Here are the likely entrants for the 150th Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, along with Monday news, less than two weeks away.
The runners in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) are working hard these mornings at Churchill Downs to finish their preparations for the major races on May 4 and May 3, respectively. Every day starting at approximately 7:20 a.m. The Kentucky Derby Facebook page broadcasts a morning fitness program. Here are some takeaways from the show:
Grand Mo the First has drawn in at number 20 on the Derby probable list by points when it was revealed over the weekend that Deterministic will not be competing in the Derby as anticipated (see list below). On Saturday, April 27, there will be a post position draw.
According to reports, Favoured Fierceness arrived at Churchill Downs early on Monday morning and is already tearing up the track at Palm Meadows in Florida. Todd Pletcher trains the horse City of Light's son, which is owned and bred by Mike Repole.
On Monday morning, April 22, Sierra Leone raced briskly through 1 1/2 miles at Churchill Downs. A strong candidate as well, the large, long son of Gun Runner hopes to become Chad Brown's first Derby victor.
Honor Marie, the first Derby starter for Brown's former assistant trainer Whit Beckman, galloped enthusiastically on Monday as well. The son of Honor Code, who won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill last autumn, will be making his third start in the Derby following his hiatus.
On April 20, 1:00.80 at Churchill, Brad Cox's horse Catching Freedom put up a strong workout, while Endlessly, the Jeff Ruby Steaks winner on Tapeta, appeared to struggle to stay with a partner during his prep that day.
Fillies in the Kentucky Oaks have also had nice looks. Just F Y I, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and champion two-year-old filly in the United States last year, has been put under further pressure by her trainer, Bill Mott.
Moreover, last weekend's maiden victory in that Aqueduct major event by Where's My Ring, the winner of the Gazelle major (G2), was breathtaking in her powerful gallop.
The UAE OAKS victor in Dubai, MANAMA GOLD, has been transferred to trainer Todd Pletcher and is anticipated to be supplemented to the Kentucky Oaks. The owner, Victorious Racing, has won three races with the chestnut speedster, who was bred in Louisiana by Star Guitar from the Dehere mare Charged Cottom.
Manama Gold, a two-year-old purchased for $200,000 in April at Ocala, is from the female line of Bye The Bye, a Canadian-bred mare that produced the impressive Grade 1 winner Schossberg and the extremely quick stakes winner San Ramoano for Knob Hill Stables, owned by Steve Stavro. The third dam in Manama Gold is called Bye the Bye, while the fourth is called Bill Beasley's Near Bye Lady.