Francisco Arrieta, 122; Concert Tour, Joel Rosario, 122; and Last Samurai, Jon Court, 118.

Probable post time for the Arkansas Derby, which will be televised live by NBC Sports Network, is 6:41 p.m. (Central). It goes as the 12th of 13 races. First post Saturday is 12:02 p.m., with the infield open, weather permitting.

Caddo River has had two published workouts, both against stablemates, since the Rebel. He went a half-mile in :48 March 27 and 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 last Saturday. Caddo River's workmate last month, Joe Frazier, returned to win an entry-level allowance sprint for 3-year-olds last Saturday at Keeneland. Caddo River breezed last weekend with Night Ops, a multiple stakes-winning older horse.

“Not really anything other than what we've done in the past,” Cox said. “Just maintain fitness, really, I guess would be the thing. He's a good work horse. Probably more of a free-running horse. I kind of think we found that out last time. Florent kind of took ahold of him up the backside and that didn't really seem what he (Caddo River) wanted to do.”

The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points to the top four finishers (100-40-20-10) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. The 1 ¼-mile race is limited to 20 starters, with starting preference given to the top 18 point earners in designated races like the Arkansas Derby. The top point earners on the European and Japan Road the Kentucky Derby will receive invitations.

Concert Tour earned 50 points for his Rebel victory and ranks No. 13 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard compiled by Churchill Downs. Stablemate and Rebel runner-up Hozier (20 points) is No. 26, Grade 1 winner Get Her Number (10) is No. 33, Caddo River (10) is No. 36 and Rebel fourth Super Stock (9) is No. 41. Get Her Number finished seventh in the Rebel.

Caddo River will need a strong showing Saturday, likely first or second, to join Essential Quality and Mandaloun in the Kentucky Derby starting gate for Cox May 1 at Churchill Downs.

“I don't think we want to run in the Derby unless we feel like we have a real shot,” said Cox, who has never had a Kentucky Derby starter. “Ultimately, that's going to be up to Mr. John Ed. On my end, I want to go into the Derby, if we're fortunate to have three horses, with three live shots, not what I feel like are two live shots right now and another horse just kind of getting in the way. I think the talent's there for him to be a Derby horse. He needs to show up and show that he can swim in the deep end of the pool on Saturday.”

Anthony, among the most successful owners in Oaklawn history, has had a resurgence in recent years. He has had six Kentucky Derby starters, the last coming in 1993 with Prairie Bayou, who finished second as the betting favorite. Anthony also had the favorite in 1987 with Demons Begone, who bled shortly after the start and didn't finish the race. Pine Bluff ran fifth in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. Both Prairie Bayou and Pine Bluff did win the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Cox won Oaklawn's second Kentucky Derby points race this year, the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 27, with Essential Quality, who earned an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 2-year-old male of 2020. Essential Quality remained unbeaten (5 for 5) in the $800,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) last Saturday at Keeneland. Mandaloun won the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds.

Essential Quality (140 points) and Mandaloun (52) rank No. 1 and No. 12, respectively, on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

The post Arkansas Derby: Cox Instructs Geroux To Be ‘More Aggressive’ Early With Caddo River appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Cox, Juddmonte Keeping Derby On The Table For Risen Star Winner Mandaloun

On a brisk Spring morning beneath the historic Twin Spires, Juddmonte Farm's Risen Star (Grade 2) winner Mandaloun started his serious preparation toward the first Saturday in May with a half-mile breeze Saturday in :49.80 under jockey Florent Geroux.

Trained by Brad Cox, Mandaloun was the highly-touted 6-5 favorite in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) but finished a disappointing sixth behind eventual winner Hot Rod Charlie. The Into Mischief colt worked outside of Louisiana-bred stakes winner Australasia through a moderate :25.40 opening quarter-mile fraction. The duo galloped out together through five furlongs in 1:02.60 and completed the work with a six-furlong time of 1:16.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“There really wasn't an excuse in the Louisiana Derby,” Cox said. “I hate to use the cliché of drawing a line through the race, but that is what we are doing. At the half-mile pole, he really didn't continue to put himself into the race and was out of gas. We had high hopes, obviously, that he would run better in that race. We talked it over with the folks from Juddmonte and if he continues to train well, we are going to pursue the Derby.”

Moments before Mandaloun's work, Cox's top $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender Travel Column breezed a half-mile in :48.60. She began the work with a :24.60 quarter-mile time and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.

Other stars that recorded works Saturday morning at Churchill Downs included 2020 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Swiss Skydiver, who worked a half-mile in :48 under jockey Robby Albarado and undefeated Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) hero Aunt Pearl, who worked a half-mile in :48.60 under Geroux.

Training hours at Churchill Downs will switch Monday to the normal 5:30-10 a.m. (all times Eastern) with two renovation breaks from 7-7:30 a.m. and 8:30-9 a.m. Weather permitting, turf training is scheduled to begin on April 18 from 9:30-10 a.m. every Sunday and Tuesday.

Special 7:30-7:45 a.m. training for Oaks and Derby contenders will begin Saturday, April 17.

The post Cox, Juddmonte Keeping Derby On The Table For Risen Star Winner Mandaloun appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post