road to the kentucky derby | Horse Racing Free Tips

With Life Is Good Out, McCarthy May Keep Rombauer Home For Santa Anita Derby

Trainer Michael McCarthy said he is opting towards staying in southern California with John and Diane Fradkin's Rombauer, who was under consideration for the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World casino on April 3.

Currently at No. 17 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, Rombauer was a close second in last year's Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita where he earned four Kentucky Derby qualifying points. He picked up ten more qualifying points with a last out victory in the El Camino Real Derby on February 13 over the Golden Gate Fields synthetic.

The defection of unbeaten Kentucky Derby trail standout Life Is Good made the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, held on the same day as the Wood Memorial, a more viable option for the son of Twirling Candy.

“I'd say the Wood is a second choice,” McCarthy said. “We're just going to monitor what's happening out here. Both races are in play but I'm leaning more toward staying out here.”

A debut winner on turf and a stakes winner on synthetic, Rombauer is still in search of his first career victory on dirt. He worked five-eighths in :59.20 Saturday on the Santa Anita main track.

Bred in Kentucky by his owners, Rombauer is out of the Cowboy Cal mare Cashmere – a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning millionaire California Flag and California-bred champion Cambiocorsa.

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‘Big, Scopey’ Roman Centurian Aimed At Wood Memorial

Trainer Simon Callaghan said Roman Centurian, bred and co-owned by Don Alberto Stable with Qatar Racing Limited, is likely to make his next start in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Wood Memorial card features the first Grade 1 of 2021 on the NYRA circuit in the $300,000 Carter Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses. The stakes-laden day also features the $250,000 Gazelle at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies offering 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers; the $200,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores; and the $150,000 Excelsior at nine furlongs for older horses.

By Empire Maker and out of the Bernardini mare Spare Change, Roman Centurian finished fourth last out to the victorious Life Is Good in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita Park.

The dark bay colt, a $550,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, breezed back for the first time Thursday at Santa Anita covering a half-mile in 50.40 seconds.

“I think there's a very good chance that we will ship to New York,” said Callaghan. “He breezed very well yesterday and we were happy. He'll breeze again next week and it's looking more likely that we'll come.”

After a debut fourth sprinting in a maiden event won by Life Is Good in November at Del Mar, Roman Centurian stretched out to 1 1/16-miles for his second-out graduation on Jan. 3 at Santa Anita. He exited that effort to finish a good second in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita, rallying from last-of-6 to miss by a neck to Medina Spirit in the 1 1/16-mile test.

Roman Centurian is currently 33rd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 9 points. Callaghan said a trip to New York for the Wood Memorial, which offers 100-40-20-10 points to the top-four finishers, will suit the improving horse more than a return engagement with Life Is Good in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 3.

“Life is Good is looking like a pretty formidable horse right now and I think that the track at Aqueduct will be more to his liking,” said Callaghan. “We've always liked him. He made good progress from his maiden win to running a close second to Medina Spirit.

“I don't think the race set up very well for him last time,” added Callaghan. “We're hoping that with another race under his belt and moving to a track that we think will be more to his liking, that we'll see a good performance to move him forward.”

The Callaghan-trained Firing Line, who was also a runner-up in the Robert B. Lewis, finished second in the 2015 Kentucky Derby. The veteran conditioner, a native of Great Britain who set up his stable in Southern California in 2009, said Roman Centurian should appreciate the added distance in the nine-furlong Wood Memorial.

“He's a big, scopey two-turn kind of horse,” said Callaghan. “I think he's got some progression in him. He's a nice framed horse who is going to strengthen as the year goes on. We're hoping we can have a good 3-year-old year with him.”

A winner with 2-of-3 starters at the Big A, Callaghan scored with Taris in the 2015 Grade 3 Go for Wand and with Out of The Flames in the 2018 Mizdirection. He sent out Americanize to finish fourth in the 2017 Grade 1 Cigar Mile.

Callaghan said a local rider is likely to pick up the Wood mount aboard Roman Centurian.

A probable list of Wood Memorial contenders includes Brooklyn Strong (Daniel Velazquez), Crowded Trade (Chad Brown), Dynamic One (Todd Pletcher), Nicky the Vest (Jonathan Thomas), Overtook (Pletcher), Risk Taking (Brown), and Weyburn (Jimmy Jerkens). Also under consideration are Prevalence (Brendan Walsh) and Rombauer (Michael McCarthy).

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‘See How He Stacks Up’: Baffert Sending Spielberg For Florida Derby

Multiple Grade 1 stakes-placed Spielberg has joined the star cast of scheduled starters for the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farm at Xalapa March 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the 3-year-old son of Union Rags is scheduled to clash with Holy Bull (G3) and Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G1) winner Greatest Honour in the 1 1/8-mile stakes that has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events.

“We'll see how he stacks up,” Baffert said Friday.

Spielberg, who is scheduled to breeze Sunday at Santa Anita before shipping to South Florida, finished second behind Eclipse champion Essential Quality in the Feb. 27 Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park following a poor start.

“He's a great-feeling horse,” Baffert said. “He came out of that race in great shape.”

In his 2021 debut, the Kentucky-bred colt stumbled at the start of the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita before finishing fourth behind Baffert-trained winner Medina Spirit.

“He needs to get away from the gate well,” said Baffert of Spielberg's chances of winning the Florida Derby.

Spielberg had a productive six-race juvenile campaign, in which he finished second in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and third in the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita before breaking is maiden in his fourth start. He went on to win the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) two starts later.

Spielberg was purchased for $1 million at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt is owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable LLC, Golconda Stables, Sienna Farm LLC and Robert Masterson.

In addition to Greatest Honour and Spielberg, the Florida Derby field is likely to include Collaborate, Known Agenda, Nova Rags, Soup and Sandwich, Papetu, Quantum Leap, Jirafales and Siglioso.

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Sky Racing World: First 100-Point Prep Kicks Derby Fever Into High Gear

The $1 million, Grade 2 Louisiana Derby headlines a loaded card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on Saturday and represents the first Kentucky Derby prep race this year offering 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top four finishers. Saturday's card at Fair Grounds will also feature a prep race for the Kentucky Oaks with the $400,000, Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks drawing a field of eight sophomore fillies.

NBC Sports will broadcast the Louisiana Derby life to kick off its “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series for 2021. The show begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Post time for the Louisiana Derby is set for 6:44 p.m. ET. NBCSN will also present the Fair Grounds Oaks.

TVG will be broadcasting live from Louisiana with expanded coverage of the 14-race card. In addition to racing from Fair Grounds, Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, TVG will feature racing from Oaklawn 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.

“America's Day at the Races,” presented by Claiborne Farm and America's Best Racing, will air on FS1 and FS2 March 21, showing races from Aqueduct, Oaklawn Park and other tracks.

Saturday, March 20

4:48 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes at Gulfstream Park on TVG

If e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Sound Machine can notch her first graded-stakes success in Saturday's Hurricane Bertie, it will be music to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.'s ears. Sound Machine is winless in seven starts since capturing the 6 ½-furlong Glitter Woman by 6 ½ lengths in January 2020, but she produced a graded-stakes finish in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness at Pimlico, where she rallied to third, beaten 1 ½ lengths, after getting bumped at the start.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP032021USA10-EQB.html

5:12 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds on TVG

Multiple graded stakes winner Owendale headlines a competitive field of eight older horses for Saturday's 96th running of the New Orleans Classic. Trained by Brad Cox, Owendale began his 5-year-old campaign with a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn Park on February 27 behind top Dubai World Cup contender Mystic Guide. The Into Mischief colt will break from post 2 with Florent Geroux aboard as he eyes his first graded stakes score since his 3-year-old campaign.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG032021USA11-EQB.html

5:43 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds on TVG

Since switching Colonel Liam to the grass, trainer Todd Pletcher has found himself with a new stable star on his hands, one who can further enhance his budding reputation when he starts in Saturday's Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes contested at 1 1/8 miles over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course. The expectations Colonel Liam has carried since being purchased for $1.2 million at the 2019 OBS April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale were met in his last start when he prevailed in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on January 23. Since making his first two starts on dirt, Colonel Liam has won three of his four tries on the turf.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG032021USA12-EQB.html

6:14 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks at Fair Grounds on NBCSN and TVG

Something will have to give when Clairiere and Travel Column meet for the third time in a row, this time with a lot more than the $400,000 that's on the line in the Fair Grounds Oaks. The talented 3-year-old fillies meet again, with a berth into the Kentucky Oaks waiting in the balance, along with 170 qualifying points for the race, on a 100-40-20-10 scale. Clairiere pulled off a slight upset when she beat Travel Column in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes on February 13, winning a stretch duel by a neck. Clairiere was making her seasonal debut and first start since running second to Travel Column in Churchill's Grade 2 Golden Road Stakes in November.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG032021USA13-EQB.html

6:44 p.m.—$1,000,000 Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on NBCSN and TVG

Trainer Brad Cox is looking forward to showing the rest of the racing world what he's thought all along—that Mandaloun is one serious 3-year-old—when he starts as a strong favorite in the 108th running of the Louisiana Derby. Cox decided to make what would be a key equipment change after Mandaloun ran third in the Grade 3 Lecomte, as he put blinkers on for the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes and saw a much more polished colt turned the tables on both Proxy and Midnight Bourbon with an authoritative 1 ¼-length win. Godolphin's homebred Proxy was a game second in the Risen Star and will try to emulate Mandaloun's path to victory, as he'll add blinkers for the meet's signature race.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG032021USA14-EQB.html

7:25 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Richard Mandella's classy multiple stakes winning United, idle since early November, will square off with Richard Baltas' sharp recent winner Masteroffoxhounds, as they head a field of five older horses in the San Luis Rey Stakes. A winner of four out of nine Santa Anita turf starts, United has been idle since running a disappointing eighth in the Breeders' Cup Turf last November at Keeneland – a race in which he finished second, beaten a head at Santa Anita in 2019. United enjoyed a terrific year in 2020, winning four out of his six starts, all in graded stakes.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA032021USA7-EQB.html

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