A quartet of points races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby are scheduled for this Saturday, March 5, from coast to coast across the United States.
They include the G2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream (50-20-10-5), the G2 San Felipe at Santa Anita (50-20-10-5), the G3 Gotham at Aqueduct (50-20-10-5), and the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park (10-4-2-1).
Among the top 3-year-olds in action this weekend are: Forbidden Kingdom, Doppelganger, Emmanuel, Simplification, Rattle N Roll, Morello, Rockefeller, and Tiz the Bomb.
Four points races for the Kentucky Oaks are also set to be held this weekend.
In addition, a trio of Grade 1 contests have been carded on a big Saturday at Santa Anita, including the Beholder Mile, the Kilroe Mile, and the Santa Anita Handicap.
There will be Coast-to-Coast All Dirt and Coast-to-Coast All Turf Pick 5s featuring the 1/ST Saturday races with a low 12-percent takeout and a $1 minimum.
5:27 PM – G3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher will seek a third Gotham coup when sending out Dean's List and Golden Code for their respective stakes debuts. By champion-producing sire Speightstown, Dean's List will see some added ground for Saturday's engagement, arriving off two six-furlong victories at Gulfstream Park.
Calumet Farm's Golden Code will try to solidify a last out runaway maiden triumph going seven furlongs against fellow New York-breds. Bred by Barry R. Ostrager, the son of Honor Code was never in doubt at second asking, gliding home to a 10 3/4-length victory on Feb. 5 at the Big A. This winning effort came after a distant second to fellow Gotham aspirant Bold Journey on Dec. 18 over the same surface.
G3 Nashua winner Rockefeller returns to New York by way of Southern California. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Rockefeller was a wire-to-wire winner of the one-turn mile Nashua in November at Belmont Park two months before finishing second to stablemate Newgrange in the G3 Sham at Santa Anita.
5:30 PM – G2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Forbidden Kingdom and Doppelganger, who finished 2 ¾ lengths apart at seven furlongs on Jan. 29, will renew acquaintances at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday as they head the 83rd running of the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
An ultra-quick chestnut colt by 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, the Richard Mandella-trained Forbidden Kingdom sped to the early lead from his rail post position and dominated the G2 San Vicente Stakes on Jan. 29, winning by 2 ¼ lengths while the Bob Baffert-conditioned Doppelganger checked in fourth as the 4-5 favorite.
Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Forbidden Kingdom, who earned a lofty 94 Beyer Speed Figure in taking the Jan. 29 San Vicente, is out of the Five Star Day mare Just Louise. With two wins, a second and a third from four starts, Forbidden Kingdom, who was purchased for $300,000 as a yearling, has earnings of $194,000 and will be ridden for the fifth consecutive time by Juan Hernandez.
5:42 PM – G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park
WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC's Emmanuel concedes experience to his rivals Saturday, when he is scheduled to make his stakes debut in the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) in only his third career start. The race will be held over 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Emmanuel has been quite impressive in romping to victory in his first two starts, but the nagging question facing bettors will be: Does the 3-year-old son of More Than Ready have the stuff to prevail over his more seasoned competition in the prep for the April 2 $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1)?
Emmanuel's lack of race experience will hardly discourage handicappers familiar with Pletcher's past performances with lightly raced horses at Gulfstream. The Hall of Famer saddled Itsaknockout for a 2015 Fountain of Youth victory in his third career start following a pair of victories at Gulfstream.
Lucky Seven Stable's Rattle N Roll brings Grade 1 credentials into the Fountain of Youth, in which he is scheduled to make his 2022 debut after closing out his juvenile campaign with an off-the-pace 4 ½-length victory in the Oct. 9 Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.
Lucky Seven Stable's Rattle N Roll brings Grade 1 credentials into the Fountain of Youth, in which he is scheduled to make his 2022 debut after closing out his juvenile campaign with an off-the-pace 4 ½-length victory in the Oct. 9 Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.
7:00 PM – Grade 1 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita Park
The leading money earner in the field with $931,658, Envoutante will ship in from her Gulfstream Park base and try to give trainer Kenny McPeek his second consecutive Beholder win, as he was also the trainer of the great Swiss Skydiver.
A 5-year-old mare by Uncle Mo out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Enchante, Envoutante has been idle since executing a front-running six length score in the G2 Fall City Stakes over a sloppy track at Churchill Downs Nov. 25. Owned by Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC and Three Chimneys Farm, she's a three-time graded stakes winner with an overall mark of 16-6-2-4.
7:30 PM – Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita Park
Atop his game at age seven, trainer Phil D'Amato's Count Again rates top billing in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile, as 12 older horses compete over the Santa Anita turf in Arcadia, Calif.
Three for five at a mile on grass lifetime, Count Again rallied from far back in last year's Kilroe to finish third by a half length. An Ontario, Canadian-bred gelding by Awesome Again, Count Again was winless in five starts last year but kept top graded stakes company while earning more than $132,000.
Ridden patiently in the G3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf here Feb. 5, Count Again overhauled heavily favored Subconscious to prevail by a half length and figures to be very tough right back at his favorite distance.
8:00 PM – Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap at Santa Anita Park
Fresh off perhaps the best race of his career, C R K Stable's Express Train heads a field of eight older horses going 1 1/4 miles this Saturday in the 85th running of the Grade 1, $650,000 Santa Anita Handicap. A gutty nose winner of the opening day G2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 26, Express Train, a 5-year-old horse by Union Rags, put it all together in a rousing 3 ¼ length score in the G2 San Pasqual at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 5. He goes in search of his third consecutive win for trainer John Shirreffs and jockey Victor Espinoza.
A big third, beaten 4 ½ lengths by super horse Life Is Good as a 26-1 longshot in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park, owner Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy posted a Big 'Cap-best last-out Beyer Speed Figure of 104 and will likely press the early pace on Saturday.
Brad Cox, 2021 Eclipse Award Trainer of the Year, will be well represented by consistent Warrant, who comes off a third place finish to recently anointed Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun in the G3 Louisiana Stakes Jan. 22 at Fairgrounds in New Orleans. Warrant will be making his second start of the year in the Big 'Cap.
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