A trio of 100-point prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby highlight this weekend's North American racing action, with connections of talented 3-year-olds anxiously awaiting the starting bells at Oaklawn, Gulfstream, and Turfway Park.
All eyes in the racing world will be on the filly, Secret Oath, as she takes on her male rivals in the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby. No filly has entered the Kentucky Derby since Devil May Care in 2010 (10th for Todd Pletcher), and a victory in Hot Springs could propel the daughter of the late champion Arrogate to the Run for the Roses.
Secret Oath's trainer has been there before, of course. D. Wayne Lukas won the 1984 Arkansas Derby with a filly, Althea, and sent out the filly Winning Colors to win the 1988 Kentucky Derby.
This Saturday, Secret Oath will have to overcome an undefeated colt in We The People, as well as Rebel winner Un Ojo, allowance winner Cyberknife, and former Bob Baffert trainee Doppelganger in what shapes up to be an exciting nine-furlong contest.
In Florida, White Abarrio and Simplification are scheduled for a rematch as Tampa Bay Derby winner Classic Causeway chases a third prep race victory in the $1 million Florida Derby.
To the north, Tiz the Bomb takes on the Jeff Ruby Steaks field for trainer Ken McPeek in a race that could spark an international campaign.
In addition, more than AU$20 million in purses are up for grabs across the next two Friday nights in Sydney, as “The Championships” at Randwick showcase equine talent from Australia, New Zealand and America. Day One of The Championships includes four Group Ones on a 10-race card, with first post at 9:10 p.m. ET / 6:10 p.m. PT
Saturday
6:23 PM – Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park
Magdalena Racing Lessee's $125,000 Battaglia Memorial winner Tiz the Bomb headlines an oversubscribed field of 13 3-year-olds that were entered in Saturday's 51st running of the $600,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade 3) at Turfway Park.
Tiz the Bomb, trained by Kenny McPeek, finished second in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). The son of Hit It a Bomb tried dirt to start his 3-year-old campaign but finished seventh in the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3). In his first start on Tapeta, Tiz the Bomb was able to hold off the late surge of Stolen Base in the 1 1/16-mile John Battaglia Memorial. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. has the call from post No. 7.
Also entered in the field is Three Diamonds Farm and Deuce Greathouse's Stolen Base, who will add blinkers following his runner-up effort in the Battaglia; Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Kittens Joy (G3) runner-up Royal Spirit; Winchell Thoroughbreds' Texas Turf Mile winner Red Run; Michael McLoughlin's Black Gold Stakes winner Dowagiac Chief; and SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable, Siena Farm and Golconda Stable's Blackadder.
6:38 PM – Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park
Tami Bobo's Simplification and C2 Racing Stables LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio are scheduled for a long-awaited rematch in Saturday's $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa at Gulfstream Park. Simplification has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite after drawing Post Position No. 3 Wednesday, while White Abarrio is rated second at 3-1 after drawing Post Position No. 7.
Like Simplification, Kentucky West Racing LLC and Clarke Cooper's Classic Causeway has thrived since his last meeting with White Abarrio. Classic Causeway, a first-out winner at Saratoga last summer before finishing third in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland and second in the Kentucky Jockey Club at 1 1/16 miles, captured the Feb. 12 Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs in his 2022 debut in advance of a dominating front-running 2 ½-length triumph in the March 12 Tampa Bay Derby (G2).
7:35 PM – Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park
No horse on Saturday's card has generated more buzz during the 2021-2022 Oaklawn meet than Secret Oath, a homebred for Lukas' longtime clients Robert and Stacy Mitchell (Briland Farm). From the first crop of deceased champion Arrogate, Secret Oath has won her three starts, displaying push-button acceleration in each, by a combined 23 lengths. Secret Oath won a Dec. 31 allowance race at 1 mile by 8 ¼ lengths, $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 29 by 7 ¼ lengths and the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) Feb. 26 by 7 ½ lengths.
Unbeaten We the People (2 for 2) will be making his stakes debut after two dazzling victories earlier in the meeting for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. Both races were around two turns. We the People, employing stalk-and-pounce tactics, broke his maiden by 5 ¾ lengths at 1 mile Feb. 12 and cleared his first allowance condition by five lengths at 1 1/16 miles March 12.
The Arkansas Derby brings back Un Ojo, Barber Road, Kavod, Chasing Time and Ben Diesel, 1-3-4-5-8, respectively, in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) Feb. 26. The 1 1/16-mile Rebel was the final major local prep for the Arkansas Derby and an 85-point Kentucky Derby race.
Cyberknife was a sharp allowance winner Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds in his last start for two-time reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. Cyberknife's only stakes appearance was a sixth in the $200,000 Lecomte (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 22 at Fair Grounds.
The Southern California-based Doppelganger had been with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert – a four-time Arkansas Derby winner – before being recently transferred to Tim Yakteen, a former assistant. Doppelganger exits a runner-up finish in his two-turn debut, the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2), March 5 at Santa Anita.
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